I was stationed in Augusta, Georgia for several weeks in 2003 for a grueling work project. During my weekends, I took excursions to various towns to try to immerse myself in some of the dark history in the state. And let’s face it, there is a LOT of it here. The thing I found most interesting about Georgia (as with most of the South), is the way that much of that dark history goes unmentioned. You don’t see museums dedicated to the history of slavery here. That whole chapter of history seems very much to be swept under the rugs. However, the evidence of slavery and segregation scars the countryside, if you know where to look for it.I had read an article about “slave grave markers” and my curiosity was piqued. It seems that there was an old tradition in the 19th century of putting 1-3 chain links on the gravesites of slaves. One link meant that the individual interred was born into slavery, but lived most of their adult life free and died free; two links meant they were born into slavery, lived most of their lives in slavery, but died free; and three links mean they lived their entire life as a slave. I found it very sad to think that the entire measure of their lives could be symbolized by three chain links, and decided that I had to find some of these slave markers myself, to pay homage to the forgotten men and women buried beneath them. (Update 5/29/11 – Adam Selzer suggests an alternate explanation for the three links: “The three links of chains are often said to signify being born, living, and dying in bondage around town, but it’s not quite accurate. There are certainly slave graves in Memory Hill, but the three links of chain are actually symbols denoting that the buried person was a member of the Odd Fellows, the secret club that workers joined while their bosses joined the Freemasons or Shriners.” I hope that’s not true… it’s very unpoetic.)On an overcast April day, I set off to Milledgeville, Georgia to try to find historic Memory Hill Cemetery. I wish I’d done a bit more homework because I later read about numerous very interesting historic graves that I was completely unaware of on my trip, so I consider this visit to be sadly unfinished business, but I did find the slave graves that I was looking for, and for that reason the trip was satisfactory. I also managed to stumble across an old asylum (see part two of the travelogue), which was doubly interesting. So, without further ado, here’s my trip to Milledgeville…
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On my drive to Milledgeville, I came across this abandoned old “Country Store,” which I thought was quite photogenic. There were lots of reminders of the past like this littering the backstreets.
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Here’s the Milledgeville City Hall. Milledgeville was the capital of Georgia from 1807 to 1867 and is filled with grand old buildings befitting such an honor. This one isn’t one of them, but it is nice.
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This is one of my favorite buildings in Milledgeville – the Old Baldwin County Courthouse, built in 1885.
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I always get a kick out of fallout shelter signs. They are such a throwback to the ’50’s. You never see these things in California.
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After photographing the Old Courthouse, I finally arrived at Memory Hill Cemetery. The first gravestone that caught my attention was this modern one in the shape of a fiddle – the grave of Randy D. Howard (1960-1999), “World Champion Fiddler”. Randy died after a bout with cancer.
Memory Hill Cemetery was originally designated as one of the four public squares of twenty acres each in the Milledgeville town plan of 1803. It later came to be known as Cemetery Square. Many people associated with Milledgeville and Georgia history, such as L.Q.C. Lamar, Congressman Carl Vinson, and Flannery O’Connor, as well as early Georgia governors, legislators, college presidents, slaves, and soldiers, are buried here. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that Flannery O’Connor was buried here during my trip, or I surely would have sought her grave out, being a huge fan of her work. Damn!!
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I thought this grave with the lamb lying down (which kind of looks more like a camel lying down to me) was kind of creepy.
MARY LIZZIE
youngest daughter of
E. S. & J. S. Candler,
Born 25th July
1852
Died 28th January
1854
1 year 6 months
& 3 days.
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This is one of the most interesting inscriptions I’ve run across in some time. I love it when they tell you how they died.
TO THE
memory of
JAMES D. ALLAMAN
who died on the 16th
July, AD 1845, from the
accidental discharge
of a cannon at the
funeral obsequies
of
GENL. JACKSON.
Honest, mirthful and beloved
he acquired the title of
CROCKETT
It lives with his
MEMORY.
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This section of the cemetery contains the remains of the sadly forgotten patients of the nearby Georgia Lunatic Asylum (from 1842-1858). I stopped here for a minute and tried to imagine what sort of horrors a psych patient would have faced in the period of 1842-1858! After shuddering violently for a few seconds, I moved on…
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This was an interesting gravestone as well:
IN MEMORY OF
PATRICK KANE.
He was an orderly, industrious and respected
citizen – a native of
IRELAND
Aged about 50 years at the time of his death and
shot down by a Federal Soldier on the 30th day of
Nov. 1864,
on the advance of Gen. Sherman’s Army on
MILLEDGEVILLE.
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I loved this memorial fountain – there should be more of these in cemeteries, don’t you think?
In memory of my play-mate
HENRY O. KIDD
JULY 15, 1909
JOHN P. ATKINSON JR.
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In the very back of the cemetery I found the slave burial area. Of course, even in death, the bodies of the slaves were segregated from non-slaves. I wandered about taking photographs of the poignant chains that serve as the only memorial to the men and women buried beneath them.
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Since I didn’t know any better at the time, I neglected to visit the Devil’s Gate, or the grave of Flannery O’Connor at the Memory Hill Cemetery. Instead, I drove over to investigate the beautiful gothic Old State Capitol Building, built in 1807. The Old Capitol is considered the first example of Gothic architecture in a public building in the United States. It served as the seat of government for the State of Georgia from 1807 to 1868 and in its legislative chambers the Secession Convention was held in 1861. The beautiful gates at the north and south entrances to the square were constructed in the 1860’s, after the War Between the States, of bricks from the arsenal destroyed by Sherman’s soldiers. Three times the building was partially destroyed by fire. Since 1879, Georgia Military College has occupied the historic site. The building was renovated in 2000 and now houses a regional historical museum and the newly restored Legislative Chamber, where some of Georgia’s greatest debates took place, including the Secession Convention.
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PART TWO:
The Georgia Lunatic Asylum
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I really enjoyed reading this. Very educational. Thank you for posting . 📫
You might also enjoy Andalusia, Flannery Oconnor’s home/farm. It is being restored and kept as a museum. You can tour the house and are also free to walk the property.
There is also Cedar Lane Cemetery where many were burried from the lunatic asylum. They had iron markers with no names, just numbers to mark those that perished at Central State.
If you take the path all of the way to the back, there is a beautiful bronze statue.
There is a Trolley Tour 8/6, 8/20 and 8/27 . Call the Milledgeville Visitor Informaion Center for tickets. $30.
478-452-4687
There is a website called “Only in your state”. Enter Ga, Then scroll down to the article ” The Terrifying Georgia Mental Asylum with 25,000 Unmarked Graves”. There is an interesting article with pictures of Cedar Lane Cemetery and Central State Hospital.
I am going to tour Milledgeville next week, so thanks for sharing.
The historic museum was “forced” to vacate the old capital premises in or around 2019.
Interesting read, thank you for sharing