WHITESVILLE — After nearly 140 years, a Civil War veteran’s monument will finally rest beside his wife in the Old Panther Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.
On September 27, the Whitesville Historical Society will host a dedication ceremony for the gravestone of Charles M. Ragsdale, a Union soldier who served in the 17th Kentucky Infantry and died in 1875. His headstone, ordered through the Veterans Administration in 1886, was never set. Instead, it was lost for more than a century.
The marker mysteriously resurfaced in 2004, discovered leaning near a light pole in the Whitesville Post Office parking lot. Newspaper articles at the time and research by local historian Jerry Long documented the mystery, but the stone went unplaced and was stored in Whitesville’s city garage. It was later transferred to the Historical Society, where it sat until the group began researching its proper resting place.
Sue Berry, a member of the Whitesville Historical Society board, said the group pieced together Ragsdale’s story through old military records, genealogical research, and earlier reporting.
“It’s an original Civil War monument. It’s not a new marker. It’s the same one ordered back in 1886,” Berry said. “We finally said, let’s figure out in good faith where it should go, and let’s set it.”
Ragsdale’s wife, Sarah Amandaville, died two years before him, and records showed she was buried at Old Panther Creek. Research suggested he should be laid to rest beside her, though some believed the marker might belong in a family plot at the Black Cemetery (Black referencing a last name).
The breakthrough came on September 13, 2024. Berry recalled meeting Brian Wilson of Henderson at a genealogy program, where he revealed he was researching the Ragsdale family. As no direct descendants had been located, Wilson provided a vital family connection to help confirm placement.
The monument was cleaned and set by Mike Cecil and Terry Kindred. Berry said evidence suggests the stone had never been placed before.
“There’s no dirt line, no water line on it,” she said. “Where it was all those years, no one knows. But at least it wasn’t thrown away. Now, it will finally be where it belongs.”
Jackie Bickett, director of the Whitesville Historical Society, said the ceremony will be a chance to honor Ragsdale’s service and remember the family’s broader military history.
“The monument has finally found its place after 139 years,” she said.
The dedication will also highlight Ragsdale’s lineage. His grandfather, Godfrey Ragsdale, served in the American Revolution, and another family member fought in the War of 1812.
The event will include participation from patriotic organizations, including the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of Union Veterans, with about 15–20 reenactors expected.
Berry said the community’s efforts made the long-awaited placement possible.
“It’s been a community effort, and we’re so grateful,” she said.
