Southern Graves

Antoine Graves (1862-1941) Only Mausoleum in the African-American Grounds of Oakland Cemetery at Atlanta, Georgia. Photos above & below © 2012 S. Lincecum. Find-A-Grave contributor icedobe has a nice photo with the doors open here .

Thomas L. Son of A. B. & A. T. Small b. Sept 15, 1869 d. Aug 2, 1879 We give thee to thy God - the God that gave thee, A well spring of deep gladness to our hearts, And precious is thou art, And pure as dew of Heaven.  He shall have thee, Our own, our beautiful, our undefiled, but thou shall be His child. Rose Hill Cemetery Macon, Georgia Photo © 2012 S. Lincecum

© 2012 S. Lincecum Yesterday, I shared a post about Pvt. G. W. Dupriest , who rests in the Confederate Memorial Grounds of Oakland Cemetery at Atlanta, Georgia. Visible in the photo included in that post (and shared here) is the tombstone placed for Alphius J. Moor. Pvt. Moor(e) served in the Confederate States Army with Company E of the 51st Alabama Regiment, Partisan Rangers. His death occurred 14 April 1863. In reviewing his compiled service record on Fold3 , I discovered A. J. Moore was on a list like the one on which Pvt. Dupriest was found -- "Register of Officers and Soldiers of the Army of the Confederate States who were killed in battle, or who died of wounds or disease." I couldn't quite make out everything written regarding his death, though. His date of death and place being a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia were the only parts clear to me. A Google search informed me about what I believe to be the cause of A. J.'s death -- Erysipelas . Yet I sti...

© 2012 S. Lincecum Pvt. G. W. Dupriest is one of the 7,000 Civil War soldiers resting in Atlanta, Georgia's Oakland Cemetery. More specifically, his remains lie in the Confederate Memorial Grounds of the cemetery. Though his government issue headstone only bears his name and unit (Co B, 34 Ala Inf, CSA), there are records available that provide a bit of information about the death of Pvt. Dupriest. Fold3 has images of Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers of Alabama online. Page 2 of Pvt. G. W. Dupriest's file states he is on a "Register of Officers and Soldiers of the Army of the Confederate States who were killed in battle, or who died of wounds or disease." His date and place of death: 23 July 1864 at Atlanta, Georgia. This was the day after the Battle of Atlanta.

Are you overlooking some symbols in the cemetery? Oftentimes we concentrate so hard on deciphering what is on the tombstone we don't pay too much attention to what's around it. Landscaping is sometimes very purposeful and meaningful. Take a look at the photo below: Lochrane Lot Oakland Cemetery Atlanta, Georgia Photo © 2012 S. Lincecum The beautiful purple ground covering planted in the Lochrane lot at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia is phlox. Guess what it means. Sweet Dreams. Quite fitting, isn't it?

I first learned of a recently added database at Ancestry.com - U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962 - from Valerie at Begin with 'Craft' . I have at least a couple of ancestors buried in military cemeteries, so I tested the search with my surname of Lincecum. Only one hit was returned, but it was an expected one -- Val Dies Lincecum II at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas. Val Dies Lincecum, Jr. was a son of Val Dies Lincecum and Mary Elizabeth Murray. Val, Jr. was born 29 July 1912 and died 21 December 1957. The report of interment included the same birth and death information I had. A big plus for me was seeing the first name of Val, Jr.'s wife, Ina Marie. Even though I had his death certificate, this was news to me. His death certificate only stated he was married, offering no names, and the informant was listed as "Official Records, Brooke Army Hospital, Ft. Sam Houston, Texas" (his place of death). Something I found a b...

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...

100,000 page views -- wow. I began this blog a bit over five years ago with fits and starts. Then, in October 2008, the late great Terry Thornton invited me the join the Association of Graveyard Rabbits , and the rest (as they say) is history. I am sincerely humbled by and grateful for all of you who have stopped by to read a post or two (or more!) on this blog. This is a milestone I will not soon forget. I have received messages thanking me for information and telling me of genealogical connections made. The research of cemeteries and the individuals memorialized within is a passion. Yet each message spurs me to continue and is truly appreciated. Thank-you again for reading and following the Southern Graves blog. (Image credit: www.Graphics18.com)

