The price they paid

Memorial Day is an opportunity to remember and honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for America's freedoms and liberties

May 25, 2026

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The price they paid

On the fourth Monday each May, Americans pause to remember the military men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice through the years to defend the nation’s liberty and democracy worldwide. Memorial Day, celebrated on Monday to create a three-day weekend for working men and women, has evolved into much more than a military holiday. Many use it to decorate the graves of loved ones, regardless of whether they served in the military. And many use the weekend for lake trips, cookouts, and other family events without thinking about the sacrifices that made the holiday possible.

But Memorial Day, at its roots, is a day to honor America’s war dead. It dates back to just after the Civil War, when Americans began decorating the graves of Union soldiers who had died during the war. And it grew into a nationwide celebration.

Scott County has at least 297 men and women who died during wartime as a part of the U.S. armed forces. Not all of them died in combat; many died of illness (especially during the Civil War) while they were enlisted, and still others were murdered or died in accidents. Some are memorialized on the VFW Post 5669 Memorial Wall in Oneida, where Scott County’s annual Memorial Day service will be held at 11 a.m. this morning. Others are memorialized on the Scott County Veterans Memorial on the courthouse mall in Huntsville. Most from World War I onward are memorialized on both, but some are memorialized on neither.

Scott County’s first soldier to die in wartime was Fielding Griffith of Brimstone, a great-grandson of Revolutionary War veteran Joseph Griffith. He was poisoned by a woman selling tainted pies while he and his brother, Hamilton Griffith, were training at Camp Dick Robinson near Danville, Ky.

The most recent Scott Countian to die in wartime was Cpl. Rusty Washam, a Marine who was killed in Iraq on Valentines Day in 2006.

Some Scott County families have sacrificed more than others through the years. Take, for example, the Chitwood family of Winfield. Cpl. John Henry Chitwood and three of his sons — Sgt. Henry Chitwood, Sgt. Daniel Chitwood, and Pvt. James Harrison Chitwood — were fighting together at the Battle of Rogersville in November 1863 when the Union forces were overrun by a Confederate regiment, taken prisoner, and held at Rebel prisons in Andersonville and Belle Isle. All four of the Chitwoods died in prisons: Daniel at Belle Isle on Feb. 20, 1864; James at Belle Isle on April 6, 1864; John at Andersonville on April 24, 1864; and Henry in Baltimore on July 24, 1864.

Other Chitwoods served in the Union army and died during the war, as well, including Andrew E. Chitwood and Miley Chitwood. Both died at London, Ky., a month apart in December 1861 and January 1862. Andrew died of measles, while Miley died of typhoid fever.

The Chitwood wasn’t Scott County’s only prominent Civil War family. Brimstone’s Newport family, too, were strongly loyal to the federal government. Six brothers and many of their sons fought in the war. One of the brothers, Richard Newport, died in the war, as did his son, Calvin Newport, and a nephew.

More than 50 years later, two cousins from Scott County — Sgt. Lawrence Phillips and Pvt. Robert Hughett — died on the same day at the Battle of Soissons late in World War I. It was July 18, 1918. Sgt. Phillips, 27, was the son of Perry Phillips and Mildred Phillips of Oneida. Pvt. Hughett, 20, was the son of William “Alex” Hughett and Martpha Phillips, also of Oneida. They were the grandsons of Jehu Phillips, a prominent Scott Countian who served as an elected official in the 1860s.

Three months later, as World War I was drawing near its conclusion, October 1918 proved very costly for Scott County families. It was the deadliest month of the war for Scott Countians, with several from here dying in action at the Argonne Forest in France. Among them: Sherman Stanley, 25, from Pine Hill; William Brown, 19, from Smokey Creek; Hugh Taylor Lewallen, 23, from Glenmary; John W. Fletcher, 24, from Rugby; Clovis Jeffers, 22, from Winona; William Blevins, 22; Lonus Reed, 29, from New River; and Jesse Slaven, 29.

Here is the complete list of Scott Countians who have died in wartime:

The following list is taken from the Memorial Wall at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5669 in Oneida, and from the Scott County Veterans Memorial in Huntsville (beginning with World War I), and from Paul Roy’s Scott County in the Civil War. “N” denotes service members determined by the Independent Herald to be non-combatant deaths.

*Denotes names that appear on the Scott County Veterans Memorial in Huntsville but not the VFW Post 5669 Memorial Wall in Oneida. In at least some instances, it appears names listed on the Scott County Memorial Wall but not the VFW Memorial Wall are service members who died non-combatant deaths during the war. It should be noted, however, that there are also instances of non-combatant deaths listed on the VFW wall.

**Denotes names that appear on the VFW Post 5669 Memorial Wall in Oneida but not the Scott County Veterans Memorial in Huntsville.

