Beaverdam Campground Ancient Graveyard
Camden, Benton County, Tennessee, USA
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Get directions Harold Nunnery Farm, 784 Wilson Rd.
Camden, Tennessee 38320 United StatesCoordinates: 36.11084, -88.05087 - Cemetery ID:
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This burial site, with at least 50+ graves, served as a community wide graveyard in the early days of the settlement, 1819-1835. Previously, a small settlement of Chickasaw dominated Indians lived and buried their dead here, as J. D. Melton, local historian, was told as a youth and later by old timers that one or two Revolutionary War veterans were buried here, and that Mr. Sarratt was a settler thereabouts who died in 1834. Actually Mr. John Sarratt was a Revolutionary War Patriot who died there September 7, 1834 At each grave a Cedar Tree was planted to mark the grave. Someone around 1919 cut the trees, probably for fence posts, as quoted from Mr. Harold Nunnery, and the only remaining markers are the stumps as witnessed by Rick Lambert, Benton County Genealogical Society in October 2010. Mr Nunnery also told a story, passed down to him, about an Indian, of unknown origin, who came to town on the train from the west many years ago and asked cab driver, Almon Melton, for a ride to Beaverdam Campground Cemetery, known then as Camp Springs. The mysterious Indian carried a knap sack and a satchel or briefcase. When they got to the cemetery the Indian scanned the Cedar tree stumps and settled on his knees in front of one. He unrolled his knapsack, which turned out to be a blanket. He spread the blanket out and kneeled on it. From his satchel he removed several articles he used to bless this grave through an Indian ritual. After the ceremony he took the cab back to the train station and boarded the next train returning him from the location from which he came. The graveyard is indistinguishable from the thick overgrowth except for the long line of Cedar stumps. Most of this information was copied from the D.A.R. Cemetery book April 10, 1996.
This burial site, with at least 50+ graves, served as a community wide graveyard in the early days of the settlement, 1819-1835. Previously, a small settlement of Chickasaw dominated Indians lived and buried their dead here, as J. D. Melton, local historian, was told as a youth and later by old timers that one or two Revolutionary War veterans were buried here, and that Mr. Sarratt was a settler thereabouts who died in 1834. Actually Mr. John Sarratt was a Revolutionary War Patriot who died there September 7, 1834 At each grave a Cedar Tree was planted to mark the grave. Someone around 1919 cut the trees, probably for fence posts, as quoted from Mr. Harold Nunnery, and the only remaining markers are the stumps as witnessed by Rick Lambert, Benton County Genealogical Society in October 2010. Mr Nunnery also told a story, passed down to him, about an Indian, of unknown origin, who came to town on the train from the west many years ago and asked cab driver, Almon Melton, for a ride to Beaverdam Campground Cemetery, known then as Camp Springs. The mysterious Indian carried a knap sack and a satchel or briefcase. When they got to the cemetery the Indian scanned the Cedar tree stumps and settled on his knees in front of one. He unrolled his knapsack, which turned out to be a blanket. He spread the blanket out and kneeled on it. From his satchel he removed several articles he used to bless this grave through an Indian ritual. After the ceremony he took the cab back to the train station and boarded the next train returning him from the location from which he came. The graveyard is indistinguishable from the thick overgrowth except for the long line of Cedar stumps. Most of this information was copied from the D.A.R. Cemetery book April 10, 1996.
Nearby cemeteries
Benton County, Tennessee, USA
- Total memorials44
- Percent photographed64%
- Percent with GPS2%
Camden, Benton County, Tennessee, USA
- Total memorials1k+
- Percent photographed87%
- Percent with GPS0%
Camden, Benton County, Tennessee, USA
- Total memorials41
- Percent photographed76%
- Percent with GPS0%
Camden, Benton County, Tennessee, USA
- Total memorials2
- Percent photographed0%
- Percent with GPS0%
- Added: 11 Oct 2010
- Find a Grave Cemetery ID: 2373542
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