Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-03-24
Trinity Grave Yard.

Our attention has been called to the
condition of the cemetery by letter
from a county correspondent. Wede-
cline publishing the letter because Gun
Intentionally we believe ON the part of
the writer it does injustice to the
Episcopal Church In this place; but
we have been led by it to make careful
inquiries, the result of which we now
present to our readers.
1t is we'll known to most of them
that the Trinity grave yard has now
for many years been abandoned for
purposes of burial that a disreputa-
BILE class Of our population has grown
up around it and that in consequence
of their depredations, it has been i'm
possible to maintain it in a condition
fit for Christian burial. This paper
will be limited to the purpose Of ascer-
tanning how far, if at all, the present
congregation of Trinity church is re-
sponsible for this state Of things or
justly liable to the onus of preventing it.
The lot in question consists of two
acres, which were decided to the church
by Mr.. John H. Poston September Is,
1874, one by gift, the other by pur
chase. The deeds for these purchases
can be seen at the registers Office
In the first three squares were laid
off and reserved as burial place for
the donor. The rest after fencing
&C., was laid off in squares and
sold. There is no record of the num-
Der of lots sold or Of the purchasers
names except one sold to the Odd
Fellows for 500 The record kept by
the church was lost during the war.
A committee appointed by the vestry
to inquire in the matter, satisfied
themselves that 81 200 was the utmost
the church could have received for
lots; the money they had paid out be-
fore the war was about 800.
They furnished in addition a sexton
from 1916 to 1860, and other necessary
expenses during that time must have
brought up the expenditure largely
over what they received for lots. The
lots sold became the separate charge
of the purchasers and no agreement
expressed or implied, made the church
responsible for keeping them in order.
During the war the spot was alto
gether .dismantled as grave yard,
neither the church nor the city author
tiles having any power to protect it,
and at the close of the war the fence
was gone the tombs had been plumber
ed of their material and a disreputable
population of the lowest class of ne
groes and prostitutes had grown up
around it, whom nothing but force
could keep from depredations.
A fence was nevertheless placed
around the lot soon after the war, at
the expense of $l45, but this did not
prevent the most obscene and shame
full pollution of the spot by the sur
rounding population, especially after
luxuriant growth Of brambles and
brush had accumulated there. which
was subsequently removed and the
place cleaned up at the expense of in
dividual members. This did not pre-
vent the continued desecration of the
graves.
The establishment of Greenwood
Cemetery was aresult Of this desecra-
ton together with the repletion of
the city grave yard. Nearly all who had
friends and relatives inferred in Trim
ity grave yard now removed their re-
mains to Greenwood, and in the former
place things became worse than ever.
Not only the outer fence was torn
down and burned, but the stone and
iron Enclosures around private lots
were torn to pieces and plundered
The vestry of the church, despairing
Of any power to protect the lot took
the matter into consideration. The
cemetery could not be restored to or
der without heavy expense, nor main
tanned in order without keeping up a
regular police there day and night and
there were no funds available for that
purpose,
Negotiations were entered into for
the transfer of the remaining dead to
Greenwood Cemetery, the directory of
that institution agreeing to receive
them all, accepting as their remunera-
ton the abandoned lot to be disposed
of in any way they might find possible.
Families were to be buried in squares,
the unknown dead and those without
relatives in choice spots in the grounds;
bill was to be fled in Chancery for
the sale Of the old lot.
This plan which we consider the
best available was found impractieable.
Some persons claiming to befriend the
dead published a protest in the papers
and challenged the vestry to contro-
versy this was declined, though they
havealways been ready and anxious to
confer with any one interested and do
what was best. All those holding lots
have been removed except six or eight,
and the impossibility of protecting these
where they are has been demonstrated
to be impossible.
As far as we can see the church has
done all that was possible and it is to be
regretted that its proposals were reject
ed. We have nothing further to say.
OUR citizens will have an opportu-
nifty of giving orders for Spring Suits
to j. Fl. Clarkson, who represents
Lyons mammoth Merchant Tailoring
House, Evansville. We are informed
it is one of the best and most reliable
houses in America.
Colonel w. I. THOMPSON, author
of Major Jones Courtship'- book
of twenty-five years ago-and editor of