Professor Hamilton's Diary: April 22, 1935
He's AWOL again; here are some thoughts on a visit to a historic cemetery
Professor Hamilton took today and April 23 off from writing in his diary. To fill in the space, I hope you will enjoy some reflections on a stroll through the historic Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan, Georgia, where I am visiting.
Established in 1833, Oak Hill contains graves from every year since, right up to today. As such, its graves and monuments reflect every style, from the elaborate Victorian ones festooned with angels to the simplest small tablets marking graves of Confederate soldiers.
The largest and most elaborate monument at Oak Hill is this one, erected by the Parrott family. The angels are a bit the worse for wear, with broken hands, and in this photo, from the website exploregeorgia.org, one of them has fallen and is lying on the ground. Some repairs have been made since this photo was taken and I am glad to say the fallen angel is back on its perch.
The rest of the photographs are mine.
The markers below made me think of a chessboard.
Many of the markers at Oak Hill hold inscriptions that referred to their faith in Jesus and hope for reunion with loved ones in heaven. But not all. Indiana-born Barbara Sharp Banta’s inscription says simply, “She Loved Her Southern Friends.”
Having lost a precious granddaughter at age three in 2021, I find children’s graves especially poignant, and there are so many of them from the days before antibiotics, when a simple fever could sweep a child away. Some of these little graves have tiny stone sheep watching over them.
An older child’s grave has an elaborate marker shaped like a tree stump decorated with ferns and baskets of flowers, with a little bowl at the foot of the grave that has attracted offerings.
Beside the plastic horse, I saw two quarters, some pennies, an Alcoholics Anonymous chip, some painted rocks, and a snowflake-shaped pendant from Disney World. I was two quarters short of having the change to buy a copy of the local newspaper that day and was sorely tempted to snitch the quarters. But I didn’t.
Newnan was the home of several hospitals during the Civil War. In fact, its courthouse served as a hospital. This health care history is included in a new permanent exhibit at the Newnan Coweta History Center, complete with bone saws and other medical devices used during that bloody conflict. On July 30, 1864, the Battle of Brown’s Mill was fought near Newnan. It was a disaster for the Union Army, with over a thousand men lost. Both Confederate and Union soldiers were buried at Oak Hill, but the Union soldiers were reclaimed after the war and taken north. What remains are 269 Confederates hailing from every state in the South.
As I walked among these graves, I started noticing pennies. Lots of them. Most were lying on the ground beside the markers, but some were sitting atop the markers. And it occurred to me how ironic it is that the pennies bearing the image of the union leader, Abraham Lincoln, were lying among the sleeping rebels. Knowing of Lincoln’s sense of humor, I bet he would like that.
As I was pondering this, I heard the report of rifles. In a different section of Oak Hill, a veteran was being laid to rest with full military honors, including a three-gun salute and the playing of taps. I stood with my head bowed and my hand on my heart until the bugler was finished, and then headed home.
Thank you for this! Lived in Newnan for a year in the early 80s and have always been fond of the place. I am enjoying your escapades there.
There is nothing more emotional than hearing a bugler play taps at a soldier's funeral. I don't cry easily, but that is one scenario that will do it.