Near Ararat in Patrick County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

The Stuart Graveyard

Photographed by Michael C. Wilcox, April 21, 2012

1. The Stuart Graveyard Marker

Inscription. This small graveyard has presented a historical mystery. In 1855, Archibald Stuart, the father of General Stuart passed away and was buried in the graveyard before you. In July 1859, his wife, Elizabeth Pannill Stuart sold the property and in so doing, she reserved two small graveyards from the sale. The text of the deed reads: "one in which Wm. Letcher and others are buried, another where A. Stuart is buried." In 1952 Archibald Stuart's remains were exhumed and reinterred next to the grave of his wife in Saltville, Virginia. According to oral tradition there is evidence that two of the Stuart children, Virginia (1835-1842), and an unnamed infant son were buried here and that their graves were enclosed by a brick wall. However, based solely on the text of the 1859 deed it is possible that the deceased Stuart children are the "others" to whom Elizabeth Stuart referred when describing the Letcher graveyard. While it may be reasoned that Elizabeth Stuart would have interred her husband alongside his children, it must be remembered that none of William Letcher's descendants appear to have lived on the property after his death

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

in 1780 until the arrival of the Stuarts in the mid 1820s. This would seem to limit the possibilities of who might be buried in the "other" graves at the Letcher site. Thus, until further conclusive evidence is made available to solve this mystery, this cemetery is respectfully dedicated to the memory or the Stuart family.

This sign is a gift of
James & Tamara Epperson
In Memory of William Forester & Hattie K. Epperson and
Rev. David E. & Valley S. Hill

Erected 1999 by J.E.B. Stuart Birthplace Preservation Trust, Inc.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1780.

Location. 36° 33.8′ N, 80° 33.2′ W. Marker is near Ararat, Virginia, in Patrick County. It can be reached from Ararat Highway (Virginia Route 773). Located on the grounds of the Jeb Stuart Birthplace (Laurel Hill). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1091 Ararat Hwy, Ararat VA 24053, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southern Virginia

and in the Blue Ridge Highlands.

Archibald Stuart image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael C. Wilcox, April 21, 2012

2. Archibald Stuart

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Legacy of Jeb Stuart (within shouting distance of this marker); The Death of Jeb Stuart (within shouting distance of this marker); Jeb Stuart (within shouting distance of this marker); The Wounding of Jeb Stuart (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederate and Union Calvary (within shouting distance of this marker); The Death of Col. Henry Clay Pate (within shouting distance of this marker); May 1864, Union Overload Campaign (within shouting distance of this marker); Beaver Dam Station (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ararat.

Also see . . . Jeb Stuart website. (Submitted on November 21, 2016, by Michael C. Wilcox of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.)

Elizabeth Pannill Stuart image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael C. Wilcox, April 21, 2012

3. Elizabeth Pannill Stuart

Photographed by Michael C. Wilcox, April 21, 2012

4. The Stuart Graveyard Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 21, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2016, by Michael C. Wilcox of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 623 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 21, 2016, by Michael C. Wilcox of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.