Clay Hill Cemetery, Fort Rucker, Dale, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/dale/cemetery/clayhill.txt ================================================================================ USGENWEB NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed and copyrighted by: Linda Peckham Scrogg ================================================================================ September 1998 * My husband recently overflew a small cemetery located deep in the woods on Fort Rucker, Dale County, Alabama. Fort Rucker is the U. S. Army helicopter training post and my husband is an Apache Helicopter Instructor Pilot. We drove out there (thank heavens we have a truck!) on September 5, 1998 and we wrote down the information that was on the graves. Regards, Linda Peckham Scroggs * Clay Hill Cemetery is located in an area that was taken over by the U.S. Army during the 1940's, to build Fort Rucker. This cemetery was at one time connected to Clay Hill Methodist Church in Liberty Ridge, Dale County, AL. Clay Hill Methodist Church was abandoned by its congregation, and no records for the church are known to be in existence. Other small communities located in that area before Ft. Rucker was built, were: Mt. Liberty, Liberty Ridge, Kinsaul Bridge, Pleasant Hill, and Byrd Farm. There are probably about 60 graves, total located in Clay Hill Cemetery. Most are marked with either an old ornate Wooden "Stick" type headstone (these were all severely weathered and unreadable) or a plain round concrete marker with only a number on it. The U.S. Army performed "Sink Tests" to determine where unmarked graves are located. These numbered round concrete markers denote unmarked graves. There are 2 large iron or steal headstones. They are badly rusted and unreadable. One had clasped or shaking hands on it, and the other either has a small lamb lying down or a rocking horse on it. These designs were raised out of the metal. There are 3 graves surrounded by red bricks, but no headstones. The cemetery has a large chain link fence around it, and the grass is maintained by the U.S. Army. There is a large military sign stating that it is the Clay Hill Cemetery. It is a "Closed Cemetery", meaning that no additional burials will be allowed. The cemetery is extremely difficult to reach. The following is a list of readable names on tombstones (most of which are broken). Thomas Artis May 3, 1845 Feb 24, 1920 Harriet Ardis Wife of Thomas Ardis Feb 8, 1848 - Aug 26, 1899 Infant Son of Thomas and Harriet Ardis Apr 20, 1888 - Apr 21, 1888 Solan Mathews son of Green and Sallie Mathews Sep 11, 1893 - Apr 2, 1895 Dudle Dink Mathews son of Green and Sallie Mathews Aug 5, 1900 - Jun 28, 1901 W. Augustus Byrd May 30, 1863 - Jul 18, 1910 Mary Clark Dec 5, 1850 - Mar 25, 1898 Otter Terry 1840 - May 20, 1885 Moses Dawkins (tombstone inside of a decaying wooden grave fence) died Jul 2, 1884 aged 68 years Sarah A. Dawkins wife of Hiram Dawkins 1855 - Feb 5, 1895 Sidney Ingram Apr 13, 1899 - May 26, 190? (tombstone is broken at the last number, last number has what appears to be a straight line on top, probably a 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, or 8) Jesse Dawkins (middle name/initial is either Wm (William) or WH) Jan 18, 1874 - Dec 29, 1902 Amanda Dawkins Wife of B.N. or R.N. Dawkins Nov 8, 1861 - Mar 1, 1905 Ernley or Emily Dawkins Jul 20, 19?? - 1926. *This is a fairly large grave, covered with a solid concrete slab. The name and date is hand written in the concrete and difficult to transcribe).