Harding,
Do you think that during the heyday of these plantations, the gravesites
could be seen from the windows of each of the plantation homes?
I'm beginning to think that this may have been an important factor in siting
(sighting?) the family burial ground here.
Linda Derry
Site Director
Old Cahawba
719 Tremont St.
Selma, AL 36701
ph. 334/875-2529
fax. 334/877-4253
[log in to unmask]
Linda
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Smoke
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2013 11:55 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Plantation Cemeteries
The "I Talk to Dead People" folks will enjoy this. :-)
http://azstateparks.com/publications/downloads/2012_SHPO_Cemetery_Etiquette.
pdf
On Fri, Jan 11, 2013 at 11:19 AM, Harding Polk <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Linda,
>
>
> The Polk family of antebellum period lived in central Tennessee around
> Mount Pleasant (SW of Columbia). There were four Polk brothers (one being
my great, great grandfather - George W. Polk) that had adjoining plantations
totaling around 100,000 acres. My great great grandfather's plantation,
Rattle and Snap (built 1845), still survives and I think one other. At what
I believe is the juncture of the 4 plantations, the Polk family had a
beautiful Episcopal chapel built, which also still stands (St. John's
Episcopal). Both sites are on the NRHP. The family graveyard is located
there where my great grandfather ((Confederate) Capt. James H. Polk) amongst
others are buried. Its been a long time since I've been there and I don't
recall if any recognizably slave names are included. The chapel and
graveyard are well defined by a stone wall. Rattle and Snap has a website -
www.rattleandsnapplantation.com and both are on Wickipedia. I have a good
reference at home on the chapel from the Tennessee Historical Quarterly from
at least 30 years ago. I'll get it and send it to you.
>
>
> Harding Polk II
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Linda Derry <[log in to unmask]>
> To: HISTARCH <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tue, Jan 8, 2013 10:22 am
> Subject: Plantation Cemeteries
>
>
> I would love to hear from others working in the old antebellum cotton
> belt in the U.S. about cemeteries on big plantations.
>
> Up to this point I've been working mainly with graveyards within the
> boundaries of former towns or villages, but am now turning my
> attention to some nearby plantations, and am repeatedly finding that
> logging, farming and/or road crews have "relocated" gravestones into
> ravines, separating them from their original graves. After much
> thought, I toying with the idea of trying to help these relatively
> intact grave markers find their way back to their graves -- especially
> after reading some wills with heartfelt instructions about the
construction and care of these same burial places).
>
> So, I am wondering if anyone on HISTARC can recommend some literature
> that contains discussions of a predictive model that speaks about the
> relationship of the family cemetery relative to the "Big House."
>
> Because of the task at hand I'm talking here mainly about the
> plantation owner's family burial ground but I would also like to hear
> if there is some predictability in the location of the burials of
> enslaved inhabitants of these
> plantations)
>
> Any incidental knowledge based on experience would also be
> appreciated. Mostly, I am wondering if there a consistent
> relationship between the two (mansion and burial ground), or not?
>
> I know there are survey archaeologists out there in the South that
> that have noticed a pattern, and am hoping you will answer my question.
>
> Linda Derry
> Site Director
> Old Cahawba
> 719 Tremont St.
> Selma, AL 36701
> ph. 334/875-2529
> fax. 334/877-4253
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
--
Smoke Pfeiffer
In other news, the wolves and coyotes have finished investigating a break-in
at the henhouse. The fox has been cleared.
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