The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1922-09-14
Historic Place
Is Cemetery In
Rankin County
BY MONA MARTIN

One afternoon not long
ago an old friend and | were
strolling. AS we neared the
old cemetery, she suggested,
Wouldn't you like to prowl
around in here awhile?
There is something fasci-
mating to me about an old
cemetery"
On entering the gate we
noticed a low, but rather
heavy stone, on which was
the name Lewis E. Wash
burn"
This man." said my
friend, 'never did anything
outstanding; still he was
known and loved by many
in this and adjoining coun-
ties. He was a merchant in
Brandon for years, you re-
member"
Beyond that lot was one
in which my friend showed
me the grave of Wright
Fore, once a sheriff of Ran
kin County.
Turning to our left we
started down a narrow
walk. ''Do you see that lot
just back of this walk?" my
friend asked, "Op that large
stone you see the name
William Buchanan. He
was a splendid man-school
master, State Senator, Rep
resentative, County Super
intendent Of Education, a
lieutenant in the Confeder-
ate Army.
Passing on we came to Il lot en-
closed with an iron fence. I'm here
is the grave of a grand man, and
in that lot, (pointing to one nearby
is man of the same profession and
one no less loved by Rankin County
people. in days long past. This is
DR.. w. H. White, and the other is
Dr. Hugh McLaurin. Over yOnder,
(pOinting a little farther away lies
DR.. A. g. McLaurin. l need not tell
you, for you know well for yourself.
how much loved and honored he
was
A little farther on we came to
the McCaskill lot. Here sail ,ly
friend ''lies another of our illustri-
Gus dead. J. L. McCaskill was a
captain in the Confederate army;
later a chancellor. He was once
e. S. Ambassador to Ireland. too"
She pointed out to me in the next
lot three graves. There are three
brothers." she told me- Whose
names are not easily forgotten. You
remember all of them" That" she
said, ''is the grave of Walter Me
Laurin. He was railroad commits
sioner. Next to him lies Wallace
McLaurin- U. S. Registrar of Public
Lands. In the upper corner of the
lot is Anslem j. McLaurin, Governor.
U. S. Senator, Representative and
member of the Constitutional Con-
vention of 1890. Then in the lot
south of that one A. G.. Mayors is
buried. He was circuit Judge, and
the we'll konwn editor of The Bran
don Republican, years ago.
"Over there" turning to the right,
''is the grave of man of note. He
was writes not easily excelled,
William Walker, wrote for the
Times Picayune."
We moved on bit further. There
was Lambreth RObinson's grave. He
was, l remembered without being
told, one of "our boys" in the World
War. When / saw his grave and
thought of his bravery, and his
great sacrifice, my face instructive
ly turned to the northwest corner
of the little cemetery. There on the
hillside. l singled out from others
two graves, Cole Burns and DIR.
Dick Gayden, too, were World War
heroes, although Cole was not kill
ed during the war. / felt proud, as
thought of these three Brandon
boys.
I'm that lot" my friend pointed
out, surrounded by the stone wall
w. FL. Clark is buried. In the Con-
federate army he was Colonel;
then he was a probate judge"
She did not need to point out to
me the grave in the next lot. 1t
was that of Wesley M. Smith, known
long ago as Fancy Smith" because
of his taste and judgment, when
he was leading merchant of Bran
don. He came here from Salem,
N. C..
Pointing to a lot westward, my
friend told me, "And there are
buried i'm that lot, J. M. Quinn, a
State Senator, and J. III. cofer,
captain in the Confederate army.
ln the lot between this one and that
III. r. and T. p. Ware are buried.
The former was chancellor; the
latter mayor of Brandon. Near here
William M. Jayne, captain in the
Confederate army and J. M. Jayne.
colonel in it, are buried. And over
there is Patrick Henry, Sr's. grave.
He was Colonel In the state service
of the Confederacy. There, too, is
III. J. Reeves grave. He was once
sheriff of Rankin County" Turning
she pointed eastward to a lot, THAT
is the Shelton lot. There are G.. w.
Shelton, sheriff of this county and
Henry #. Shelton, mayor of Bran
don"
We started on down the walk.