George and John Cluck are two brothers from Lebanon, Tennessee. They joined the Confederate Army December 16, 1861. As soldiers of the 45th Tennessee Infantry, they fought in the battles of Shiloh, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, and Missionary Ridge. At the battle of Missionary Ridge, they were captured and taken to the Rock Island Confederate Prison in Illinois.
They entered the prison December 11, 1863 where they died. John died December 21, 1863. George died May 10, 1864. They are currently buried in the Confederate Cemetery of the prison. John is buried in grave number 43. George is buried in grave number 1, 136.
John was twenty when he died; George was twenty-one.
The purpose of the George and John Cluck Project is to look into the possibilty of having them disintered from the Rock Island Confederate Cemetery and reintered, with full honors, in their hometown of Lebanon, Tennessee. The project will involve a minimum of five camps and require several committees with a single person as head.
The project is expected to take a minimum of two years with the earliest possible reinterment in the Fall of 2005.
The most recent disinterment of a Confederate soldier was in July 2002. Lt. Edward John Kent Johnston was disintered in Boston and returned to Florida where he was reburied beside his wife. The project involved SCV and UDC members in Massachusetts, Florida and Georgia.
Information on Lt. Johnston can be located at the following websites -
http://www.federalobserver.com/archive.php?aid=3444
http://www.civilwarinteractive.com/flareburial.htm
A disinterment of a Confederate soldier, from Elmira Confederate Prision in New York, is planned for 2004.
It has been suggested, and accepted, that interested persons attend an initial meeting at the General Robert H. Hatton Camp #763 in March 2004. The exact date has not been selected but will be coordinated with Commander Don Lewis of the General George H. Hatton Camp #763.
The initial meeting will look at the project from the areas of possibility and cost.
Suggested chair positions and responsibilites are listed below.
Project Coordinator Camp
- General Robert H. Hatton Camp #763Possible chair positions:
Relative Notification and Approval
Several of these may overlap or may need to be broken down into a smaller
Interested persons are encouraged to attend the meeting.