SATURDAY'S STRUCTURE - Myrtle Hill Cemetery, Rome, Georgia

Myrtle Hill Cemetery
Rome, Georgia

Myrtle Hills: One of Rome's Seven
"For over 100 years, Myrtle Hill has served as a guardian overlooking the city of Rome. Located at the confluence of the Etowah and Oostanaula Rivers where the mighty Coosa is formed, Myrtle Hill has seen many significant dates in history.

"Before Rome was an incorporated town, Myrtle Hill had no name but was the site of the Battle of Etowah. In September of 1793, General John Seiver descended upon Cherokee, Georgia from Tennessee chasing Indians who had scalped and killed thirteen people at Cavett's Station near Knoxville. Sevier and his men caught up to the Indians at present day Myrtle Hill and the battle in sued. Many Indians were slain including Chief King Fisher. In 1901, the Xavier Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution erected a monument in honor of General Sevier. The marker is located in the southwest corner of the cemetery.

"With Civil War battles happening in Rome, Myrtle Hill, known as Fort Stovall, was very instrumental in the Siege of Rome. A Confederate monument atop Myrtle Hill erected by the Women of Rome stands as a memorial to the soldiers from Floyd County who gave their lives in defense of the Confederate States of America. At Confederate Park is a monument erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to the memory of General Nathan Forest for his bravery and valor in protecting the city from a siege by Yankee marauders. A Confederate Cemetery section holds 377 soldiers - both from the north and the south who lost their lives while here or were originally from Rome.

"Other points of interest at Myrtle Hill include the grave of Ellen Axon Wilson, wife of President Woodrow Wilson. Mrs. Wilson was from Rome and is the only wife of a United States President buried in Georgia. Her grave is located to the right of the main entrance of Myrtle Hill off Myrtle Street.

"A portion of the cemetery has been designated as a memorial park for World War I Veterans, and includes the final resting place of America's Known Solider, Charles Graves. In this park are thirty-four magnolia trees planted in a grove to honor the 34 Floyd Countians who fell during the war." [from www.romegeorgia.com]

Flemming Family Lot
Myrtle Hill Cemetery, Rome, Georgia

Flemming Family Lot
[For more specific information about the individuals, please see post: "Hometown Tuesday - Rome, Georgia" October 11, 2011]

Grave of James B. and Sarah Linza Flemming
Myrtle Hill Cemetery

The Flemming Family lot is located off the main entrance of the cemetery. My 3x-great-grandparents James Benjamin Flemming (1827-1907) and Sarah Linza Jackson (1837-1902) are buried in the center of the lot. Next to them, in an unmarked grave is their second child, John W. Flemming (1858-1863). John is the younger brother of Charles Clinton Flemming (1854-1932), my great-great-grandfather; he was only 4 when he died, most likely while his father was away serving the Confederacy in the Civil War. He was no doubt moved from his original burial site.

Also buried nearby are Sarah's parents, my 4x-great-grandparents, William Jackson (1800-1879) and Elizabeth Jackson (1802-1870). They had followed their daughter and her young family from South Carolina.

Graves of Elizabeth (l) and William Jackson (r)

All but two of James and Sarah's children are buried in the family plot, including:

• Thomas J. Flemming (1860-1914),
• Oscar Eugene Flemming (1866-1935),
• Walter Edward Flemming (1869-1907),
• James B. Flemming (1876-1878).

My great-great-grandfather Charles and the youngest of his siblings, Minnie Flemming Blake (1879-1963) are buried elsewhere.

Also buried here is Willie May Flemming (1898-1898), only 4 months old. She is listed in the family Bible as a daughter of Charles and his wife Lizzie. A notation in the Myrtle Hill Internment Book brings some doubt as to who her parents actually are.



 

McCaffrey Family Lot
Myrtle Hill Cemetery, Rome, Georgia


McCaffrey Family Lot



Grave of Charlotte McCluskey McCaffrey
(1838-1917) 

The McCaffrey Family lot is also located off the main entrance of the cemetery, just a few lots away from the Flemming Family lot. Here lies my 3x-great-grandparents Thomas Joseph McCaffrey (1832-1896) and Charlotte Elizabeth McCluskey (1838-1917).

Also buried here are several of their children, my 3x-great-aunts and -uncles, including:

• James Michael McCaffrey (1871-1895),
• William George McCaffrey (1877-1897),
• Marie McCaffrey (1882-1882).

At least two grandchildren of Thomas and Charlotte are buried here. Minnie Agnes "Mamie" Flemming (1880-1881) was the third child of Charles Clinton Flemming and Elizabeth Agnes McCaffrey (1858-1922), my great-great-grandparents. She was the younger sister of my great-grandfather Harry Clinton Flemming (1878-1955). She was just 14 months old when she died. She was buried in the McCaffrey family lot. Another of Charlie and Lizzie's babies is buried here, without a marker. Listed only as "infant of C.C. Fleming (sic)", the baby had one date listed - November 25, 1882. Their family later moved to Birmingham, Alabama; their parents and most of their siblings are buried there.


Grave of Thomas Joseph McCaffrey
(1832-1896)