Resaca Confederate Cemetery

Resaca Confederate Cemetery in Resaca, Georgia is the burial place of over 450 Confederate soldiers who died during the American Civil War. This particular cemetery is designated for the soldiers that fought in the Battle of Resaca which took place May 14 and 15, 1864. From the two days of battle, there are only three graves where the death date is listed as May 15, 1864. The remaining graves are listed as May 14, 1864. Some of the soldiers were identified but there are still 424 graves marked "unknown".[1]

Resaca Confederate Cemetery
Location within Georgia
Details
EstablishedOctober 25, 1866
Location
Resaca, Georgia
(Gordon County)
CountryUnited States
Coordinates34°36′21″N 84°56′40″W
Size2.5 acres (1.0 ha)
No. of gravesMore than 450
Find a GraveResaca Confederate Cemetery

History

After the battle, John Green's family[2] returned to their plantation and the sight that met them there was almost more than they could bear. The bodies of confederate soldiers were buried in crude makeshift graves all across the yard. Compelled by a sense of respect to those who had fallen in action, Mary J. Green and her sister began collecting the bodies to bury properly. Though poverty was rampant, the Green daughters wrote friends asking for any amount money they could give. Col. John Green, the superintendent of the Georgia Railroad, gave his daughters 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) of land for use as a cemetery for these soldiers. With the money collected and the land provided, the Green daughters and their mother began work on what is now called the Resaca Confederate Cemetery.

The Resaca Confederate Cemetery was founded on October 25, 1866. This cemetery and one in Winchester, Virginia were both dedicated on the same day, with each group thinking that they were the first confederate cemetery.[3]

Non-military burial

Mrs. E. J. Simmons of Calhoun, Georgia is the only woman buried in this cemetery. Not only is she the only woman, but she is the only person buried in the Resaca Confederate Cemetery that is not a soldier. Mrs. Simmons was the president of the historical society and made many improvements on the cemetery including an iron fence to replace the previous wooden one. Mrs. Simmons was also the head of a movement to place a memorial stone in the cemetery. The memorial stone reads:

  • GEORGIA CONFEDERATE VETERANS
We sleep here in obedience to law;
When duty called, we came;
When country called, we died.

Mrs. Simmons died September 5, 1907. She was buried in the Resaca Confederate Cemetery upon request.[4]

See also
  • Entrance to the Resaca Confederate Cemetery
  • This plaque honors Mary Green who created the cemetery
  • This sign describes the creation of the cemetery
  • largest grave in the confederate cemetery in Resaca, ga

References
  1. The History of Gordon County. www.usgennet.org
  2. History of the Orphan Brigade, by Edwin Porter Thompson, Louisville, Ky.: 1898, p. 331.
  3. The History of Resaca Confederate Cemetery. rootsweb.ancestry.com
  4. Burton J. Bell. 1976 Bicentennial History of Gordon County Georgia. Georgia: The Gordon County Historical Society, Inc., 1976.
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