Civil War

At least 13 Scott Countians (or, in a couple of cases, former Scott Countians) were killed during the Civil War. Most of them were killed in combat, but some — like Ransom Vanover and Fielding Griffith — were murdered. Larkin Cross, who was killed along with Vanover, is not included on this list because he was not an enlisted man. Additionally, at least 52 Scott County enlisted men died of illness during the war. Of those, 25 died in prison camps (one of the 25 died just after his escape or release from prison). The lists below may not be conclusive, as new information continues to come to light.

Wesley Canada (Union)
James Ellis (Union)
Henry Gibson (Confederate)
Fielding Griffith (Union)
Jesse Laxton (Confederate)
Riley Looper (Confederate)
George W. Marcum (Union)
William Massengale (Union)
Joseph Neal (Union)
Calvin Newport (Union)
John Newport (Union)
Timothy Sexton (Union)
Preston J. Silcox (Union) – Not from Scott Co.
Keelan Slagle (Union) – Not from Scott Co.
William Turner Smith (Union)
Ambers Strunk (Union)
Ransom Vanover (Union)

These are the Scott County enlisted men who died of illness during the war (see more details here).

Andrew E. Chitwood — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Andrew Chitwood — Confederate army (Missouri)
Sgt. Daniel M. Chitwood — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Sgt. Henry Hamby Chitwood — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
James H. Chitwood — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Cpl. John H. Chitwood — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Miley Chitwood — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Sgt. Ransom J. Conner — Not from Scott County
Capt. Wayne W. Cotton — Co. G, 7th Tennessee Infantry
Cpl. Andrew Jackson Creekmore — Co. E, 12th Kentucky Infantry
William W. Creekmore — Co. E, 12th Kentucky Infantry
Johnson Goad — Co. H, 9th Tennessee Cavalry
Allen Griffith — Co. F, 7th Tennessee Infantry
Henry Griffith — Co. D, 3rd Kentucky Infantry
Joseph Griffith Sr. — Co. F, 7th Tennessee Infantry
Cpl. Hugh B. Holdaway — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
William Riley Honeycutt — Co. G, 8th Tennessee Infantry
William B. James — Not from Scott County
Samuel Jones — Not from Scott County
Levi Laxton — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Zimmery Lay — Co. G, 7th Kentucky Infantry
Emerson Looper — Co. D, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Hiram C. Marcum — Co. H, 13th Tennessee Cavalry
William McCoy — Not from Scott County
Allen McDonald — Co. G, 7th East Tennessee Infantry
George McDonald — Not from Scott County
Cpl. James McDonald — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Sgt. Samuel McDonald — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
James Murphy Jr. — Not from Scott County
Richard Newport — Co. E, 11th Tennessee Cavalry
Hymelas Patten — Not from Scott County
Gaston Patterson — Not from Scott County
Stewart Pemberton — Co. G, 12th Kentucky Infantry
Emanuel Phillips — Co. G, 8th Tennessee Volunteers
John R. Phillips — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Timothy Phillips — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Salem Privett — Not from Scott County
Solomon Privett — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Allen Reed — Co. F, 7th Tennessee Mounted Infantry
Claiborn Reed — Co. I, 30th Kentucky Infantry
William Robbins — Co. E, 7th Tennessee Infantry
Alfred C. Ross — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Joel C. Ross — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Cicero P. Ryan — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Hiram Sexton — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Shadrack M. Sexton — Co. H, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Robert Shelton — Co. H, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
Pleasant Slavey — Co. I, 12th Kentucky Infantry
Leon Smith — Confederate army, regiment unknown
Jonathan Smithers — Co. F, 1st Tennessee Infantry
Joseph Thomas — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
George Thompson — Not from Scott County
Jarett Trammell — Co. A, 2nd Tennessee Cavalry
Reason West — Co. A, 1st Tennessee Infantry
William T. West — Not from Scott County
James Manuel Wilson Sr. — Co. G, 2nd Tennessee Infantry
James “Manuel” Wilson Jr. — Co. G, 7th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry

Mexican Revolution

Andrew J. Watson

World War I

Twelve Scott Countians were killed in action in World War I. Ten more died non-combatant deaths during or just after the war. One man, Guy D. Fryar, is listed on the VFW Post 5669 Memorial Wall in Oneida but died of illness after the war while serving stateside in the U.S. Army. Another, Elsic Lawson, is listed on the VFW Post 5669 Memorial Wall and the Veterans Memorial in Huntsville but died of illness after the war while serving stateside in the U.S. Army. Fred Sexton is listed on both memorials but died in a homicide in the U.S. a year after the war ended. Mitchel Sexton, Jasper York and Burl Dyer both died during the war but their illnesses occurred stateside, before they made it overseas. Huffman Davis died stateside in an accidental shooting that occurred on base during the war. James Gibson and William Chitwood died of sickness while serving in France during the war, and Onva Phillips died in a train accident in France after the war ended but before troops left the country.

