Bibb-Jones-Statewide County GaArchives News.....Macon's Old Cemetery February 27, 1898 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Francesca Henle-Taylor henle@fmfproductions.com November 24, 2010, 12:02 pm Macon Telegraph February 27, 1898 MACON'S OLD CEMETERY A SPOT ALMOST FORGOTTEN BY ALL BUT A FEW CITIZENS. Long Since Gone to Decay and Ruin. Many G raves Are Un marked and Almost Obliterated Inscriptions on Some of the Headstones. At the foot of Cherry and Poplar streets and between the two surrounded by manufacturing industries; railroads and business enterprises of various kinds, is a small spot of a few acres that is near and dear to the hearts of many of The old pioneers of Macon, but is almost entirely unknown to many of the younger generation and new comers to Macon. The spot referred to is Macon's Old Cemetery, long since passed into disuse and abuse. There lies the dust of many of the people who helped to found Macon and start it on its road of prosperity. Some of them are the ancestors represent citizens of Macon, and many have been entirely forgotten. Portions of this sacred ground have been utilized for secular purposes and buildings rest on the places where graves were. When the old East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia railroad was run through this place, a numbers of graves were despoiled and the crumbing bones of departed generations were thrown ruthlessly aside. For several years, past a picket fence has enclosed the old cemetery, but it has afforded little protection from cattle, hogs, dogs and everything else that cared to enter. The whole place is one vast tangled mass of weeds and bushes, and is perhaps the most uninviting spot about Macon. So far as can be learned from the old crumbled tombstones and marble graves, the last interment must have been made in this old cemetery somewhere back early in the forties, as no record can be found of later interments, All of the graves and sepulchres are in a terrible state of decay and nearly all of the slabs and tombstones are broken. The bricked up graves have become sunken in and a more complete picture of ruin could not be found. The following will show the inscriptions and character of some of the head stones on some of the graves as they now stand. Thomas J. Hollingsworth, died June 6th 1840, aged 21 years and 4 months. Mary Jennett Adams, infant daughter of John and Mary J. M. Adams, of Montgomery, Ala., died Oct 11th 1837, aged one year, 3 months and 5 days. M. A. Call, born 1st Feb. 1834, died 7th Oct., 1835. Adriadne, daughter of Edward and Winney Woodliff, born June 24th 1841, died Oct. 17th 1843. Carolina Calhoun, daughter of A. M. and R. W. Fort, died 31st Aug., 1837, aged 11 months and 23 days aged 4 months. James P. Campbell, died July, 1833, in the 19th year of his age. Headstone broken off and lying on the ground. William Berry, died Sept 9th 1846, aged 45 years. John Ormsby died Oct. 26, 1841; aged 31 years; a native of the Parish of Killarer, County Mayo, Ireland. Slab erected toy his brother, George Ormsby. Nicholas Scott, died 15th Nov., 1837, Aged 42 years. He was born in the County Meath, Burrough of Navin, Parish of Dunarme, Ireland. Thomas Mullholland a native or Ireland. Born in the county of Lietrim, parish of Cloon. Died November 22, 1837, aged 32 years. This stone was erected by his brother, Michael Mullholland. Francis Traylor, a native of Monaghan county, Ireland. Died 5th September, 1837, aged 26 years. Erected by P. M. and H. Traylor. Erected by Maurice Walsh, in memory of his wife Jane, who departed this life August 6, 1840, aged 18 years. A native of Nenagh county, Tipperary, Ireland. Oliver F. Gage, son of Oliver and Sarah M. Gage, died July 20, 1831, aged 10 months. Rebecca Mary, daughter of Abner and Louise McGehee, died 16th August, 1830, aged 9 months. Susan Bressie, consort of Willimn Bressie, born October 15, 1797, died April 12, 1838, aged 41 years. Has a brick wall in good condition, but grave has sunken much. Sarah Ann R. C. Russell, daughter of A. and F. Russell, born March 17, 1836, died August 8, 1838. J. W. Cassels, aged 20 months, 1837. Margaret Indiana, born September 1839, died July 18, 1840 Jacob Heterich. No other words on the stone Lawrence Healy, died February 6, 1840, aged 219 years. A native of the Parish of Cloon, county of Leitrim, Ireland. Slab erected by Peter Dyer. Thomas Mulloy died December 13, 1842, aged 26 years. A native of the Parish of Meelick, County Mayo, Ireland. Slab erected by his friend George Ormsby. The following are brick sepulchers some in good condition, while other are crumbling away. On each is a marble slab with the inscription given below: Emeline Buxton, wife of Wright C. Saunders, Died November 6, 1834, aged 25 years. Steven S, Goodrich, of Oswego, N.Y., who died July 18, 1835, aged 29 years. Charles W. Washington, who drowned in Walnut creek March 1, 1833, in the 31st year of his age. John E. Carter, a native of Boston, Mass., died October 24, 1837, aged 20 years. Elisha Hammond, born in Massachusetts October 10, 1784, died in this town July 9, 1829. Thomas W. Ellis, died October 3, 1832, aged 34 years. Isaac Butler, a native of Westersfield Conn., died November 4, 1836, aged 25 years. Mrs. Rebecca Pace, consort of Thomas Pace and daughter of Jared Irwin, died 30th December, 1838, aged 51 years. Harriet E. Collins, wife of Dr. Robert Collins, died april 20, 1834, aged 31 years. Infant son of Robert and Eliza C. Collins, died 6th may 1838, aged 4 weeks. The above are in a lot once bricked in but wall are now nearly all down. Nancy, wife of Thomas Napier, died april 2, 1839, aged 57 years. Thomas Napier, a native of Virginia, for a bout fifty years a citizen of Georgia, died September 30, 1838, aged about 70 years. (above: These two graves have a good brick wall around them an iron gate and it is locked.) Theodrick L. Smith, a native of Virginia, died December 22, 1837, aged 40 years. Mrs. Cinderella Gainer, wife of Joseph Gainer, died May 23, 1837, aged 24 years. Eliza S. Davis, wife of Charles Davis, Jr., born in Roxbury, Mass., July 15, 1808, died January 3, 1841. Jonathan C. Phelps, son of Noel L. Phelps, of Farmington, Conn., died September 10, 1836, aged 24 years. Infant daughter of David and Rebecca Butler, died February 18, 1836, aged 3 years. Robert D. Smith, born may 20, 1811, died September 28, 1834. Two broken stones leaning agains a pine tree. Where the bodies are lying there is no way of telling, and if there was much could not be learned, as only the following is on the stones. On one is: Nelly, died August 1838, a member of the Baptist church at Macon. And the other: Rinah, born 1st April, 1806, died 11th February 1835. Grave with wooden head and foot markers Hetty, wife of Charles Benjamin, died 10th December, 1850, aged 41 years. Another grave with a wooden headboard on which no name can be found. The only monument of the ground is six feet high, one foot square and a part of the inscription thereon is: Mary Eliza Cassels, daughter of John and Eliza Winn, wife of Rev. Samuel Cassels. Born in Liberty county, Georgia, October 14, 1809, died in Macon, May 24, 1838, in her 29th year. Monument was erected by the kindness of the Presbyterian congregation of Macon. Additional Comments: Abstracted from the Macon Telegraph, Feb. 27, 1898; pg 3 http://telegraph.galileo.usg.edu File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/bibb/newspapers/maconsol2935nw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 7.9 Kb