Newspaper Article, DeSoto Parish, Louisiana Submitted by: Peggy and Ron Nader Source: Apr 16, 1939 - Macon Telegraph Around the Circle by Eugene Anderson Pioneer Settlers' Graves Now Being Covered Over for Farm Crops--Mount Vernon Banker Says Old Way of Farming Gone **** ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ***************************************************** Around the Circle by Eugene Anderson Pioneer Settlers' Graves Now Being Covered Over for Farm Crops--Mount Vernon Banker Says Old Way of Farming Gone The sturdy ox or the quiet mule, or the chugging tractor, is turning the sod to grow crops over the graves of many heroes of the different struggles through which Americans had to pass to make the country what it is today. No one knows how to find the last resting place of many of the old warriors who sacrificed so much to make America. The story is the s ame in most of the cases; after the foes were vanquished the veterans returned to their homes, cleared their lands, built houses and fences, and started a family burying ground in a corner of the garden or home orchard, and lived in comparative peace until he himself was summoned by death. After he was laid to rest among his loved ones the home was probably broken, and other members of the family moved away. Strangers came, and in time the grave markers crumbled. The orchard gradually disappeared; the fences were removed, and cotton was planted up to the very doors of the old residence. Descendants remembered for a time where the graves had been, but changes occurred in the spelling of the names, the families drifted apart. Even the kinship was forgotten. Some accumulated wealth, but they had nothing to spare for family memorials, family records, or other evidences of family loyalty. Away down the line somebody's interest may be aroused, and he may purchase one of the grand old plantations and seek to restore it. This is occasionally done. It had been done twice recently around Culloden where many traces of former grandeur are to be seen. On the old road that once was traveled form Monticello to Macon, and connected Round Oak with Wayside, were some magnificent plantation homes, and many family burying grounds. Today on the new road that encircles the same territory may be seen of the typical family burying grounds, surrounded by an iron fence in a big field. Each headstone bears the name of "Hunt." The fence keeps out the plowman. No residence is near, and the visitor guesses that the Hunt family must have lived a considerable distance across the fields. But the present owner of the property, George Jackson, now approaching 80, says the original Hunt residence stood across the present road form the graveyard. His plows have turned up bricks and other evidences. A mile across the field toward Wayside is the fine old home known as the "Jesse Hunt place" and tradition says it was built by George Cabiness, one of the Revolutionary soldiers who came to Georgia after the fighting was over and founded the wellknown Cabiness family, many members of which became illustrious in the later life of Georgia. Macon had several of them; Forsyth was a better place to live because of some of them; Atlanta had her share; the descendants are to be found in nearly every part of the state. But the grave of that worthy pioneer had become common earth, crops grow over it just as if it had never existed, and visitors are frequently going there to guess where it might have been. The Jesse Hunts later became owners. The first wife of Jesse Hunt was a sister of Macon's big merchant, W.R. Rogers. The second wife was Mrs. W. C. Gibson. Jesse Middleton Hunt was the father of Jesse Hunt of the Cabiness place. He is buried within the iron fence on the George Jackson place. He had nine sons, and each became a Confederate soldier. One of them was named Frances Marion. The marble headstones show: Thomas Hunt was born in 1800 and died in 1875. William Hunt was born in 1772 and died in 1834. William B. Hunt was born in 1810 and died in 1830. Sarah, wife of Thomas Hunt was born in 1804 and died in 1847. William H. Hunt was born in 1825 and died in 1846. A name now illegible shows the birth date of 1827 and the death in 1856. (Submitters Note: the illegible name is Alexander J. Hunt) Mary H. Hunt was born in 1802 and died in 1858. W. W. Hunt, one of the Confederate brothers who made a reputation for never having missed a veteran's reunion, died in Little Rock at 95 years of age.