Charles Boynton Memorial Photo © 2012 S. Lincecum A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you the monument erected for Charles E. Boynton (d. 1890) in Oakland Cemetery at Atlanta, Georgia. This memorial is the work of M. Muldoon & Co. of Louisville, Kentucky. Photo © 2012 S. Lincecum A 1977 National Register of Historic Places nomination form regarding the Tyler-Muldoon House in Louisville, Kentucky includes some information about Michael Muldoon and his company: "...The house was built in 1866 for Erastus D. Tyler, a Louisville insurance and real estate agent. It was later owned by Michael Muldoon, founder of the marble-cutting firm that was the predecessor of the present Muldoon Monument Company... Tyler-Muldoon House From Wikimedia Commons ...Michael Muldoon was born in Ireland and came to New York City in 1849. He learned the marble-cutting trade and after working as a journeyman marble-cutter in New York, Baltimore and West Virginia, he came to Louis...

[The following was originally posted at the Rose Hill Cemetery blog . I wanted to highlight it here because of the interesting mosaic tile work on the ledger marker. The deceased, Ella English Cameriero, married into an Italian family in the 1800s. I tried to find out if this type of adornment was common in the Italian cemetery culture, but have yet to find a definitive answer. I did find this mention regarding the Italian Club cemetery in Ybor City, Florida.] Hmmm... I wonder what happened here. In Need of Help. A sad case of need can be found by the charitably inclined this morning at No. 355 Fourth street. Mrs. N. Cameriero, formerly Miss Ella English of Marshallville, who was deserted by her husband several days ago is in destitute circumstances and in need of work. Competent to do all kind of needle work, she finds herself unable to maintain herself for want of employment. The ladies of the city are appealed to in this matter. [ Macon Telegraph , Georgia, 28 Novembe...

Major Philip Cook U.S.A. 1812 Son of Capt. John Cook and Martha Pearson His Wife Born Fairfield District S.C. 1775 Died Twiggs County, GA Nov 7, 1841 A Scholar, A Patriot, A Christian. A couple of days ago I posted that this month is the bicentennial of the War of 1812 (and that Fold3 is offering their War of 1812 collection for free ). While visiting Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia to take some volunteer photos for FindAGrave , I came across the monument for Major Philip Cook. He served as commander of Fort Hawkins during the War of 1812. Once I returned home from my cemetery visit, I found an article online about the rededication of Major Cook's monument that took place just a couple of weeks ago. Maj. Cook is buried with his wife Anne Wooten (1794-1832) in the Hawthorne Ridge section of Rose Hill Cemetery. They were the parents of Martha Pearson Cook Winship, considered to be the first white child born in the territory that later became Bi...

Ida Marion Whatley James is my 4th cousin, 4x removed. She was a daughter of Jesse J. Whatley and Nancy Berry. From the 15 November 1926 Dallas Morning News (Texas): " Mrs. C. O. James Dies Sulphur Springs, Texas 14 November 1926 The death of Mrs. C. O. James, former State Senator and District Attorney, occurred at her home after an illness lasting several weeks. Mrs. James, about 55 years of age, was before her marriage to Mr. James, Miss Ida Whatley, a member of one of the pioneer families of Hopkins County, and of this family her mother, Mrs. J. J. Whatley, two brothers, Harvey Whatley of Dallas, Walter Whatley of Ft. Worth, three sisters, Mrs. C. Carroll of Ft. Worth, Mrs. Clifford Brewster, Bearden, Arkansas, and Miss Sallie Whatley of Sulphur Springs survive. Also besides her husband, three daughters survive, Mrs. Dial Gurrin and Mrs. Clive Templeton of Durant, Oklahoma and Mrs. J. K. Brim of Sulphur Springs. Funeral services were held Sunday with burial in City C...

This month marks the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. To mark the bicentennial, Fold3 is offering their War of 1812 records collection free of charge for the month of June. Records include pension files, prize cases from the southern district court of New York, letters received by the adjutant general, and service records. Of special interest to southern researchers are the pension files and Mississippi soldiers' service records. Pension Files : The documents in this collection include full pension application files for soldiers and sailors who served in the War of 1812, as well as for their widows and children, or other heirs. The first applications were filed by servicemen who were disabled as a result of their service, or by widows who lost a husband in the war. [Description from Fold3 ] Service Records - Mississippi : Compiled service records consist of a jacket-envelope for each soldier, labeled with his name, rank, and unit. The records contain card abstracts c...

