Headstones of Heroes: The Restoration and History of Confederate Graves in Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery

By Robert E. Zaworski

The Restoration and History of Confederate Graves in Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery

• Language: English
• Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
• Release date: Jun 1, 1998
• ISBN: 9781681622392

Book preview

BACKGROUND

According to Franklin M. Garrett, historian emeritus of Atlanta, in Volume I of Atlanta and Environs (page 315), the rapid growth of Atlanta in the 1840’s necessitated Mayor Willis Buell and the City Council to search for a ...suitable graveyard for the city. During a tour of inspection during May, 1850: ...failure to find what they considered reasonably priced land within the city limits, they decided upon a tract just outside the limits.

By deed dated June 6, 1850, a 6-acre tract, being city lots number 19, 20, 21, 22, 28, and 29, in Land Lot 45 of the 14th District of DeKalb County was purchased from Alfred W. Wooding, at $75 per acre. This tract was the nucleus of Oakland Cemetery and forms its present southwestern corner. It has been rumored that a small church was in this vicinity and that the land purchased included the small church cemetery with the land purchases extending this burial area toward the east, or away from the growing city of Atlanta.

"In 1855, a tract of 15 acres was bought from William Kay; in 1857, 4 acres from James H. Seavey, and, in 1866, 81/3 acres from Lewis Scofield, on which was his home, for $7,000. The same year, 23 1/2 acres were acquired from L. P. Grant by trade. Other tracts were acquired until the present area of approximately 85 acres was secured (Fig. 1).

For many years the cemetery was simply called the Atlanta or City Cemetery. Since 1876 it has been officially known as Oakland Cemetery. The interment records (civilian – both White and Negro, author REZ) are complete back to the early part of 1853 (first recorded burial is Feb. 10, 1853.) What became of any preceding records, if kept, is not known." ¹

The first sexton, Oliver Hazard Perry Conant (1851 – 1853), was a literate drayman, a trade closely connected with the new office’s responsibilities. It became apparent that the lack of survey of the grounds and record keeping was creating problems with the drawing of deeds and the sale of lots.²

Green A. Pilgrim replaced Conant in 1853 and would serve as sexton of Oakland from 1853 to 1869. According to Kent Moore, ..his (Pilgrims) reports to council (city) were a regular feature of the next two decades and occasionally were published in local newspapers. They provide an unsurpassed accounting of early Atlanta mortality, and their advent approximately coincided with the beginning of interment records in book form.

As the war progressed Atlanta would have almost 30 documented hospitals which would supply the cemetery with a steady influx of residents. The first recorded Confederate soldier interment was May 20, 1860. Regular burials of Confederate soldiers during the war did not start until Jan. 1862 in section ‘C’ of the Confederate sections. The last wartime interments, at least by recorded burial dates, were during August of 1864 in section ‘E’.

As a side note, the last burial in the Confederate sections was G. A. Seymour of Co. C, 46th Ga., buried in location E-1-1 on Feb. 11, 1937. (Fig. 2) How this burial occurred at this late date is a mystery, but according to the present sexton of the cemetery, Allen Myers, it probably represents a veteran who was allowed to be buried in this spot for a special reason. It should be noted that of the almost 4000 names in the record book of Confederate burials there are approximately 470 names that do not have a date of burial.

In the last row of Section ‘C’ are the graves of twenty Union soldiers who were captured and died in Confederate hospitals during the summer of 1862. (Fig. 3) This was also during this hot summer, on June 18, that six of Andrews’ raiders were hung on the cemetery grounds as spies and buried outside the cemetery walls. (Fig. 4) Their bodies would be exhumed after the war and moved to the National Cemetery in Chattanooga.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

It becomes apparent during this chaotic time that already documentation problems arose regarding the recording of soldier burials.

Dr. J. P. Logan

Oct. 24, 1863

Chf Surgeon

Atlanta, Ga.

Dr.

I regret to observe that in the Burial or interment of soldiers dying at the Hospitals in this city no distinction as to locality in the cemetery is made between the Confederate and the Federal – in other words they are buried indiscriminately, side by side the fading mark of an almost indistinct paper label serving as the only means of distinction between the graves of our Brave men who have died for our cause, and the grave of the worthless invaders of our soil.

This is all wrong – unkind and ungenerous – showing a want of that feeling for our Brothers which should be most kind in every living Breast – and a disregard for them reflecting only discredit on us all.

Whilst we would extend every courtesy to the remains of a wicked enemy and a misguided foe – due to the Soldier of any land, who falls in Battle, we should not be guilty of neglect to our own.

I cannot but feel but just self reproach at not having discovered the fact sooner and put a stop to it.

You will please direct the officer in charge of the sad duties above alluded to (Hospital Q.M. I presume) that this matter must receive his prompt attention and that it is his duty to visit the cemetery often, and see that a proper attention is paid to the Burials of Soldiers and not leave it alone to the Undertaker who cares only to get his money for covering their heads with earth.

I am sir,

Resply your obt Servt

(Signed) M. H. Wright

Col. Comdg.

P. S. Separate localities in the Cemetery should be selected and the bodies kept separate.

M. H. W³.

As the war necessitated expansion of the cemetery, the city council resolved to let the Confederate government buy land adjoining the cemetery (to the east) and deed it back to the city. These transactions coincided with the events which were bringing the awful reality of war closer to Atlanta, as the last council reference to the cemetery situation before Sherman’s arrival indicated that the city had purchased the specified tract.⁴

On May 27, 1864 Atlanta residents heard the thunder of distant artillery for the first time. However, most historians agree that the actual battles for Atlanta did not commence until July 22, 1864 with the final fighting on Aug. 31.

Ironically, it would be from a site inside the present cemetery that Gen. John B. Hood, C.S.A., would witness, on July 22, 1864, the Battle of Atlanta.⁵ (Fig. 5) Less than a mile