Southern Graves

The mortal remains of Dr. Sidney Smith repose in St. James Episcopal Cemetery at Marietta, Georgia. The inscription on one side of his gravestone ends with the following: Conscia Mens Recti Famae Mendacia Ridet Google translates this to "The conscious mind smiles [or laughs] at the rumored lies."   After digging a little more, I found an oft-quoted Latin proverb  -- "A mind conscious of innocence laughs at the lies of rumor." Between the Latin phrase on Dr. Smith's gravestone and the Latin proverb translated to English, there is a slight difference in words: recti  versus  innocentiae . This is right  versus innocence . So maybe the good doctor's Latin phrase translates to English this way: A mind conscious of right laughs at the lies of rumor. This monument has been erected to mark the spot where repose the mortal remains of DR. SIDNEY SMITH Who departed this life on the 16th April 1856 Aged 56 years A skillful physician, An enterprising and public-spirited...

Our old citizens are passing away! So said the death notice for John Callaway printed in the Milledgeville, Georgia Union & Recorder . He was born 4 December 1791 and died 5 June 1873 in Milledgeville. Upon death, John was buried in the city's Memory Hill Cemetery. On 25 October 1818 in Baldwin County, GA, John married Margaret "Peggy" Turner. This couple had at least eleven children. Eight of them rest in Memory Hill, and tombstones for six(*) of them are in the image below. - Augustus W. "Gus" Callaway* (3 March 1820 ~ 9 August 1866) - Lucinda A. Callaway Trice* (5 October 1821 ~ 15 March 1889) - John F. "Frank" Callaway - Joshua M. Jasper Callaway - Leonidas Newton Callaway* (19 February 1828 ~ 20 July 1898) - Sarah Elizabeth Callaway Brake (1831 ~ 1907) - Nancy C. Callaway (29 January 1832 ~ 3 February 1901) - Martha M. Callaway Smith* - E. William Callaway* (29 June 1834 ~ 30 November 1873) - Mary Emeline Callaway King Green - ...

Houston Home Journal (Perry, Georgia) Thursday, 9 June 1904 - pg 6 [via South Georgia Historic Newspapers ] Death of Dr. J. B. Smith At his home on Swift street in Perry Dr. John Baptiste Smith died early last Saturday morning. At the home Sunday morning the funeral services were conducted by Rev. T. E. Davenport, pastor of the Perry Methodist church. The Houston Lodge No. 35, F. & A. M. with visiting Masons, took charge of the body, and at Evergreen cemetery the rites of burial were performed with Masonic honors. Six Knights Templar of Fort Valley acted as an escort of honors. The pall bearers were Messrs. C. F. Cooper, M. L. Cooper, C. E. Gilbert, J. P. Duncan, J. H. Hodges, L. M. Paul. Dr. Smith was 91 years of age nine days prior to his death.  He was the oldest white man in Houston county, and no man in the county was ever held in higher esteem. He is survived by the devoted wife and three daughters, Mrs. J. H. Powers of Perry, Mrs. S. H. Morgan of Atlanta and Mrs. B. C...

Here's an interesting discrepancy between a written history and what is "written" in stone. William M. Smith was a soldier of the American Revolution from North Carolina. He is mentioned by Lucian Lamar Knight on page 489 of Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials and Legends (published 1914): From an obscure grave in the county [Coweta] the remains of William Smith, another soldier of the first war for independence, were brought to Newnan some time ago and re-interred in the Confederate burial-ground, in the southeast corner of Oak Hill. He was given the sobriquet of "Hell Nation", a somewhat descriptive title which may indicate the fiery quality of his valor. Mr. Smith died at the age of 81. He enlisted in Moore County, N.C., and was granted a pension on September 3, 1832. I visited the final, final resting place of Mr. Smith in October of last year. When putting an image of the stone with the history by Mr. Knight, I noticed a bit of an issue. The older ...

Alexander Hamilton Smith Born April 29, 1843 Died September 11, 1916 Capt. Alexander Hamilton Smith A Brave Confederate Soldier; A Successful Farmer; An Able Representative Of Greene County In The Legislature For Four Years. He Was Cautious, Practical And Independent, Commanding Confidence By The Frankness Of His Manner, The Purity Of His Words, And The Wisdom Of His Course. A Truer, Nobler Heart Never Beat Within A Human Breast. Greensboro City Cemetery Greene County, Georgia Photos © 2013 S. Lincecum

Garrett Smith Born July 23, 1821 Died March 23, 1884 Death has taken thee, and thee far country to which we journey seems nearer to us, and the way less dark for thou art gone BEFORE. Smith Cemetery Bonaire, Houston County, Georgia Garrett Smith was a brother-in-law to Needham Smith . Photos © 2012 S. Lincecum

Needham Smith's Will [continued] ... I m Seventh And should my Wife Ardilla marry before the youngest child arrives at the age of twenty one I desire and will that she receive out of my Estate the same as one of my three daughters, mentioned in the fifth item and when my daughter Martha arrives at the age of twenty one years or marries, my Wife Ardilla if single shall receive the same as she would have receive had she married. I m Eighth I desire that the residue of my estate then be divided equally between my Wife Ardilla Smith, and the children of my Deceased daughter Harriet Walker, Deborah Ann Roquemoses, Mary Ann Burney, Drupina Smith, Elizabeth Smith, Martha Smith and William Thomas Speight. Alexander Smith (1805-1864) I m Ninth I constitute and appoint my Son in law Milton L. Burney, Garratte Smith and Alexander Smith executors to this my last Will and testament this 7th day of July 1854. interlined before assigned          Needham Smith ...