Found this news item and had to share. Can you imagine what his parents went through? And, fast forward 116 years to today, what a genealogist might go through? BURIED THE WRONG BOY. A Son Returns Home Whose Parents Thought He Was Dead. Louisville, Dec 24 -- Louis Rebhan, a young mechanic, arrived in Louisville today for the purpose of letting his parents know that they had buried the wrong boy when, about a year ago, they attended his funeral. Rebhan disappeared and several weeks later a badly decomposed body was found in the canal. The parents identified the corpse and mourned their son as dead until his reappearance today. He says that he went to make his fortune and did not learn until the other day that he was supposed to be buried. [ The Macon Telegraph , Georgia, 25 December 1895]

Charles E. Boynton Born in Lumpkin, GA Died in Atlanta, GA March 31, 1890 "For So He Giveth His Beloved Sleep." Oakland Cemetery Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia Photo © 2012 S. Lincecum DEATH. BOYNTON -- Charles E. Boynton died at his residence, 216 Rawson street, on Monday afternoon, March 31st, 1890. [ The Atlanta Constitution , Georgia, 1 April 1890] MR. BOYNTON'S FUNERAL. The Remains of a Good Man Laid to Rest Yesterday. The funeral of Mr. Charles E. Boynton occurred at Trinity church at 10 o'clock yesterday morning. There was not a man in Atlanta better beloved for his broad and liberal charity nor one who enjoyed greater respect for his energy and integrity in the walks of business life. As a consequence the funeral was largely attended by friends and acquaintances of the man whose life was so full of worth and work. The services were conducted by Rev. Dr. J. W. Lee and General Clement A. Evans, and were beautifully and solemnly impressive...

May Inman Gray Wife of James Richard Gray March 6, 1862 - January 6, 1940 May Inman Gray rests beside her husband in a lot at Atlanta, Georgia's Oakland Cemetery containing a statue of the grieving Niobe of Greek Mythology. May's epitaph reads, in part: "My Task Accomplished And The Long Day Done". This phrase is from the final stanza of a poem by W. E. Henley, "A Late Lark Twitters From the Quiet Skies." So be my passing! My task accomplished and the long day done, My wages taken, and in my heart Some late lark singing, Let me be gathered to the quiet west, The sundown splendid and serene, Death.

James Richard Gray September 30, 1859 - June 25, 1917 JAMES RICHARD GRAY The name of James R. Gray will occupy a fairly permanent place in the history of the men who had quite a large hand in the upbuilding of the New South. The newspaper of which he was for quite a few years the active directing head has held a prominent place among the big and successful papers of the South. The [Atlanta] Journal has pretty largely reflected Mr. Gray's personality in its general bigness in a physical way and the calm and unruffled fashion in which it meets issues as they come up and goes on about its way day by day. A man of few words, he saw things in a large way and had the strength and ability to go on with his plans and his ambitions to see the most of them brought into full fruition or to where their success was assured. He held a good many men to him by ties of personal friendship who were not with him in his policies and his determinations, which is after all one of the best test...

Niobe, a character from Greek Mythology, is the personification of grief. She was the mother of many children and boasted of this to the goddess Leto, the mother of only two -- Apollo and Artemis. In retaliation, Leto had Niobe's children killed. Devastated for all eternity, Niobe fled and wept unceasingly. Works of art featuring Niobe are at home in a cemetery. The photos here were taken at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. Photos © 2012 S. Lincecum (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

The William A. Rawson mausoleum in Oakland Cemetery at Atlanta, Georgia was built in the exotic revival architectural style. Not only does it house the remains of Mr. Rawson, but also that of his son-in-law Charles Collier. Charles was at one time the mayor of Atlanta. Also resting in the mausoleum is William Rawson's granddaughter and her husband, Julia Collier and Julian Harris. Julian was the son of author Joel Chandler Harris. To put it mildly, William Rawson was a wealthy man. His total estate value (real and personal) in 1870, per the Stewart County, Georgia census for that year, was $105,000. Upon his death in 1879, the estimated value of the estate left behind was about $250,000. Mr. Rawson, born in Vermont, was the senior partner of Atlanta booksellers Rawson & Hancock. The Daily Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia) Saturday, 13 September 1879 WM. A. RAWSON His Death in Iowa Yesterday. Mr. William A. Rawson, senior member of the firm of Rawson & Hancock,...