Patrick R. Cleburne Confederate Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Patrick R. Cleburne Confederate Cemetery is a memorial cemetery located in the city of Jonesboro, Georgia
, United States
. It was named in honor of General Patrick Cleburne
. This cemetery was a burial site for Confederate soldiers who died in the Battle of Jonesboro in 1864. This cemetery is open daily until dusk. It is one of six Confederate cemeteries maintained by the Georgia Building Authority.
After the Battle of Jonesboro, fallen soldiers under leadership of Stephen D. Lee
and William J. Hardee
were buried as unknown soldiers where they initially died at. In 1872, after the American Civil War
ended, the Georgia General Assembly
funded $1,000 so that the soldiers could be relocated and reburied in a general area. Initially, each grave was marked with a tin marker; however, by the 1930s, the markers were gone. The Patrick R. Cleburne Confederate Cemetery has 712 headstones with only three marked headstones. The three known soldiers in this cemetery are Agnatius Brooke, Robert Lindsay and Abner Joel Yancey. The headstones are patterned in the shape of the Confederate Flag. The walkways are shaped in the letter X and graves fill in the triangles of the X.
It is estimated that 600-1000 Confederate soldiers are buried here. The history behind this cemetery and other confederate cemeteries in Georgia is a mystery and continues to be researched today. Organizations continue to preserve historic documents and present new information to understand the history of Georgia and its confederate soldiers during the American Civil War
.
Jonesboro, Georgia
Jonesboro is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,724 as of the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Clayton County....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was named in honor of General Patrick Cleburne
Patrick Cleburne
Patrick Ronayne Cleburne was an Irish American soldier, best known for his service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, where he rose to the rank of major general....
. This cemetery was a burial site for Confederate soldiers who died in the Battle of Jonesboro in 1864. This cemetery is open daily until dusk. It is one of six Confederate cemeteries maintained by the Georgia Building Authority.
After the Battle of Jonesboro, fallen soldiers under leadership of Stephen D. Lee
Stephen D. Lee
Stephen Dill Lee was an American soldier, planter, legislator, and author. He was the youngest Confederate lieutenant general during the American Civil War, and later served as the first president of Mississippi A&M College...
and William J. Hardee
William J. Hardee
William Joseph Hardee was a career U.S. Army officer, serving during the Second Seminole War and fighting in the Mexican-American War...
were buried as unknown soldiers where they initially died at. In 1872, after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
ended, the Georgia General Assembly
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
funded $1,000 so that the soldiers could be relocated and reburied in a general area. Initially, each grave was marked with a tin marker; however, by the 1930s, the markers were gone. The Patrick R. Cleburne Confederate Cemetery has 712 headstones with only three marked headstones. The three known soldiers in this cemetery are Agnatius Brooke, Robert Lindsay and Abner Joel Yancey. The headstones are patterned in the shape of the Confederate Flag. The walkways are shaped in the letter X and graves fill in the triangles of the X.
It is estimated that 600-1000 Confederate soldiers are buried here. The history behind this cemetery and other confederate cemeteries in Georgia is a mystery and continues to be researched today. Organizations continue to preserve historic documents and present new information to understand the history of Georgia and its confederate soldiers during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Events and Traditions
- In 1971, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
governor Jimmy CarterJimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
assigned the upkeep of the six Georgian Confederate cemeteries to the Georgia Building Authority. - A grave-marking ceremony was held in honor of twice named Roll of Honor, Ensign Robert Lindsey, a fallen confederate soldier, from Company D, 4th Kentucky Infantry4th Kentucky InfantryThe 4th Kentucky Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It was part of the First Kentucky Brigade.-Service:...
during May 1992 at the Patrick R. Cleburne Confederate Cemetery. He died in Clayton County, GeorgiaClayton County, GeorgiaClayton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 236,517. The 2008 Census estimate placed the population at 273,718. The county seat is Jonesboro...
while carrying the company colors to the line. The exact grave site is unknown; however, the 4th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry and the Frankie Lyle Chapter of United Daughters of the ConfederacyUnited Daughters of the ConfederacyThe United Daughters of the Confederacy is a women's heritage association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served in the military and died in service to the Confederate States of America . UDC began as the National Association of the Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 by...
placed a marker in his honor at the cemetery. - On Sunday, April 24, 1999 the United Daughters of the ConfederacyUnited Daughters of the ConfederacyThe United Daughters of the Confederacy is a women's heritage association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served in the military and died in service to the Confederate States of America . UDC began as the National Association of the Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 by...
and the Sons of Confederate VeteransSons of Confederate VeteransSons of Confederate Veterans is an American national heritage organization with members in all fifty states and in almost a dozen countries in Europe, Australia and South America...
held the annual Confederate Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery with re-enactors of the Civil War led by a bagpiper. The re-enactors performed the 21-gun salute21-gun saluteGun salutes are the firing of cannons or firearms as a military or naval honor.The custom stems from naval tradition, where a warship would fire its cannons harmlessly out to sea, until all ammunition was spent, to show that it was disarmed, signifying the lack of hostile intent...
in confederate uniforms. Scott Gilbert, relative of the last confederate living in Henry County, GeorgiaHenry County, GeorgiaHenry County is a growing suburban county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 119,341. As of 2010, the county's population swelled to 203,922, up 70.9% from the previous census and becoming Georgia's 8th most populous county and the 10th fastest growing...
, Judge A.G. Harris, spoke to the crowd.