(click on each picture to get the most out of it)
Thursday night on WSB-TV in Atlanta they had a report on Oakland Cemetery, which was named “Beyond The Grave” narrated by John Pruett.
Oakland Cemetery is one the oldest cemeteries in Atlanta, if not the oldest. It has graves of governors, mayors, successful businessman, famous people such as Margaret Mitchell and Golfer Bobby Jones, Confederate soldiers, Yankee soldiers, common people, and paupers – in Oakland there are about a 6 acres of a Potter’s Field, a huge mound of unmarked graves.
The tornado that hit Atlanta just about knocked Oakland Cemetery into an unrecognizable field of stones and toppled monuments. Now they had to close it to the public and are just clearing the fallen trees. They said it will take millions of bucks to restore it like it was, when repairing the stones, etc.
WSB-TV, in their hour did an excellent job giving a brief history of the cemetery, its eccentricities, traditions, ghosts, and what all.
Each time we have been to Oakland I have always been amazed – not only because of the amazing dead that lie beneath the surface but also the monuments and the history – like for instance, where the wall is that separates the cemetery from Memorial Drive, near the Jewish section is where James Andrew of Andrews Raiders was hung for being a Yankee spy, stealing the General Locomotive (The Great Locomotive Chase), and complaining about the coffee a the Kennesaw House in Marietta…. Well, maybe he got away with the last charge.
On weekends there are many tours and docents and John Pruett said in Octobers they have period-costumed ghosts by the certain graves to tell what made that person so special. I didn’t know they did that. I would like to go to that sometime. You may recall in a posting here I said the Marietta City Cemetery and the Confederate Cemetery did that two years in a row.
Above and below are some pictures I took at Oakland. I just like the composition of the top picture,
The two below are Margaret Mitchell Marsh’s grave and the other one (W.E. Kuykendall) is a distant relative who was killed during the Civil War, probably in June or July 1864 during the Atlanta Campaign Battles.
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And to guard over the Confederate graves is a sleeping lion.
I wonder if WSB felt the rumble where a big Irishman named John is probably still turning over in his grave because his wife buried her sister's husband beside him, since Ted had no plot and he was dead?
ReplyDeleteJohn's wife is now buried beside her second husband in another cemetery, not feeling nearly so generous when the second husband's first wife died.
Good post, Eddie. I suppose that the tornado will postpone my visit to Oakland (and planned post) for a little while. I was hoping to capture the character and beauty of the cemetery. Hopefully, much will be left and not damaged, but I'm thinking about riding by there soon. I'm glad that you have pictures just in case.
ReplyDeleteJean,
That is a good story! lol
I believe that the dead are 'looking down' and I'm sure that John is still very unhappy with his 'arrangment'.
But that's the problem when a spouse dies - if the surviving spouse decides to remarry, it is only proper that she be buried with her second spouse - not the first.
But what happens if a spouse outlives 3 or 4 spouses, like was common in the old days....I guess one didn't know who they would be buried next to!
I love to visit Oakland Cemetery. We try to go there once or twice a year.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing quite like standing in that cemetery and looking out over downtown Atlanta. Standing amongst the founders and champions of the city and seeing what its become, you definitely feel like you're not alone.
Also, be sure to catch some lunch at the Six Feet Under restaurant across the street.
Jean,
ReplyDeleteI like that story, it is very much in step with the other stories and traditions of Oakland.
Deborah,
I think they said they expect about 3 weeks of cleanups.
Chris,
My sons told me about the Six foot Under Restaurant and we plan to go. It is a nice view of Atlanta from the cemetery isn't it? That is where the new leader of the Confederate Army, General Hood watched the fighting.