Southern Graves

It came in the form of the Yazoo Land Act, but let's back up a bit. I snap digital images of gravestones all the time, often having no clue who I'm photographing. And this was easily the case when I visited the Revolutionary War Cemetery at Louisville, Jefferson County, Georgia (also known as Old Capitol Cemetery, or Old City Cemetery). It was not a planned visit, and I was looking for no one in particular. The simple ledger marker for James Gunn, however, piqued my interest. A Brigadier General?  Well this might be someone I can research. Here lies the Body of Brigadier General JAMES GUNN who died on the 30 of July 1801. Aged 48 years, 4 months and 17 days. A death notice in the Western Star (Stockbridge, Massachusetts) from 7 September 1801 told me Gen. James Gunn was formerly a Georgia Senator. The American (Baltimore, Maryland) went into slightly more detail [20 August 1801, page 2]. (Don't forget the letter s was often written as an f.) Died at Lo...

In February 2008, I posted about the destruction at Gunn Family Cemetery in Centerville, Houston County, Georgia. At one time, this cemetery was in the woods. Time (progress?) eventually brought it out into the open, and the land surrounding it was stripped. You can ready the original post here --> Destruction at Gunn Family Cemetery . I pass by this cemetery often enough, and I have been keeping my eye on it for the past year. So far, a strip mall has been built right next to the little cemetery. A short wall was built around the raised land of the cemetery, and there are KEEP OUT signs posted around it. The stones are still in bad shape. I went by today and took some photos. I did not climb up to see for sure, but it looks like all the broken markers that were strewn around are gone. There is a real estate sign in front of this would-be shopping plaza, so I wonder if there are even any renters of the spaces. I'm thankful the cemetery wasn't moved or bulldoze...

The GUNN Family cemetery is located on Highway 41 in Centerville, Houston County, Georgia. The land around it has been stripped and the little family cemetery is in ruins. It is horrible to see. To make matters worse (in my opinion) those interred are relatives of Daniel Gunn, a Revolutionary War soldier given the land by grant for his service. This was one of the early settlers of the area. He operated a general store on the same road. Time deteriorates history enough, this total disregard for it speeds up the process tremendously. I emailed the city administrator about the future of this cemetery. I have yet to receive a response. There is a cross-road behind the cemetery named Gunn Road. We'll name a road after you, but to hell with the graves of your family. Wow. I have put up a page of grave marker transcriptions (the ones I could read and piece together) and photos here: Gunn Cemetery . Below is a short video clip of the cemetery.