Belgard Cemetery (also called Flournoy / Sibley Cemetery), Rapides Parish Louisiana Submitted by Jane Parker McManus ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** BELGARD CEMETERY - Rapides Parish (also called Flournoy / Sibley Cemetery) Directions: At the Crossroads Coliseum in Alexandria on LA Hwy. 28, go West toward Leesville for about 6.6 miles. Continue past Belgard Bend Road, cross the bridge, and stop on the highway near the dirt road on right (North). It is impossible to reach the cemetery by automobile, however, it is within walking distance from the highway. This little graveyard also can be reached by driving to the owner's home on Cody Hill, just beyond the dirt road, and walking a short distance. Cody Hill was formerly called Sibley Hill for Dr. R. H. Sibley who is buried here. As the area is on private land, permission should be obtained from the owner to visit the property. At one time there was an old fence with opening, but no gate. The area is kept clean, except for a carpet of autumn leaves and pine straw. When the tombstones were first recorded in 1990, many of the tombstones were broken, and other burials were marked by metal funeral markers from Grant Funeral Home in Boyce. These inscriptions were first published in 1992 in "Gone But Not Forgotten - Cemeteries of Rapides Parish, Volume 1." Sometime after that date, the family organized and began a effort to preserve the small family burial ground. Donations were solicited from interested parties and new monuments were ordered to replace the broken tombstones and funeral markers. Any interested parties can contact Al Cook of Alexandria LA for additional information. Tombstone inscriptions were recorded by Mary Parker Partain, 1990, new information and footnotes added in 1997 by Al Cook, and submitted by Jane Parker McManus Row 1: Miles, Harold - 17 Feb 1890 / 19 Feb 1949 Miles, Lena B. - 15 Jun 1889 / 20 Mar 1953 Feezel, Lynford "Billy" - 19 Mar 1921 / 23 Sep 1994 Feezel, Rowena Belgard - 24 Jul 1923 / 26 Dec 1996 [Double Stone] Row 2: [all tombstones on this row replaced by the family association]: Laird, Allen, infant son of Robert C. & Mary Louella Belgard Laird - 13 Apr 1901 / 2 Sep 1903 Randall, Infant of Rena Laird Randall - [funeral marker, no dates] [This burial was recorded in 1990 by Mary Partain, but was no longer visible in 1997 after the restoration.] Laird, Thelma, infant daughter of Robert C. & Mary Louella Belgard - 27 Mar 1898/18 Apr 1901 Belgard, Anthony - 31 Mar 1867 / 10 Aug 1890 [died at family residence, 23 yrs] (1) Belgard, Madison B. - [19 Nov 1869] / 23 Mar 1887, 17 yrs 4 mos Belgard, Jefferson William - [13 Jan 1864] / 15 Dec 1887, 23 yrs 11 mos [Original double stone was repaired & inset in new upright granite marker] [Note: Jeff W. Bellgard who died at the family residence, Sunflower Plantation on Bayou Rapides, would have been 24 years old on the 18th day of January. (2) Madison Bellgard, son of Napoleon & Nancy Bellgard, was 17 years & 4 months old when he died at the residence of his parents, Sunflower Plantation on Bayou Rapides. About 2 weeks before his death, Madison contacted measles, and it progressed into pneumonia. (3) Haworth, Alice Wells Belgard, wife of L.[Leander] S. Haworth - 12 Jan 1877 / 12 Feb 1913 Haworth, Leander S. - 7 Dec 1872 / 12 Jun 1924 Next row: Milam, Fannie, sister of Bertha Milam - 10 Jan 1902 / Jun 1922 Belgard, Bertha P. Milam, wife of J. [John] T. Belgard - Jan 1879 / 28 Jan 1929 Belgard, John T. - 22 Jan 1866 / 10 Jul 1930, 64 yrs [Funeral service at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral & burial at Sibley Cemetery. Was merchant & planter at Hot Wells. Brothers: F. C., J. N., W. B., W. H. Belgard. Sisters: Mrs. R. C. Laird of Ruston, Annie Belgard, Mrs. R. Kincaid, Mrs. Harold Miles..] (4) Belgard, Nancy Anna Whitstine, wife of J. N. Belgard Sr. - 31 Aug 1841 / 11 Aug 1918 Bellegarde, John N.[Napoleon Sr.] - [Aug] 1837 / 10 May 1904, 6 Fld. Btry LA Lt. Arty CSA [Note: John Bellegarde Sr., aged 64 at death, was the grandson of the late Juan Belgard who resided in what is now known as West Alexandria. (5) He served in Pvt. Yoist's Battery, also known as the 6th Field Battery, Grosse Tete Flying Sixty, LA Light Artillery, CSA; was paroled in Alexandria 6 Jun 1865 at end of war. (6) Bellegarde, spelling of the name at that time, was born Holloway Prairie, Rapides LA and died in Lamothe LA at Sunflower Plantation. ] (7) Belgard, Charles William, son of John N. & Mildred S. Belgard - 2 Dec 1920 / 29 Oct 1922 Row 4: Belgard, Annie - [3 Jun 1878] / 15 Jan 1949, 68 yrs. Kincaid, Felonise "Loney" Belgard, wife of R.