Founding Ladies of the Southern Memorial Association

Founding Ladies of the Southern Memorial Association. . Imagine living in Fayetteville in 1866. The city with a population just under 1000 was still mourning its dead and rebuilding from the destruction of the War Between the States. Mass graves, lonely graves in pastures and roadsides held the remains of Union and Confederate dead., In 1866, Congress passed a bill establishing National Cemeteries for Union soldiers only. Spending over $4 million to collect and bury the Union dead, the federal government left Confederate remains where they lay., After the federal government in 1867 established the National Cemetery for Union dead in Fayetteville, a group of area women took it upon themselves to establish a cemetery for the Confederate dead. Like many women across the South, they did not want their Confederate loved ones to be forgotten. When Mrs. Sallie Cox suggested forming a memorial association in the Fayetteville area, several women enthusiastically proceeded to meet and establish the Southern Memorial Association of Washington County. On Monday, June 10, 1872, meeting at the Methodist Church South, the association immediately began its labor of love to secure land for the establishment of a Confederate cemetery., The ladies wrote letters to area newspapers politely requesting financial help and reminding readers that that there was no government money allowed for their worth endeavor to obtain decent burials for Confederate soldiers. “Help us gather the moldering bones of our soldiers from the barren hillsides and place them back beside their fallen brothers to rest where their graves may be badewed with the tears of their kindred and strewn by the hand of affection with brightest flowers.”, After just one year of constant and tireless gathering of “dimes and dollars” from a variety of fund-raisers, the women of the Southern Memorial Association welcomed about 3,000 people on Tuesday, June 10, 1873, to celebrate the dedication of the Confederate Cemetery., The noble desire of the founding ladies has not been forgotten. The Confederate Cemetery has always been privately owned and maintained by the association founded in 1872. Although days and times may have changed, every year since 1873 members of the Southern Memorial Association have conducted a memorial ceremony at the cemetery. The Southern Memorial Association of the 21st century continues to conduct the annual ceremony at 10:00 a.m. on the first Saturday of June. You are welcome to attend., When another hundred years have passed, will this Confederate Cemetery on East Mountain still stand as a tangible reminder of the brave men who died for a way of life they held dear and the dedicated women who loved, honored and gave them this beautiful resting place?,

These monuments we build will speak their message to generations. These voiceless marbles in their majesty will stand as vindication of the Confederate soldier. They will left from these brave men the opprobrium of rebel and stand them in line of patriots. This is not alone a labor of love; it is a work of duty as well. We are correcting history. – Lizzie Pollard, 1904

, A few days before the Confederate Cemetery was dedicated, Judge David Walker requested a list of women who were members of the Southern Memorial Association. Its secretary, Miss Sallie Davidson, compiled a list of women who were members on June 8, 1873., Baum, Mrs. Julia (wife of Moses) . Black, Miss Vantia (later wife of Lewis Hickman) . Bridgeford, Mrs. Rachel (wife of Richard) . Braden, Mrs. Molly (wife of R.F.) . Cox, Mrs. Sallie (wife of Dr. P.M.) . Cravens, Mrs. Caroline (wife of Col. J.L.) . Davenport, Mrs. Malvina (wife of C.M.) . Davidson, Miss Sallie (later wife of Charles Harvey) . Ferguson, Mrs. Nannie E. (wife of James A.) . Gunter, Mrs. Jane (wife of Col. T.M.) . Harris, Mrs. Margaret (wife of Dr. Edwin) . Harrison, Mrs. Sallie (wife of Capt. E.B.) . Hauptman, Mrs. Abbie (wife of Charles S.) . Jackson, Mrs. Virgina (wife of Columbus), Jackson, Miss Vitella (later wife of Isaac Crose) . Jennings, Mrs. L. Emma (wife of Thomas) . Lotspeich, Mrs. Annie (wife of Dr. Rhoten) . Massie, Miss Mollie (later wife of John Obrian) . Mcclellan, Mrs. Sarah (wife of Evan W.) . Mckissick, Miss Letitia . Moore, Miss Emma (later wife of Matt Roll) . Moore, Mrs. Emma (wife of E.B. Moore) . North, Mrs. Sarah (wife of Capt. G.W.) . Peacock, Mrs. Mary (wife of J.O.) . Pendleton, Mrs. Laura (wife of J.C.) . Pollard, Mrs. Lizzie (wife of T.W.) . Pollard, Mrs. Mary Willis (wife of Dr. T.J.) . Quarles, Miss Emma (later wife of R.M. Darnall) . Quarles, Mrs. Fannie (wife of W.R.), Rieff, Mrs. Sallie (wife of Col. Henry) . Rivercomb, Mrs. Mary J. (wife of George) . Sellars, Mrs. Sallie (widow) . Severs, Miss Helen (later wife of W.A. Robb) . Smith, Mrs. Mary (wife of P.R.) . Stevenson, Mrs. Mary C. (widow of Dr. James) . Stirman, Mrs. Della (wife of W.F.) . Stirman, Mrs. Marium (wife of Col. E.L.) . Stone, Mrs. Malvina (wife of S.K.) . Trott, Mrs. Rebecca (widow of J.E.) . Turrentine, Mrs. Mary (wife of Wilson E.) . Vanhoose, Mrs. Martha (wife of J.H.) . Walker, Mrs. Serena (wife of C.W.) . Boles, Mrs. Clementine (wife of Thomas Boles) . Whaley, Mrs. Frances (wife of Dr. J.C.) . Wilson, Mrs. Margaret (wife of Col. A.M.), [Captions (from bottom left]) , Caroline T. Cravins Circa late 1890s . Elizabeth "Lizzie" Cooper Pollard late 1890s . Julia Baum . Clementine Watson Boles Circa 1890s . Malvina J. Syms Davenport Circa 1860s . Jane Bragg Gunter Circa 1890s . Sarah J. McClellan Circa 1890s . Mary Pollard . Amandea Malvina Brodie Stone Circa 1895