With help from Tennessee, Mexico returns fallen soldiers' remains

WASHINGTON – More than a century and a half later, the remains of Tennessee militia members killed in the Mexican-American War may be coming home.

The remains of several American troops who died in the war will be returned to the United States on Wednesday with full military honors during a repatriation ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Some of deceased troops may be Tennessee militia members, though military officials can’t be certain until further tests are completed, said Greg Gardner of the Army casualty office’s past conflict reparations branch in in Fort Knox, Ky.

"We don’t really know how many remains there actually are,” Gardner said.

Volunteers from Tennessee, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas all fought in the Battle of Monterey, which lasted for three days in 1846 and was one of the bloodiest of the war.

Afterward, the dead were buried outside of the town until their remains were rediscovered several years ago by the Mexican government.

Since then, negotiations have been underway between the U.S. State Department and the Mexican government to return the remains to the United States.

Members of Tennessee’s congressional delegation also have worked to bring the remains home.

Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-South Pittsburg, sent a letter in 2013 to then-Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel requesting the remains of any Tennesseans be returned for burial in Gallatin City Cemetery, the site of a Mexican-American War memorial honoring Tennesseans who lost their lives in the war.

The letter also was signed by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Rep. Diane Black, R-Gallatin.

“After five years of ongoing negotiations with the Mexican government, we have finally returned our fallen Volunteer State heroes back to American soil,” Black said in a statement. “I am grateful to the dedicated faculty and administrators at Middle Tennessee State University who joined with me in this personal journey, as well as the State Department and U.S. Army personnel who answered our requests for help.”

Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, also has worked to bring the remains of the Tennesseans home.

“Whether it’s a recent war or a war fought more than a century ago, Tennesseans never forget their bravest citizens,” Cooper said. “Our fallen veterans always need to come home.”

The Mexican-American War was fought from 1846 to 1847 and led to the United States adding territory that would later become Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Some 30,000 Tennesseans answered a call by the secretary of war for additional troops to supplement U.S. strength during the war. Records indicate that at least 35 were killed in action during the battle.

Hugh Berryman, a forensic anthropologist and professor at MTSU, is leading a team of scientists that will work with the Army to identify the remains and learn more about the soldiers’ lives.

Berryman said he’s talked to scientists from across the country who are eager to collaborate on the project.

An analysis of the soldiers’ teeth might shed light on the quality of the water they drank and where they grew up, he said. Other clues might shed light on how they died or what diseases they might have had.

“The human skeleton is great at recording its own history,” Berryman said.

With the right tools, “it’s almost as though you are doing an interview with them,” he said.

Berryman will travel with MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee  to Dover Air Force Base for the transfer of the remains.

“This represents a rare opportunity – it’s a window into the American soldier from 1846,” Berryman said.

“You can read history in the books, but when you look at these individuals, when you look at the bones, you can reach back in time … It just brings history alive for me.”

Adam Tamburin contributed information to this story.