HISTORY OF THE CONFEDERATE MONUMENT, OAKWOOD CEMETERY - Smith Co, TX Submitted by Wilma Thedford May 27, 2004 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ***************************************************************** BRIEF HISTORY OF MOLLIE MOORE DAVIS UNIT DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERATE 1896 to 1852 Written by Mrs. Sam Brown, President 1933-1937 Mollie Moore Davis Chapter of U.D.C. No. 217, Tyler, Texas was chartered April 9th, 1898 with 81 members. Named after Mollie Moore, a girl Poet, living in Tyler during the 1860s. She was a very brilliant woman helping to entertain the young women and their soldier friends who were in training at Tyler, and presenting a Battle Flag at their departure for service. She moved from Tyler to Houston in 1874, where she met and married Major Thomas Edward Davis. A few years later they moved to New Orleans and he became Editor of the New Orlean "Pucayune". During the training of 30,000 soldiers, at Tyler, 231 died with pheumonia, measles and other deseases. It was necessary for a buria1 place for those boys, to be provided. The City Cemetery had been given to Tyler for a burial ground, so the city set aside a plot 300 feet square for the soldiers.) The name Oakwood Oemetery was given in 1908) The soldiers graves were cleaned about once a year and the rest of the time they would grow over with brush and woods. The people needing burial space would stake off a few feet from the soldier's plot, until it narrowed down to its present size. After the organization of this Chapter, they began at once to care for this sacred spot, first securing a deed from the city. They began at once to care for this sacred spot and began to raise money to place a a monument there on. Then began years of toil, work and determination, giving pink teas, Bezars, dinners, and then some kind friend would donate five and ten dollars. A contract was made with Morris Bros. Marble Works to furnish the Monument for $5000.00. The base of the Monument was to be made of Georgia Marble suitable engraved and topped with the Statue of a Confederate Soldier carved from Italian Marble. After 8 years the $5000.00 was in sight, Morris Bros. had the statue ordered from Italy, the granite base finished, - we struck a snag. We had not planned a curbing for the lot nor filling same, to make it a life lasting curb, it must also be of Marble. So two more years of hard work began, this accomplished, the base properly engraved and set, the Marble Statue was uncrated (as it had been received over a year ago and stored), to our dismay, a purple vane had appeared across the face of the Statue. It had to be reshipped to Italy, wait for another to be carved. Not being defeated the Monument was Unveiled July 6th 1909. Mrs. Cone Johnson was Chapter President for this period and it was her and her determination, and dogged spirit to see the finish. The unveiling of the Monument was a gala day in Tyler. All stores in the city closed in the afternoon. the Daughters spread a big picnic dinner on the east side of the old court house for the Veterans. And just they ate the Veterans assembled on the north side of the court house and had their pictures made in a group. After dinner the large fire bell on top of the court house tapped the signal - 2 P.M. and the line of march began moving to Oakwood Cemetery, led by the Tyler Kid Band, on foot 89 Veterans headed by the Commander of Albert Sidney Johnson Camp, Mrs. John F. Hardin, next Dr. Connally, and Elif Albertson, flag bearers, then Mrs. Cone Johnson, seated by Mr. John McIwane, the speaker of the day, the Cemetery some 5000 or more citizens were gathered, a number of choirs from all the churches and children dresses in white scattered flowers over the mound. This was the happiest occasion Mollie Moore Davis UDC Chapter ever experienced.