Collins Cemetery - Vernon Parish, LA Submitted by Jane P. McManus ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Directions: This abandoned cemetery is only a short distance from a paved road, and can be found with a little effort. From Leesville, take LA Hwy. 28 East toward Alexandria for approximately 12 miles (from Alexandria the distance is 34 miles). At the junction of LA Hwy. 121, turn left (North) for 2.3 miles. At sign ("Welcome to the Pentecostal Church at Walnut Hill"), turn left. A short distance down this road at the point where the fence around Walnut Hill Cemetery begins on the right, a dirt road turns to the left. Turn onto this dirt road and proceed to the house at the end of the lane. A trail to the cemetery begins just before you reach the house, and it is best to park here and check with owners of the property before going to the cemetery [in 1994, owner was Joe Smith]. The trail leads through tall grass to the woods immediately to the East of the road. When you reach the woods, turn north and follow the fence to a large iron gate that is usually open. The trees on the other side of the gate are not dense and the trek is easily maneuverable. A short distance from the gate, headstones can be seen among the brush. Burials are scattered, and with all the brush it is impossible to determine the unmarked burials. At one time, two acres of property was set aside for this cemetery, but today only a few tombstones mark the area. Local residents and interested parties have begun an effort to have the property cleared and fenced, and this should be completed by the time this volume is printed. Information from the tombstones was recorded in the early 1970's by Parish Historian, Jack Hadnot. He also recorded some additional genealogical notes at that time (included here in brackets). All additional information not actually found on the tombstone will be included in this listing in brackets, and should be verified by the researcher. Tombstone inscriptions were verified in October 1994 by Mary Parker Partain and submitted by Jane P. McManus. HISTORY Calvin Dotson Collins and his first wife, Mary Jane Smith, settled in the West community about 18 miles east of Leesville when they first arrived in the state of Louisiana. While living in this community, they tragically lost an infant son. While they were outside the house, a coal of fire popped from the open fireplace into the cradle where the baby was sleeping. The child burned to death before they discovered the fire. Shortly after this tragic incident ca 1859, Calvin D. Collins moved his family to the community of Walnut Hill. After building a new home site, he and some of his workers returned to the West community where they removed the baby's body and brought it back to his new home in the Walnut Hill area where they re-interred it. This burial was the first in the little graveyard that later became known as "Collins Cemetery." The baby's burial was originally fenced with pickets as they made them for graves at that time. Calvin and his wife set out several cedar trees that are still evident today among the thick woods. [this burial is near an old fence - a distance from the gate] West, Lydia, wife of Wm. West - [died] 23 Mar 1855 West, William - [buried in unmarked grave beside his wife, tombstone is lost] [these 7 graves are in a row about 30 or 40 feet from the West burial]: Collins, Queen Gilmore, 2nd wife of C. D. Collins - [no dates] Collins, Martha J.[Jane] Smith, 1st wife of C. D. Collins - 24 Oct 1834/15 Jul 1870 [daughter of Eli Smith & Ann Crews] Collins, C.[Calvin Dotson] - [Oct] 1828 / [7 Nov] 1904, Pvt. Co. E 7 Regt LA Inf. [son of John Palmer Collins & Cynthia Zachary] Collins, Infant of C. D. & Martha Collins - 1859 [first burial in cemetery] Collins, William M., son of L. A. [Lucy Ann Weeks] & Dr. J. E. [Jesse Eli] Collins - [no dates] Collins, Inf. child of L. A. & Dr. J. E. Collins - 11 Aug 1878 Collins, William M., infant of Dr. Joe & L. A. Collins - [no dates] [these 2 burials are together about 30 or 40 feet from the Collins burials] Bush, Lydia [Mason] - 26 Nov 1845/7 May 1904 [wife of James Bush] Bush, James - [no dates], Co. B 1st LA Inf. CSA [born 25 Nov 1845 / died 16 Sep 1925] [son of David Bush b. 1819 Laurens, GA; James was born in Early, GA, died in Vernon Parish LA. He was wounded in the battle of Seven Pines, VA during the Civil War] [these 4 graves are together about 10 or 15 feet from the Bush burials] Tinsley, Jas. F. - 7 Aug 1881 Vernon Parish, LA/4 Feb 1883 Vernon Parish, LA [son of Lemuel Tinsley & Frances A. Kirkpatrick] Tinsley, Charity E. - 8 Nov 1886 Vernon Parish, LA/5 Dec 1886 Vernon Parish, LA [daughter of of Lemuel Tinsley & Frances A. Kirkpatrick] Tinsley, Geo. W. - 4 Jul 1891 Vernon Parish, LA/17 [?] 1895 [stone broken across date] [son of Lemuel Tinsley & Frances A. Kirkpatrick] Tinsley, Lemuel A. - 14 Aug 1850 Oachita Parish, LA/15 Jul 1901 Vernon Parish [broken stone] [son of Josiah Tinsley & Catherine Fuller, husband of Frances A. Kirkpatrick]