William J. Bird of Bulloch County served in the Confederate War, but his war time service was never documented. This was true until his great grandson and retired Methodist Pastor Larry Bird researched his life story and wrote a 241 page book chronicling this period in his life. The book "Life of a Confederate Soldier Private William J. Bird" was published in 2021.
After completing the book, Pastor Bird began the process of placing a confederate memorial in the general location of his death on what would have been his 180th birthday, October 15, 2022.
The Confederate Memorial Service was held at the Lower Lotts Creek Primitive Baptist Church, near the intersection of Highway 301 and Highway 46 in Bulloch County. The ceremony included the unveiling of a Memorial Marker to be placed at the foot of the grave site for Private William J. Bird by his grandchildren Martha Ann Bird Edwards and Tom Byrd.
The event was hosted by the Sons of Confederate Veterans (The Ogeechee Rifles) from the Statesboro Camp. In addition, representation from eight other SCV camps in Southeast Georgia were present in Civil War period uniforms as well as some ladies from the DAR in Screven County.
There were a large number of Civil War reenactors in uniform that gave a 21-gun salute and three heavy cannon artillery (Civil War replicas) that were fired as part of the ceremony.
Participants in the program included:
- Mike Mull, Commander of The Ogeechee Rifles
- Maxwell Scott, Chaplain of The Ogeechee Rifles
- Harvey Lively, Color Sergeant of The Dixie Guards
- Bubba Webster, First Lieutenant Commander of The Ogeechee Rifles
- Larry E. Bird, Great Grandson of William J. Bird
- Unveiling of Confederate Marker, Martha Ann Edward and Tom Byrd Grandchildren of William J. Bird
- Hu Daughtry, Commander of The Dixie Guards
- Keith Edenfield, Great, Great Grandson of William J. Bird
- Artillery / Rifle Salutes: The Reenactors / Re-enactors
- Taps, Don Bazemore
Represented SCV Camps included:
- The Dixie Guards, Metter, Georgia
- The Ogeechee Rifles, Statesboro, Georgia
- The Black Creek Volunteers, Sylvania, Georgia
- The Montgomery Sharpshooters, Mount Vernon, Georgia
- The Robert A. Toombs Camp, Vidalia / Higgston, Georgia
- The E. Porter Alexander Camp, Augusta, Georgia
- Buckhead-Fort Lawton Brigade, Millen, Georgia
How to purchase the "Life of a Confederate Soldier Book"
The book is actually about the hardships, actions and adventures of a young soldier from a farm in rural Southeast, Georgia, who served valiantly for the duration of the American Civil War. It covers a little history of the war, but more importantly, it will allow the reader to follow Bird's involvement on the battlefields and help us understand the agony he withstood and his fortitude that ensured his survival. It his offered as a record of our forefather to preserve the history of his ancestor and for his descendants.
The 241 page book written and published on the life of William J. Bird, who fought the entire 4 years of the Civil War, is available for purchase for $20 and personally autographed by the author.
Contact Larry Bird at birdnest787@gmail.com to purchase the book.
You can watch the entire service along with the firing of the guns and cannons below: