The Friendship Cemetery
This is the last of our stops in Columbus Ms. This cemetery was founded in 1839.
This location is the burial site of four Confederate generals, more than two thousand Confederate soldiers, veterans from every war the United States has fought, as well as distinguished authors, legislators, and people from all walks of life. It is the site of America’s first Decoration Day (1866), inspiring the writing of the poem “The Blue and the Gray.” This site also represents the reconciliation after the Civil War, as the Ladies of Columbus put flowers on the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers who had been buried there.
Many of the tree roots have grown around the markers.
Every spring a group of high school students conduct a tales from the crypt program in the cemetery. We went to it one night as I have never been to one. The students had to choose a person who was buried in the cemetery and study the person and his or her life.
They gave a speech as that person and dressed in the proper clothing of the time. It was very informative and all the students did very well.
The Friendship Cemetery
Sandra J’s Into the Light Adventures
Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts
By Sandra J
9 Replies to “The Friendship Cemetery”
You were lucky again to find an event i this very old and interesting cemetery.
🧡🧡🧡🧡🙏
Thank you very much Francine ☺️
Thank you for your work on this and sharing, Sandra. Most interesting and informative. And sad…
You are welcome RJ, yes it is quite the cemetery to visit. We walked around there for quite awhile. Looking at all those who have passed, most of them people that were just lost in the times. No one knows who they are or who they were.
Wow, that is something about the oil drilling. There is an angel of sorrow at this cemetery also.
Out local Historic Society does an annual Halloween event where they dress up and tell the life/death stories of about 10 people buried there… different people/stories every year.
The sucken headstones at our cemetery are from illegal drilling of oil under the cemetery. You can see the oil rigs in the background of Ansel Adams’ “Angel of Sorrow”, which is a headstone/monument at the cemetery
A friendship cemetery. An interesting concept, Sandra.
Yes, the ladies of the town broke the mold when they put flowers on all the graves no matter who they were.