Needham Smith's Will. [continued] Ardella Smith (1803-1872) ... Fourth I desire that the residue of my Estate be kept together and that my Wife Ardilla, my daughters Drupina Smith, Elizabeth Smith and Martha Smith and my Grand Children William Tho s Speight, Franklin Bryant Walker George Henry Walker and Betsy Joel Walker, be supported out of the income or product of the Estate until my youngest daughter Martha shall arrive at the age of twenty One or marries provided they all remain single until that time, the support to cease of each one at their marriage and the education of those not completed to be completed and the expences of the same be paid out of the products of my estate, the remainder of the income to be laid out by my executor as they may Judge most conducive to the interest of said Estate. I m Fifth I desire and will that each of my daughters Drupina, Elizabeth and Martha whenever they shall arrive at the age of twenty One years or marries, shall shall rece...

Needham Smith's Will. In the name of God Amen, I Needham Smith of the County of Houston and State of Georgia being of sound and disposing mind and memory, and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs while I have strength to do so, make and publish this my last will and testament hereby revoking all wills by me at any time heretofore made, And first I commit my soul to the God who gave it and my body I desire to be buried in a Christian like manner, And my worldly estate I dispose of as follows. Needham Smith (1796-1854) First I desire and direct that all my just debts be paid without delay by my Executor hereinafter named. Second I desire and will that my Daughter Deborah Ann Roquemore Wife of James A. Roquemore receive Five hundred Dollars in addition to what I have already given her (and will make her equal with what I gave her sister Harriet Walker) to be free from the disposition of her present or any future husband, but to be to her and children by her present or...

THIS MONUMENT Is dedicated by Fraternal Affection to perpetuate the MEMORY OF HENRY SMITH who departed this life OCTOBER 31ST 1829, Aged 21 years. Lawrenceville Historic Cemetery, est. 1819 Gwinnett County, Georgia Photo © 2010/1 S. Lincecum

Photos from Walnut Cemetery in Unadilla, Dooly County, Georgia are now online. Stop by the web album for a virtual visit. Surnames include Barfield, Carrell, Clewis, Crumpler, Goodwin, Harvard, Leggitt, Lockerman, Mims, Peacock, Peavey / Peavy, Smith, Sumerford, Watts, Wheeler, and Wootten. Walnut Cemetery

This beautifully carved "treestone" is located at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina. I do believe it is one of the most life-like I've ever seen. This particular tree stump memorializes the STARNES family. On the back of the stone is a plaque with all the names of the family members, as well as birth and death years for each. [Front] Thomas A. Starnes 1818 - 1897 His Wife Elyzabeth 1825 - 1896 [Back] Family of Thomas Albert Starnes, 1818-1897 & Elizabeth Morgan Starnes, 1825-1896 Avaline S. Smith (Mrs. R. S.), 1843-1924 Caroline S. Ownbey (Mrs. Sims), 1844-1914 Mary Ann S. Reeves (Mrs. T. C.), 1846-1889 Martha S. Clark (Mrs. W. P.), 1848-1908 John Wesley Starnes, 1849-1898 Margaret E. Starnes, 1851-1926 Thomas Charles Starnes, 1854-1899 Jesse Russell Starnes, 1856-1913 George Haskew Starnes, 1857-1922 Dr. E. Clingman Starnes, 1859-1900 Eva Marian Starnes, 1863-1864 Gonano Starnes, 1865-1945 Ida Zone Starnes, 1867...

Welborn Hill Smith June 7, 1924 Gave His Life for His Country June 21, 1944 Welborn was a member of the United States Army Air Forces. He was killed in action during World War II, and his name is on the WWII Honor List of Dead . Welborn was laid to rest in the Roberta City Cemetery in Crawford County, Georgia. Photos © 2009 S. Lincecum

My grandparents asked me recently if I had been to the cemetery on the corner of Bass and Houston Lake Roads in Warner Robins. Since that area has not long since been cleared out to make room for a pretty church and expanding roadways, I figured I'd better go take a look. What I found was the Smith Family Cemetery. I knew of the cemetery and knew it was in the area, but had never been. That's because "in the area" at the time I learned of it meant somewhere in the woods on property not belonging to me. There are four posts that might have at one time connected a chain-link fence.  Only two tombstones were visible to me, but there are small bouquets of flowers and bricks marking likely 5 other burials.  Another photo: The first stone I recorded was a military tombstone.  Transcription: Alvin T. Smith Georgia Pvt 157 Depot Brigade World War I September 7, 1894 April 19, 1958 Here are couple more photos of Alvin's stone: The second stone was ...

Emma Rutledge Smith died on this date 69 years ago. This daughter of Arthur M. Rutledge and Elizabeth Underwood was born in Tennessee 29 March 1854. Emma later married Henry A. M. Smith. She was buried in St. Philip's Church Cemetery ; Charleston, South Carolina. The final words on her tombstone are quite beautiful: Where He Leads Me I Can Safely Go, And In the Blest Hereafter I Shall Know Why, in His Wisdom, He Hath Led Me So.