President Jefferson Davis's grave, and some Confederate soldiers' resting places

I was in downtown Richmond today and took an hour or so to drive through Hollywood Cemetery that overlooks the James River. As you may know, many Confederate dead are buried here, including thousands of Confederate soldiers that the Union left in the sun to rot on the Gettysburg battlefield. Thought you might like to see the final resting places of some American heros.

Quote

And now they move. The dusky swarms forge forward into gray columns of march. On they come, with the old swinging route step and swaying battle flags. In the van, the proud Confederate ensign—the great field of white with the canton of star-strewn cross of blue on a field of red, the regimental battle-flags with the same escutcheon following on, crowded so thick, by thinning out of men, that the whole column seemed crowned with red...

Before us in proud humiliation stood the embodiment of manhood: men whom neither toils and sufferings, nor the fact of death, nor disaster, nor hopelessness could bend from their resolve; standing before us now, thin, worn, and famished, but erect, and with eyes looking level into ours, waking memories that bound us together as no other bond; — was not such manhood to be welcomed back into a Union so tested and assured? - Union Brig. Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain upon witnessing the surrender of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Appomatox

By the way, this section of the cemetery is full. I understand that only the known had headstones. The empty spots are filled with the unidentified.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

A rotten shame that war happened.

The prior governor, democrat Ralph Northam, proposed cutting funds for upkeep of the Confederate section of the cemetery. The cemetery has banned the flying of confederate flags, which used to be placed on CSA graves and flew over Jefferson Davis's grave. Somer CSA graves were desecrated by vandals during 2020 when the statues of Confederate leaders were vandalized on Monument Avenue. Things have settled down a bit and while the flag ban is still in place, the confederate section is still well maintained.

Tugs at the heart.

Very well kept site.

My grandfather told me many years ago that you could tell the type people in any family by the way that same family took care of the gravesites of their loved ones.

My great-great-great-grandfather, Timothy Ragsdale, is buried in the cemetery. He was in Co C of the 23rd North Carolina Infantry. He died in June of 1862 from "disease". He was 44 years old.

My great grandfather, my mom's grandfather, enlisted in 1863, after Gettysburg, into the 14th SC Infantry Regiment. He walked from Laurens County, SC to Orange County Courthouse, Virginia, and enlisted as a private, and joined his brother who was a Lt. (later a Cpt.) in that Regiment. His brother joined just before Ft. Sumpter. They served together through Appomattox. They refused to surrender their colors and hid it under a rock at Appomattox. My great grandfather survived 18 hours of hand to hand combat at the Bloody Angle, the bloodbath at Cold Harbor, Richmond, the seige at Petersburg, and Appomattox. I stood at the site of the Bloody Angle in Spotsylvania, Va where my great grandather fought on the 150th anniversary of that part of the battle. I was somewhat emotional knowing my mom's family was one Minie ball or bayonet jab away for not being here. I always look for SC headstones whenever I'm there. If anyone ever comes to Virginia, Hollywood Cemetery is worth visiting.

Thanks for posting.

Thanks for posting this.

North, or South, East, and West, we are all Americans!

This is the Jefferson Davis birthplace monument here where I'm from. Also the Confederate memorial in a local cemetery where a number of them are buried. [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

I had 2 gg grandads in the 19th va infantry under Garnett in Pickett’s charge both made it back some how I dream often of me being there at that moment as one of them I’ve been there quite a few times

All brave men who must never be forgotten.

Thank you for posting these beautiful pictures.

May they sleep in the arms of The Lord.

Thanks for sharing. Had an opportunity to visit Stones River Battlefield and cemetery this week, a very educational experience. Disturbing to see the vast number of graves of those who sacrificed everything for their beliefs and the current state of our country.

