JAMES H. AKERS James was born about 1837 in Kentucky to Simeon and Margaret Akers.

In 1851 the family moved to a farm in Ravenna with their seven children. James worked as a surveyor and a river pilot.

James enlisted at Fort Snelling on April 29, 1861 during the Civil War. The enrolling clerk made a mistake and included a “c” in his name, so he was listed as Ackers. He served in Company H of the First Minnesota. By October of 1861 he was promoted to the rank of 1st Sergeant.

At the Battle of Gettysburg, James was killed during the regiment’s charge on July 2, 1863. When his father learned of James death, he drove a team to Gettysburg to find his son’s body and then brought him back to Hastings for burial at the Oakwood Cemetery. He was buried on November 1, 1863. His brother William died on November 7, 1863 at the age of 17.

On July 2, 1863, “CHARGE THOSE LINES” was the order made to the First Minnesota. Union General Winfield Hancock needed time for reinforcements to arrive. The troops fixed bayonets and plunged down the hill at top speed. They fought bloody hand to hand combat – buying enough time to bring in fresh troops. Of the 262 men of the First Minnesota who made the charge, only 47 survived. 3,100 Union men died during the three-day battle along with 3,900 Confederate men.

Simeon had to make a wagon ride from Hastings to Gettysburg, a distance of 1,044 miles. Considering a horse and wagon could only travel 10-20 miles PER DAY depending on road conditions and weather, it may have taken him two or more months to get to Gettysburg. Then he had to find his son’s body. If he was lucky James had pinned a note with his name and unit on his shirt before he went into battle. And again, if he was lucky, James had been found by friends and buried with a wooden cross with his information.

Oakwood Cemetery was the first cemetery that began in Hastings in June 1856. This cemetery was non-denominational, so it is not affiliated with any church. It has been abandoned several times over the years and currently has a group of volunteers trying to maintain the five acres.

Would you like to discover other people buried at Oakwood Cemetery? Come out to our Open House on Saturday, September 12, 2020, from 10:00 – 2:00. We are located on Featherstone Road behind the Hastings High School. We have over 25 photos of some of our “residents” and short bios on many others. We will have a woman demonstrating on a spinning wheel, Civil War memorabilia, a replica pot holder quilt and Steve Bauer has loaned us his antique hearse.