Mark Thrash

[ralphcow]

I recently visited the Civil War battlefield and read in one of the exhibits there about a man named Mark Thrash who supposedly lived from 1820 to 1943. I was told by park rangers that this claim was verifiable and was wondering if anyone out there had any information on this.

[Marley23]

Welcome to the board, ralphcow! I think your question belongs in General Questions (for queries with factual answers), so I’ve moved it over there.

[Duckster]

A simple Google search reveals this press release about a book:

Seen the Glory: The Story of the Oldest Person of Our Country 1820-1943, second edition— One of the most unique characters in the history of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park was Mark Thrash. Mark was born into slavery on December 25, 1820, in Louisa County,Virginia and lived to extreme old age. After the Battle of Chickamauga, he helped bury the dead and was eventually employed at Chickamauga Park from 1893 to 1922. At the age of 101, Mark was the oldest person ever on the United States Government payroll. Mark Thrash was a folklore institution at the battlefield, regaling visitors to his cabin with anecdotes and reminiscences about local history and Civil War notables he had met. After his death in 1943, he was buried in nearby Chickamauga, Georgia.

Source: http://www.easternnational.org/ENNewProducts04-06-07.pdf (PDF warning.)