[Robert] Kincaid - 28 Dec 1862 / 30 Dec 1939 Kincaid, Robert - 8 Mar 1835 / 23 Mar 1930, Co. E 17th LA Inf. CSA [new military marker] [Note: Robert Kincaid was born 8 Mar 1835 Caldwell Parish LA and died 23 Mar 1930, 95 yrs 15 days at his residence near Lamothe. He was husband of Felonise (Lonie) Belgard. During the Civil War, he served in Co. E, 17th LA Infantry, CSA. At the time of his death, Kincaid was the oldest member of the St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral parish, and a life-long friend of Rt. Rev. Monsignor Menard. (8) Robert Kincaid & Phelonese [sic] Belgard were married 9 Jan 1896 at St. Francis Xavier's Chapel. He lived in Caddo Parish for 10 years, then moved to Rapides Parish in 1885. Robert was in the Battle of Port Gibson during the Civil War, and carried a large bullet in his right arm from that conflict to his grave. He was also in the Battle of Shiloh when Gen. Johnston was killed. Robert Kincaid is buried at Sibley Cemetery.] (9) Belgard, William Brent - 10 Jun 1882 / 3 Mar 1960 Row 5: Belgard, John N. [Jr] - 24 Dec 1873 / 22 Jan 1955 Belgard, Peter Columbus "Jake" - 22 Feb 1871 / 22 Dec 1956 Row 6: Sibley, Mary Wells, wife of Dr. R. H. Sibley - [3 Feb 1802] / died 15 Feb 1857, 56 yrs [Born 3 Feb 1802 New Hope Plantation, Bayou Rapides, daughter of Samuel Levi Wells II & Mary Elizabeth Calvit, She married Dr. R. H. Sibley on 11 Dec 1821. (10) Sibley, Dr. R. H.[Robert Henry] - [21 Aug 1792 Fayetteville NC] / died 14 Apr 1853, 62 yrs [son of Dr. John Sibley & Mary (White) Winslow of Natchitoches] (11) Row 7: Flournoy, Col. James S.[Silas] - 1 Sep 1830 / 1 Jan 1887, Co. E 6 LA Cav. CSA [2nd Lt. 6th LA Cav. Co. F. Paroled Shreveport 12 Jun 1866. Boothe's Records] Flournoy, Annie Gilpin - 19 Jul 1865 Shreveport LA / 23 Oct 1871 Flournoy, Mary Morris - 18 Nov 1867 Rapides Parish / 28 Jun 1869 Flournoy, James Silas Jr. - 10 Aug 1861 Shreveport LA / 15 Nov 1880 Outside the cemetery at the East end (or the foot of the hill) are 5 other known burials, only one is marked (Military marker). The others have been identified by family members. All these burials are covered with brush, however, there are depression to indicate where the graves have settled. Information on unmarked burials submitted by Al Cook. VanVeckhoven, Charles - Co. I Engr. Troops CSA [unmarked burial for 11 year old girl - name unknown] [unmarked burial for Dixon, Jake Sr.] [unmarked burial for West, John] [unmarked burial for Dixon, Ollie] * * * * [Additional Notes] * * * * Obit for Anthony Belgard who does not appear to be buried here [undated newspaper obit]: Anthony Belgarde, died on Lodi plantation on 20th day [no month, year given], was honored resident of Holloway Prairie. Mary Wells Sibley inherited their property near Lamothe bridge from her father. Was called Mount Elon, the residence was on a high hill about a quarter mile South of the Bayou, just in the edge of the pine woods, where the hills begin to rise. This hill is now bare of everything except the beautiful trees, known today as Sibley's Hill. Three hundred yards west of the old home site, another hill rises, where the graveyard sits. Seven of the 11 children born to this couple died in infancy or early childhood. More than likely these children are also buried in Sibley Cemetery with their parents. (12). Both are buried in the Sibley Cemetery, described above. Sibley, John Hopkins - 11 Jul 1822 Sibley, Elizabeth Johnston - 22 Jul 1823 Sibley, Martha Jane - 25 Dec 1829 Sibley, Infant daughter - 30 Sep 1831 Sibley, Caroline Malissa - 1834 Sibley, Louisiana Johnston - 1837 Sibley, Robert Henry - Aug 1842 NOTES: (1) Newspaper Obit, undated [probably Alexandria Daily Town Talk] (2) Ibid. (3) Ibid. (4) Ibid. (5) Newspaper Obit, Monday, May 16, 1904 [probably Alexandria Daily Town Talk] (6) Boothe, Andrew B., Records of LA Confederate Soldiers and LA Confederate Commands, Vol. 1, Pg. 157. (7) Information from Family Records of Al Cook, Alexandria LA (1997) (8) Newspaper Obit, undated [probably Alexandria Daily Town Talk] (9) Ibid. (10) Stafford, Dr. D.M.G., "The Wells Family of Louisiana and Allied Families," Chapter 4, Pg. 69- 70, Claitors Publishing Division, Baton Rouge LA, 1976. (11) Ibid. (12) Ibid.