Illinois Grave of Civil War Soldier and the Shell that Killed Him

We have a lot of history that rests in Missouri and Illinois cemeteries, but few are as solemn as the grave of a Civil War soldier that also includes the artillery shell that took his life.

This cemetery in Naperville, Illinois is the final resting place of Dr. Horace Potter. Family Search has his brief family history explaining how he came to live in Illinois just prior to the Civil War in 1850 until 1860. He was killed in battle in Georgia on June 2, 1864. This is his grave which includes a very unique monument. It's the shell that killed him that day.

Dr. Potter was a surgeon with the 105th Illinois Volunteer Division of the Union army. His actual grave features what appears to be a Union flag at the top with only faint engraving remaining below it.

Dr. Potter enlisted in the Union army in 1862 before he lost his life to the exploding shell two years later. That's sadly about all that is known of his life other than the fact that Family Search says he had at least one daughter.

It's such a curious thing that the man would be buried with the reason for his passing included nearby.

His is another of the many historical memories that we're surrounded by that are unfortunately slowly fading away thanks to the erosion of stones and time.