A woman whose father, a black slave, fought on the Confederate side in the Civil War alongside his master was buried today, more than 150 years after the conflict began. Mattie Clyburn Rice, 91, died last month. Her father was Weary Clyburn, a slave from South Carolina who followed his master to war and saved his life. He fathered Rice in 1922, when he was 82, and survived until his daughter was eight years old. Funeral: Mattie Clyburn Rice, 91, was buried in Monroe, North Carolina today - in the same spot her Civil War veteran father was laid to rest. A Confederate 'Black Rose' mourner is seen by the grave . In life: Rice, bottom center, is pictured in 2012 with other members of the Order of the Black Rose. She pressured Union County, North Carolina, into recognizing her father and other black Civil War fighters . Civil War re-enactors gathered for the ceremony in Monroe, North Carolina.Veterans' organizations such as the Daughters of the Confederacy - of which Rice was a member - also attended. Records from the early 20th Century recount how he saved the life of his master, Frank Clyburn, whom he served as a bodyguard. He is also recorded as having done personal service for Robert E. Lee, the famed leader of the Confederate military. Heritage: Weary Clyburn, Rice's father, was 72 when she was born in 1922. Rice lived to 91 . Old-time uniform: Confederate re-enactors attended the funeral in recognition of Rice's historical efforts . The records recount how, when his master was wounded fighting over a crucial port in South Carolina, he slung him over his shoulder and carried him to safety under intense enemy fire. The near-death encounter came at Hilton Head, South Carolina - a vital port which was blockaded by Union forces and eventually fell in November 1861. Place in history: Weary Clyburn did personal service to Confederate general Robert E. Lee . Cutting off naval traffic to key routes such as Hilton Head, Charleston and Savannah were a vital part of crippling the South's economy and bringing the Confederate war effort to a halt. However, despite his presence in the theater of war, Clyburn - along with all other blacks - was not eligible to be recognized as a Confederate soldier. Clyburn, who was just 19 when he went to war, continued to draw his war pension until 1922 - but because he could not counted as a soldier, received a smaller amount than whites who fought. When Cyburn - referred to locally as 'Uncle Weary Clyburn' - died in 1930, his race also prevented his pension from being transferred to his widow. The Charlotte Observer reported that during her life Rice fought for recognition of black people who were involved in the Civil War. She helped pressure Union County, North Carolina, to recognize the service of her father, eight other black slaves and one black free man. The authority agreed and in 2012 established a plaque at their courthouse in their honor - the only such marker in the United States. 'She absolutely adored her father and she wanted his story told,' her daughter, Valeria Hall Frazier, told reporters. 'She wanted so much for that (marker) to happen.' In an interview last year, Rice recalled hearing stories of the war when she was growing up - which sparked a curiosity to find out more about the war. Fighters: Weary Clyburn helped get his master - Frank Clyburn - away from enemy fire at Hilton Head. Above is a representation of the 1861 battle of Bull Run, a Confederate victory . Southern forces: Pictured above are Confederate troops in 1863 . She said: 'I couldn’t figure out why they were slaves and why they had to do all this fighting. 'I said to myself that if I ever get old enough and have enough money, I’m going to find out where these people went and what they did.' In the ceremony today, Rice's ashes were interred in the same plot where her father was buried. Over his grave flies the original Confederate 'Stars and Bars' flag as it appeared when the Confederacy was seven states, alongside the flag of South Carolina.
Mattie Clyburn Rice, 91,was buried today in Monroe, North Carolina .
She was the daughter of Weary Clyburn, who went to war in 1861 .
Slave from South Carolina saved this life of his master, Frank .
Was given inferior pension because blacks couldn't be Confederate Soldiers .
His daughter, born in 1922 to 82-year-old father, fought for his recognition .
A woman whose father, a black slave, fought on the Confederate side in the Civil War alongside his master was buried today, more than 150 years after the conflict began. Mattie Clyburn Rice, 91, died last month. Her father was Weary Clyburn, a slave from South Carolina who followed his master to war and saved his life. He fathered Rice in 1922, when he was 82, and survived until his daughter was eight years old. Funeral: Mattie Clyburn Rice, 91, was buried in Monroe, North Carolina today - in the same spot her Civil War veteran father was laid to rest. A Confederate 'Black Rose' mourner is seen by the grave . In life: Rice, bottom center, is pictured in 2012 with other members of the Order of the Black Rose. She pressured Union County, North Carolina, into recognizing her father and other black Civil War fighters . Civil War re-enactors gathered for the ceremony in Monroe, North Carolina.Veterans' organizations such as the Daughters of the Confederacy - of which Rice was a member - also attended. Records from the early 20th Century recount how he saved the life of his master, Frank Clyburn, whom he served as a bodyguard. He is also recorded as having done personal service for Robert E. Lee, the famed leader of the Confederate military. Heritage: Weary Clyburn, Rice's father, was 72 when she was born in 1922. Rice lived to 91 . Old-time uniform: Confederate re-enactors attended the funeral in recognition of Rice's historical efforts . The records recount how, when his master was wounded fighting over a crucial port in South Carolina, he slung him over his shoulder and carried him to safety under intense enemy fire. The near-death encounter came at Hilton Head, South Carolina - a vital port which was blockaded by Union forces and eventually fell in November 1861. Place in history: Weary Clyburn did personal service to Confederate general Robert E. Lee . Cutting off naval traffic to key routes such as Hilton Head, Charleston and Savannah were a vital part of crippling the South's economy and bringing the Confederate war effort to a halt. However, despite his presence in the theater of war, Clyburn - along with all other blacks - was not eligible to be recognized as a Confederate soldier. Clyburn, who was just 19 when he went to war, continued to draw his war pension until 1922 - but because he could not counted as a soldier, received a smaller amount than whites who fought. When Cyburn - referred to locally as 'Uncle Weary Clyburn' - died in 1930, his race also prevented his pension from being transferred to his widow. The Charlotte Observer reported that during her life Rice fought for recognition of black people who were involved in the Civil War. She helped pressure Union County, North Carolina, to recognize the service of her father, eight other black slaves and one black free man. The authority agreed and in 2012 established a plaque at their courthouse in their honor - the only such marker in the United States. 'She absolutely adored her father and she wanted his story told,' her daughter, Valeria Hall Frazier, told reporters. 'She wanted so much for that (marker) to happen.' In an interview last year, Rice recalled hearing stories of the war when she was growing up - which sparked a curiosity to find out more about the war. Fighters: Weary Clyburn helped get his master - Frank Clyburn - away from enemy fire at Hilton Head. Above is a representation of the 1861 battle of Bull Run, a Confederate victory . Southern forces: Pictured above are Confederate troops in 1863 . She said: 'I couldn’t figure out why they were slaves and why they had to do all this fighting. 'I said to myself that if I ever get old enough and have enough money, I’m going to find out where these people went and what they did.' In the ceremony today, Rice's ashes were interred in the same plot where her father was buried. Over his grave flies the original Confederate 'Stars and Bars' flag as it appeared when the Confederacy was seven states, alongside the flag of South Carolina.
after the conflict began. Mattie Clyburn Rice, Clyburn, a slave from South Carolina who followed Clyburn Rice, 91, was buried in Monroe, North recount how he saved the life of his master, Confederate military. Heritage: Weary Clyburn, Rice's father, was 72 when she was born in 1922. soldier. Clyburn, who was just 19 when he went to life Rice fought for recognition of black people helped get his master - Frank Clyburn - away from