One of my great-grandmother's brothers, Private John R. Currie, is in one of those unknown graves at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond. As soon as he turned seventeen, he left Mississippi and traveled to Virginia to join his brother's unit, Company F, 13th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. Three months later in his first battle, Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia in 1864, he was shot in the shoulder and sent to a hospital in Richmond where he died the next day. He is buried somewhere in Hollywood, grave records being lost. I have a copy of the record where his brother signed for his effects. I cannot imagine the pain his brother, Capt. Archibald A. Currie, experienced having to write to their parents that his brother, their youngest son, was killed under his command at his first battle. Capt. Currie survived the war and is buried in Mississippi. Several years ago after learning of this and piecing the story together, I had a memorial stone placed near his brother's grave noting his military service so he would have a stone somewhere. Being only seventeen, he had no surviving family other than brother and sister (my great-grandmother) who have been long gone many decades ago. No one knew about him and I only discovered him by accident while searching through old military and census records.

Originally Posted by Henryseale

One of my great-grandmother's brothers, Private John R. Currie, is in one of those unknown graves at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond. As soon as he turned seventeen, he left Mississippi and traveled to Virginia to join his brother's unit, Company F, 13th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. Three months later in his first battle, Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia in 1864, he was shot in the shoulder and sent to a hospital in Richmond where he died the next day. He is buried somewhere in Hollywood, grave records being lost. I have a copy of the record where his brother signed for his effects. I cannot imagine the pain his brother, Capt. Archibald A. Currie, experienced having to write to their parents that his brother, their youngest son, was killed under his command at his first battle. Capt. Currie survived the war and is buried in Mississippi. Several years ago after learning of this and piecing the story together, I had a memorial stone placed near his brother's grave noting his military service so he would have a stone somewhere. Being only seventeen, he had no surviving family other than brother and sister (my great-grandmother) who have been long gone many decades ago. No one knew about him and I only discovered him by accident while searching through old military and census records.

Henry,

a moving story, and thanks you for sharing it....May John's memory never fade from those in his family that came after him.

I am a native Virginian and have relatives before me that fought all over the State of Virginia, wearing the Grey of the Confederacy, and many are also buried ALL over the state of Virginia. It is folks like us, that will remember them and hopefully their sacrifice will not be lost in the politically correct history books.

Remembering Capt Jonathan Wesley Page, fought in Mosby's Rangers, along with several other units in the state of Virginia from 1861 at Bull Run to the last of it all in 1865....Died in 1869 in Iowa fighting Indians.... Born 1836....Orange County Va.

Originally Posted by Henryseale

One of my great-grandmother's brothers, Private John R. Currie, is in one of those unknown graves at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond. As soon as he turned seventeen, he left Mississippi and traveled to Virginia to join his brother's unit, Company F, 13th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. Three months later in his first battle, Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia in 1864, he was shot in the shoulder and sent to a hospital in Richmond where he died the next day. He is buried somewhere in Hollywood, grave records being lost. I have a copy of the record where his brother signed for his effects. I cannot imagine the pain his brother, Capt. Archibald A. Currie, experienced having to write to their parents that his brother, their youngest son, was killed under his command at his first battle. Capt. Currie survived the war and is buried in Mississippi. Several years ago after learning of this and piecing the story together, I had a memorial stone placed near his brother's grave noting his military service so he would have a stone somewhere. Being only seventeen, he had no surviving family other than brother and sister (my great-grandmother) who have been long gone many decades ago. No one knew about him and I only discovered him by accident while searching through old military and census records.

It's odd standing in that cemetery among the gaps in the headstones and realizing it's just a gap in the headstones and not a gap in graves. Moreoever, many of the headstones are not on the graves of the person named on the headstones. Most of the headstones were added based on known deaths, and those known to be buried there, but not necessarily at the precise site of the stone. Many of the confederate dead buried here were literally left in the open to rot at Gettysburg, or dumped unceremoniously into mass graves. Their bodies were brought here 10 years after the battle and buried as appropriately as those that did it knew how.

I forgot to take a photo so Jeb Staurt's grave.

Originally Posted by wabigoon

North, or South, East, and West, we were all Americans!

Fixed it for you wabi

it should be allowed to honor the South by flying the Confederate Flag it is American history . lets not forget this in times like we have right now in Washington D.C. at the Whitehouse > " The South will Raise Again ! " and this time the south will have more than squirrel guns !

God bless them all!

Deo Vindice