Michigan Spirit Quest #9 "A Family Undivided" Traditional Geocache

The MICHIGAN SPIRIT QUEST series of geocaches will take you to a number of historic cemeteries built by MICHIGAN Pioneers. This series is inspired by and a continuation of the Indiana Spirit Quest caches. In just over a year and a half, the SPIRIT QUEST has grown to over four hundred fifty caches and the hiders have grown to Twenty cacher teams, most of which are comprised of Dogs and their Humans. Over 1,000 cachers have logged over 12,500 finds. One cache machine found 102 ISQ caches in a single day (daylight hours only).

(Photos by Wolverine Warriors)

Welcome to Evergreen cemetery in Girard township. There are many veterans and early pioneers of Girard buried here. One of the more prominant family names here is the Demarest family. Who during the Civil war had four family members serving in the war at the same time.

Private Andrew J. Demarest (b. 1843 near Broadalbin, Fulton County. N.Y.) was the second oldest of 3 brothers from Girard Michigan to serve in the United States Army during the American Civil War. His parents, William W. Demarest (b. 1813 - d. 1894) and Lydia Steenburgh Demarest (b. 1822 - d. 1882) had moved to Michigan from Fulton County, N.Y. shortly before the Civil War. Andrew J. Demarest enlisted as a Private in company G, 9th Michigan Infantry in Coldwater, Michigan on Aug. 15, 1861 for a period of 3 years. His service records indicate he was 18 years old at the time. Pvt. Demarest was mustered into service at Detroit, Michigan on Oct. 15, 1861; his regiment was sent to the Kentucky front on Oct. 25, 1861 - the first Michigan regiment to enter active service in the western theater of the war. A total of 913 officers and men in the 9th Mich. Inf. were first stationed at Jeffersonville, Indiana across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. Pvt. Andrew Demarest and about 250 comrades in the 9th Mich. Inf. were stationed, along with other Federal units, in Murfreesboro Tennessee on July 13, 1862 when they were attacked by approximately 3,000 Confederate cavalry under the personal command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Andrew's Company G was camped with four other companies of the 9th Mich. Inf. on the outskirts of Murfreesboro and were rudely awakened by about 2,000 of General Forrest's men at approximately 4:00 a.m., early morning of July 13. Fortunately, some warning was given by Federal sentries and the Michiganders were in position to receive the initial charge which lasted about 30 minutes - ending in hand-to-hand combat. Repeated charges by Confederate cavalry upon Pvt. Demarest and his 9th Mich. Inf. comrades took place for the next 8 1/2 hours. At approximately 12:30 p.m., after losing 13 killed and 87 wounded (137 effectives were left), then Lt.-Colonel John G. Parkhurst of Coldwater, Michigan surrendered the 9th Mich . Inf. to General Forrest. The Rebel horsemen were no doubt impressed by the stubborn defense put up by the outnumbered Federal soldiers. Confederate General Forrest would once again give battle to and capture members of the Demarest family from Girard, Michigan - on March 5, 1863, Andrew Demarest's older brother Charles and his Uncle John in the 19th Mich . Inf . were captured at Thompson's Station, Tennessee after a 5-hour battle. Pvt. Andrew Demarest took part in the massive battle of Chickamauga, Georgia on Sept. 19-20, 1863; at this time the 9th Mich. Inf. was serving as Provost Guard for the XIV Corps - having been appointed by Major General Thomas. In this role, the 9th Mich. Inf., under now Colonel John G. Parkhurst, was active during the battle of Chickamauga and was deployed at first, McFarlan's Gap, then Rossville Gap with fixed-bayonets in order to check the fleeing Federal troops during the Confederate onslaught of Sept. 20, 1863. Andrew J. Demarest was discharged on Dec. 6, 1863 and then re-enlisted as a veteran on Dec. 7, 1863. He was again mustered-in as a veteran on Christmas Day, 1863 - his patriotism was rewarded with a $60.00 bounty and 30 days furlough along with 306 of his comrades in the 9th Mich. Inf. who also re-enlisted at this time.On Jan. 5, 1864 the 9th Mich. Inf. and Pvt. Andrew J. Demarest arrived in Coldwater, Michigan and were furloughed for 30 days; after reassembly from furlough, the men of the regiment recruited new members from the Southern Michigan area. Apparently, the visit home by Pvt. Andrew Demarest had a strong effect on at least one member of his family in Girard. The younger brother of Andrew, George W. Demarest, enlisted in Coldwater, Michigan on Feb. 2, 1864 - under "Recruiting Officer" on his enlistment documents is the signature of "Pvt. Andrew Demarest, Co. G, 9th Regt. Mich. Vet. Vol". Both Demarest brothers then left Coldwater with the rest of the 9th Mich. Inf. on Feb. 20, 1864 and returned to Chattanooga,Tennessee. Pvt. Andrew Demarest and the 9th Mich. Inf. left Chattanooga on May 3, 1864 to take part in the Atlanta campaign of General William T. Sherman; his brother George Demarest was ill and did not accompany him. The 9th Mich. Inf. participated in the following actions in Georgia: Rock Face (May 8), Resaca (May 14), Dallas (May 27), Kennesaw (June 25), Chattahoochee River (July 5-6), Atlanta (July 22 - Aug. 25), and Jonesboro (Sept. 1). Pvt. Andrew Demarest and the men of the 9th Mich. Inf. then did provost duty in Atlanta through the month of October, 1864 and then returned to Chattanooga for a little "R. & R.". After arriving in Chattanooga on Nov. 6, 1864, the 9th Mich. Inf. performed guard duty at the headquarters of the Army of the Cumberland through February of 1865. Pvt. Andrew Demarest received another 30 day furlough between Feb. 26 - Mar. 24, 1865; during that time, he was promoted to Corporal on March 1. He rejoined his regiment at Nashville , Tennessee and did guard duty at the Federal military prison and General Thomas' headquarters there until he was mustered out on Sept. 15, 1865. Now Corporal Andrew J. Demarest left the next day for home and arrived at Jackson, Michigan on Sept. 19. In 1888, Andrew J. Demarest was recorded on a list of Civil War veterans living in Girard, Branch County, Michigan. He died Feburary 4, 1917 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery along with his brother and uncle who both served in Co. C of the 19th Michigan Infantry.

Andrew Demarests older brother Charles born 1842 and died 1912

The cache container is a matchstick container. BYOP. .The cache is not located near a grave... If you find a fallen US flag, please stick it back in the ground or replace it. As always, please be respectful, and cache in, trash out. Say a prayer for our brave troops, fighting overseas. God Bless America!

"MSQ caches are brought to you by the following fellows of GEOMSQ*: SixDogTeam (Earthdog Patrick, Lead Dog, Wheel Dog), Wolverine Warriors, The Outcaches, and SafariBob & Tweety. If you are interested in spreading the Quest to your neck of the woods AND WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US, email Wolverine Warriors.

*Grand Exalted Order of the Michigan Spirit Quest

** THIS IS A GENUINE MICHIGAN SPIRIT QUEST CACHE** xxxxx