Southern Graves

Shadrach Inman's obituary was carried in newspapers all up the east coast, from Georgia to North Carolina to New York. He was a man of the South who made fortunes in two eras -- the "old" south prior to the Civil War, and the "new" south after it. His story was related in an article by Tammy H. Galloway for the New Georgia Encyclopedia : "The Inman family is representative of those members of the planter class who lost much of their wealth during the Civil War (1861-65) but recouped their fortunes in a postwar urban environment." Shadrach Inman came to Atlanta from Tennessee about 1865 and established a dry goods store with his youngest son, Hugh. Hugh T. Inman was the father of Louise and Hugh , previously profiled on this blog. Ms. Galloway continues, explaining how the Inman family, including Shadrach, his brothers, and his sons, expanded their wealth after the Civil War: "The dry-goods stores of the time served as places to barter go...

Little Hugh Inman, son of H. T. and J. V. D. Inman, was born 22 October 1879. He died just eleven days shy of his second birthday. His tombstone in Oakland Cemetery at Atlanta, Georgia is full of symbolism. Hugh is depicted as an infant angel hovering above a rock piling. He lifts a cloak to reveal a coffin underneath. The rocks represent a firm foundation for life, and the rising above a revealed coffin represents victory over death. As was with his sister , Hugh's likeness was sculpted into the cherub form. All photos © 2012 S. Lincecum

Photo © 2012 S. Lincecum Louise Inman was a daughter of H. T. and J. V. D. Inman. She was born 5 December 1883, and died 2 May 1888. The tree stump sculpted for her tombstone in Atlanta, Georgia's Oakland Cemetery indicates a life cut short, and she is depicted writing on a tablet -- possibly the particulars of her time on earth. According to the Historic Oakland Cemetery Self-Guided Tour & Map , Louise's face is a death mask. "In Western cultures, a death mask is a wax or plaster cast made of a person’s face following death. Death masks may be mementos of the dead, or be used for creation of portraits. It is sometimes possible to identify portraits that have been painted from death masks, because of the characteristic slight distortions of the features caused by the weight of the plaster during the making of the mold. In other cultures a death mask may be a clay or another artifact placed on the face of the deceased before burial rites." [ Wikipedia ] Ph...

Harriet Cordelia Dick Inman rests beside her husband and son in Oakland Cemetery at Atlanta, Georgia. Augusta Chronicle (Georgia) 25 November 1902 MRS. W. P. INMAN Her Death Sunday Night at Her Home in Atlanta (Atlanta Constitution) Mrs. Walker P. Inman, after a lingering illness, died last night at 8:30 o'clock at her residence, 478 Peachtree street. Mrs. Inman had been desperately ill for a month and had been at the point of death for the past week. She became unconscious last Sunday night and never regained consciousness to the time of her death. During the week the end was expected at almost any time. No hope of her recovery had been entertained during the past month. She was taken ill last March and had been confined to her bed practically all the while since that time. Mrs. Inman became ill shortly after the death of her son, William Inman, who died on March 21. Her death was due to a complication of diseases. The deceased was a woman of many noble traits o...