Southern Graves

I've written about monuments as tombstones in this space before ( here and here ). Last week I took a drive to visit another example -- The Signer's Monument in Augusta, Georgia. Signer's Monument Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia Photo © 2013 S. Lincecum The monument which stands in the middle of Greene Street and Monument Street is dedicated to the signers of the Declaration of Independence from the state of Georgia. It's also a tombstone for two of them, per the historical marker standing beside it: Dedicated July 4, 1848, in honor of the signers of the Declaration of Independence for Georgia: George Walton, Lyman Hall and Button Gwinnett. The first two lie buried in crypts beneath this shaft. The burial place of Gwinnett, whose body was to have been reinterred here, has never been found.

© 2013 S. Lincecum

Anna Poullain Park (Nov 4, 1856 - Feb 18, 1936) James Billingslea Park (Feb 28, 1854 - Apr 10, 1943) HIS:   Judge of the Ocmulgee Circuit 1911 to 1939 He filled with fidelity and courtesy other offices of trust Sincere Friend Polished Gentleman Learned Lawyer Courageous and Able Jurist HERS:   Her life was as beautiful as the flowers she loved Greensboro City Cemetery Greene County, Georgia Photos © 2013 S. Lincecum

Edward Young Born in Lexington, GA June 26, 1860 Died in Greensboro, GA May 26, 1898 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Sleep on Dear Darling! May Angels guard they sweet repose! We'll catch the broken threads again, And finish what we here began! Heaven will the mysteries explain, And then, ah then, we'll understand. Peace to his sacred ashes. Greensboro City Cemetery Greene County, Georgia Photo © 2013 S. Lincecum The third part of Edward's epitaph is from a hymn written in 1891, Some Time We'll Understand : Not now, but in the coming years, It may be in the better land, We’ll read the meaning of our tears, And there, some time, we’ll understand. We’ll catch the broken thread again, And finish what we here began; Heav’n will the mysteries explain, And then, ah then, we’ll understand. We’ll know why clouds instead of sun Were over many a cherished plan; Why song has ceased when scarce begun; ’Tis there, some time,...

William Crosby Dawson via Wikipedia I headed out before the sun came up one morning several days ago to visit a few cities with roots in early Georgia history. My first stop was Greensboro, the seat of Greene County. It was first chartered in 1786, and later incorporated in 1803. I parked in front of the courthouse with every intention of walking around the back to take a peek at the old jail. Even though it was raining, I was sidetracked by a marker in front of the courthouse detailing the life of William C. Dawson. After reading it, I snapped a picture and moved on. Little did I know, I would visit Mr. Dawson again a bit later...in the cemetery, of course! William C. Dawson marker in front of Greene County's 1849 courthouse. Marker reads: William C. Dawson (1798-1856), Statesman -- Soldier -- Jurist -- Freemason: "A native of Greene County, then on Georgia's Indian frontier, he was educated in the law and admitted to the bar in 1818. The remainder of h...

I don't do this often enough, but from time to time I'm prompted to check the new and updated databases page at Ancestry. U.S. Burial Registers, Military Posts and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960 was updated less than three weeks ago, so I decided to give it a browse. First, here is a description of the database: Many veterans of the U.S. armed services are buried in cemeteries established or maintained by the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) or the U.S. Army. The NCA maintains 131 national cemeteries and other smaller burial grounds. The Department of the Army is responsible for Arlington and the U.S. Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery. These records also include burial details for soldiers who were disinterred and moved to military cemeteries sometime after their death. Essentially, if you choose to browse, you are reading a burial register. It's fascinating, yet heart wrenching at the same time. These soldiers died and were buried far from home,...

Photo by Gary Sizemore via FindAGrave Ezekiel Absher was born in Tennessee February of 1838. He joined up with Company E of the 43rd Tennessee Infantry in November 1861. (Note: this was a mounted infantry between December 1863 and May 1865.) Shortly after his enlistment, Pvt. Absher was absent from roll due to sickness. Upon returning in January 1862, it seems he remained present for the duration of his service. Ezekiel was elected 3rd Corporal in May of 1862. In November, he was noted as a brigade teamster. By the summer of 1863, Ezekiel was listed as a 4th Sergeant when he was captured at Vicksburg, Mississippi on the 4th of July. After signing an Oath of Allegiance, he was paroled five days later. The "allegiance" didn't stick, however. A year later, on 2 September 1864, Ezekiel was again captured by the Union Army. This time near Martinsburg, Virginia. He was sent to Fort Delaware , and was confined there for 8 months. Release came May of 1865. ...