William Blevins
William Brown
Huffman Davis – N
John W. Fletcher
Guy D. Fryar** – N
James Gibson – N
Robert M. Hughett
Elsic Lawson – N
Hugh T. Lewallen
Clovis Jeffers*
Lawrence Phillips
Onva Phillips – N
Hett Phillips
Lonus Reed
Fred Sexton – N
Mitchel Sexton – N
Jesse Slaven
Sherman Stanley
Edson L. Toomey
Jasper York – N

The following names are not included on either memorial wall, for reasons unknown:

William Chitwood – N
Burl Dyer – N

(More information about each of Scott County’s World War I heroes is found on Tim West’s genealogy ebsite.)

World War II

Seventy-three Scott Countians were killed in action during World War II. Of those, nine are not listed on either war memorial in Scott County; most of them grew up in Scott County but moved away before entering the service. Another 12 men and women died near or during the war. Of the 12, several died in stateside car accidents that were not related to the war, including Augrie Adkins, Jesse Boyatt, Fred Cotton, Dillmon Jeffers, and Eugene Lewallen. Adkins died just prior to the start of the war, while Cotton died just after the war ended. Boyatt didn’t die until 1952, while he was still serving in the U.S. Army. Another man, Herbert Smith, drowned while swimming in Mississippi. And two men died of illness during the war: Clay Slaven of infectious hepatitis, and Willie Clark of testicular cancer. The remaining five died in war-related deaths, mostly plane crashes. Additionally, there are eight soldiers listed on one or both war memorials in Scott County who are not actually from Scott County.

The following names do not appear on either memorial wall, for unknown reasons:

Andrew Chambers
Kelsie Duncan
Taskel Evans
Paul Foster
Eugene Lewallen – N
Mearle Massey
George Newport
Ralphard Payne
Earl Phillips
James Phillips

(More information about Scott County’s World War II heroes is found on Tim West’s genealogy website.)

Korean War

Nine men from Scott County died during the Korean War, seven of them in combat situations. Dennis Adkins died in a stateside car accident that was not linked to the war, and Emmitt Marcum died of illness just after the war ended. Another man, Charles Corder Jr., is listed on both local war memorials but does not appear to have been from Scott County.

Dennis Adkins* – N
Charles Corder Jr. – (Not from Scott County)
Roy E. Cross
Bailey Keeton Jr.
Emmitt Marcum* – N
Roy W. Matthews
George D. Russ
Manford Sexton*
Van N. Terry
Willis Watters

(More information about Scott County’s Korean War heroes is found on Tim West’s genealogy website.)

Vietnam War

Fifteen men from Scott County died during the Vietnam War, 12 of them in combat situations. Of the remaining three, Earl Chambers died while swimming in the Clear Fork River when he was home on furlough, Doyle Foster died on base of suicide, and Kenneth Griffith died in a stateside plane crash.

Ralph Byrd
Earl Chambers* – N
James L. Chambers**
William L. Coffey
Doyle Foster* – N
Ernest Gibson
Joe Edd Griffith
Kenneth Griffith* – N
James Wm. Hunley
Phillip E. Ireland
Tommie Keeton
Donald E. Madden
Michael D. Terry**
Denny L. Washam
James D. West

(More information about each of Scott County’s Vietnam war heroes can be found on Tim West’s genealogy website.)

Iraq War

Rusty Washam

See Also: Scott Countians

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🌦️ Weather: There’s a 90% chance of rain today, and rain will remain likely each day this week. Flood watches may be necessary at times depending on how much rainfall occurs. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at indherald.com.

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📅 Community Calendar

Monday: VFW Post 5669 will hold its annual Memorial Day service at the post home on U.S. Highway 27 in Oneida, beginning at 11 a.m. A lunch will follow in the basement of the post home.

Monday: The Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area swimming pool at Bandy Creek will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $3 for ages 13 and up, $2 for ages 6-12, and free for ages 5 and under.

Monday: The Town of Huntsville Municipal Pool is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays). Admission is $3.

Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center (Monticello Pike, Huntsville) offers a walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs every week day (Monday-Friday) from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The center will be closed today for Memorial Day.

Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 10 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.

Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.

Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.

Wednesday: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 12 p.m. at the Highway 27 Unity Club (17737 S. Alberta Street, Oneida).

Wednesday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will host Golden Grooves Exercise at 1 p.m.

Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 569-8828.

Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

The Community Calendar is presented weekly by Citizens Gas Utility District. Citizens Gas Utility District pipelines are generally safe. They can be damaged by things such as excavation, natural forces, and automobile accidents. These can potentially cause a leak. Visit citizensgastn.com.

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