SERVICE FOR CIVIL WAR VET

THEBES, Ill. -- Pvt. Horace Lee Caldwell's service to the Union Army during the Civil War will be recognized this weekend, 69 years after his death.

A bronze plaque will be placed Saturday at the grave of the Southern Illinois Civil War veteran, commemorating Caldwell's Civil War service, his unit and rank.

A family marker identifies Caldwell's grave, but no mention of his service is included on the gravestone.

The graveside memorial service will highlight a Memorial Day celebration Saturday and Sunday on the grounds of the historic Thebes Courthouse, which was constructed a dozen years before the start of the Civil War.

The festival also recognizes all veterans of all wars during a special flag-raising ceremony Sunday at 1 p.m. at the 150-year-old courthouse.

The celebration, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, will feature barbecue, entertainment and street dancing.

Tours of the courthouse will be conducted throughout both days.

The graveside memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Thebes Cemetery near the courthouse grounds.

Horace Lee Caldwell, who was born May 23, 1848, joined the Union Army when he was 15 years old, in 1863, at Cape Girardeau.

He was hit with chronic health problems while serving in the army. He returned to the Thebes area and lived there until his death on Nov. 24, 1929.

The Richard J. Oglesby-Birds Point Camp 61 Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will present the special ceremony and place a bronze plague at the grave. Re-enactors of the 8th Illinois Volunteer Infantry will assist in providing military honors, including the firing of the volley.

Zac Caldwell, commander of the Sons of Union Veterans and a great-great-grandson of Caldwell's, will provide opening and closing remarks during the ceremony.

The Thebes Courthouse, which was one time the Alexander County Courthouse, was completed in 1848. The majestic courthouse sits high atop a hill, has weathered the years and remains an integral, fascinating piece of the area's history.

Although there is no documentary evidence that Abraham Lincoln held any cases in the courthouse as a lawyer, it has been verified that he was a frequent visitor to the town between 1854 and 1860. In a book, "When Lincoln Came to Egypt," author George W. Smith said Lincoln was in Thebes a number of times during that six-year period.

Gen. John A. Logan of Carterville, Ill., practiced law at the courthouse.

"There's a lot of history surrounding the courthouse and the town," said Bill Caldwell of the Thebes Historical Society.

Until two years ago, the two-level building was open daily and featured a gift shop, museum, library and dungeons. But funding ran out, and tours are now by appointment only, said Caldwell.

"We hope to revive tours of the building in the near future," said Caldwell.

Thebes, a town named after the ancient capital of upper Egypt, was the third county seat of Alexander County. But just as Cairo became the eventual capital of Egypt, so did Cairo, Ill., become the fourth county seat of Alexander County.

The first county seat and courthouse was in a small community called America, now in Pulaski County, which was created from portions of Alexander and Massac counties, explained Caldwell.

The county seat was moved to Unity in 1833. But when that courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1843, plans were made to move the country seat to Sparhawk Landing on the Mississippi River. Construction was started on the courthouse in 1844, the same year that Sparhawk's Landing became Thebes.

The courthouse, constructed at a cost of $4,400 on land donated by George and Martha Sparhawk, was designed by John Christian Henry Barkhausen, an architect from Prussia who came to America in 1835. He settled near Thebes where he operated a wood yard and ferry across the Mississippi River to Missouri.

The mortar and plaster were made locally.

The expansive courtroom and judge's chamber were on the ground level. The below-ground level housed county offices for the clerk and sheriff and two dungeons. The dungeons had massive, 3-inch-thick oak doors and contained only small openings for ventilation.

The courthouse underwent a renovation during the mid-1970s. Chimneys were replaced and flooring and bricks were added to the below-ground level, parts of which previously consisted of dirt.

When originally constructed, each window casement had 24 window panes. Over the years the number of panes were converted to 12. During the restoration, the 24-pane windows were re-installed. Restoration of the steps from the bottom of the courthouse to the building were also restored.