BROTHERS … This reflection centers on the memory of three brothers from Williams County whose lives were claimed by the Civil War, and on the extraordinary loss suffered by the Frisbie family during the conflict. Three brothers did not return.
Enoch W. Frisbie died on September 12, 1863. James K. P. Frisbie, born November 20, 1844, died on September 26, 1864. William Allen Frisbie died on February 15, 1862. Another brother, Benjamin, was the only sibling to survive the war, carrying forward the family line and the burden of remembrance.
William Allen Frisbie is believed to be the brother shown in civilian clothing in the photographs. Unlike his brothers, William had been delayed in receiving his uniform. He was only 19 years old when he died of disease in Somerset, Kentucky. He is buried near a Civil War museum.
A shared memorial headstone honoring the three fallen brothers stands today in Pease Cemetery near Pioneer, Ohio. It serves as a silent acknowledgment of sacrifice but does not resolve every question. It is unknown which brother is which in the photographs, as Cora Belle Frisbie of Pioneer—the great-grandmother—would have been the only person capable of definitively identifying the last two brothers. She passed away in the 1970s.
Thank you to Major Charles Murillo, RN, USAF (Retired), for the submission of these photos.
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