The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-08
LETTER ERoRIUHMoyp.
oAKwocn .trrrnu

oAKwocD ,~tRrERy.
/, A snort drive througihe suburbs of Church
, hfi brought us to the eianco OF Oakwooa ca,n.
etery. Unlike Hollywcoit cannot boast ot INV
great degree of natural tiuty, being situated on
ground nearly level, sndentirely devoid of Tho
magnificent river scete proximity TO which
maAes hollywood one che finest cemeteries in
u WORLD by art, as webs by nature. has Oak
W." 'hus lar been trcha very much az q step
'""' Inc cemetery wa established mt the COM
"ence.lehV OF tile war, rthimed from the forest;
""u aituough q popuiols " of the dead, there are
u 40" memorials paillated to elicit admira.
'Aon from the VISITOR. y it is capable Of being
haoe q very lovely sEb having q fine back
ground Of forest green, al many handsome trees
scattered through the bunds. which, though
not billy, are rolling, al could DO laid out TO
great advantage, and I .ust the day is not far
distant when it will becoH what many an aching
heaft would wish to soc ia place of beauty, such
as the seed bods of resurrection should ever be.
lakewood what name iall this Southern land
40 moro widely known ! Nerc is the spot sacred
to 30 many What Stutehay, what county. w,,at
village, in all the South, bm tho Potomac TO tho
mo trande, that has Iobhed toars and sent up
prayers TOT some dear W sleeps beneath it's
sou. Know OF no nan that could find 80 far dis
tant an echo rs Oakwof.~
turned to that t1tion. Of u o---'- mhara
| our soldic-- are laid, 18th feelings of broad, for
when l had last seen its b tho spring of 1866, it
was a narrowing sight-4lht I will not offend the
sensibilities Of tho realelby giving q detailed de-
scr1ption OF the ~scenesf then Witnessed at this
confederate dolgotha. was agreeably surprised
therefore when I found tut loving hands had boon
a. work IN this Garden Il Life"
Thofc lay thai mighty lrmy OF the dead sixteen
Thousand strong zsido btside as they had been on
fnany.a ploody held efeth| were marshalled hero to
aWalt the Teoealeff0sa thdgreat Archangel's trump.
Hach grave LOOKS trim Ind" neat-a' head board
PAceu "att Ene names company, regiment and
o'ate INSCRIBED upon ~ lr. ,sadder still, with the
ohe "ofd' UNKNOWN. tTIAsa head-boards are very
s'rohg, covered with thrp coats OF paint, and, it is
said, WIN last for fifteenI years. The placing of
tneH mas been a very Important work. Had this
not been done all record tf Tho graves would have
oeen lose. When tiinat saw them in 1866 they
were only marked by shall rough pieces OF wood.
With the names, &c., andistinctly scrawled upon
them. Many Of these Sbre 80 badly put into the
ground that they soon h,came displaced, and it was
impossible to know, whhlit grave they had belong
ed to, and last winter negroe, were found carry
ing OF some Of those stakes and boards for fire.
wood. FF fSnr 4tt 4&l+
No one who has not Gagged on this spot can con-
celve the feelings Of solemnity and awe which are
produced by the sighttof so many graves thickly
studding the undulatins plain like the billowa on
the ocean,,
Ihose who have friends in this Cemetery can
never be grateful enough to the ladies' OF the Oak
wood Memorial Association (the first organized in
Richmond) for thor indsfatigablc efforts to rescue
from oblivion tho names OF those who arc laid
nero Inc Association was formed April 10, 1866.
since that time, all the graves that can be located
\eAcePt AoO IN private soctionsl have been dosig-
mated by head boards such as 1 have mentioned
lapouS ssuoo} and an accurate register prepared.
1t is. now the, earnest dasire OF tho ladies' to put up
section boards, so thai persons coming from q
distance, to look. for the bodies Of their friends.
may be able to andsthem without going over the
entire eronnd; which would occupy at least
q week To procure, funds for this object, they
propose having D. feast during the Fair, which is
tdesaka nlaaa- os.s Aa- IRFaN ~iast.-andlLaas sae4 sa@ 81
South Carolina has 800 dead, whose graves are
located" and a large number among the un-
known, as many died Of small pox whose graves
were never marked.
There arc between 5000 and 1000 Of these I'M
known graves. 1t is the purpose OF tho Associa-
ton to erect q monument to the Unknown Dead as
soon as funds for this purpose can be obtaine !.
AT his time their treasury is empty and the Assoc
citation slightly in debt. The means for carving
on the work thus far have been raised by,the
efforts OF the ladies' connected with the Associa-
ton. North Carolina appropriated and paid over
$1,000. Georgia and South Carolina also have each
appropriated the same amount; but the money
has notsyet been received. 1t is the wish of the
Association to erect q monument to each State
represented. The whole amount Of funds received
since the organization is about 97OO0-the number
OF members about $50.
have been intimately associated for some time
past with several Of the most active members Of
this Association, and thus feel great interest in
its fortunes; though M long connection with the
hospitals OF Richmond dlring the war, and my past
personal acquaintance with many Of the HEROES
b sleep ct lakewood, vould in itself be quite su1f-
heient toiidaoe me to give my syrnpafhiss to the
~praiaewartay efforts d these noble 81 women to
beanHfy this Gods Acre." The people Of the
NORTH sing pasans, and raise stately monumental
nailosY' W their dead, why shall we not atleast erect
asornsfrail memorial 10 Che memory Of our own.
Confederate dead All. r. r