McGavock Confederate Cemetery facts for kids
The McGavock Confederate Cemetery is a special burial ground in Franklin, Tennessee. It was created in June 1866. The land was given by the McGavock family, who owned a large plantation nearby.
Nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers are buried here. They were killed during the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864. These soldiers were first buried on the battlefield. But in 1866, their bodies were moved to this cemetery. We know the names of 780 soldiers. However, 558 are still unknown. Since 1905, the United Daughters of the Confederacy have taken care of the cemetery.
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A Terrible Battle and Its Aftermath
The Battle of Franklin happened on the night of November 30, 1864. It was a very tough battle. Almost 9,500 soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies were killed, wounded, or went missing. More than 6,200 of these were Confederate troops.
In 1860, Franklin had only about 900 people. On December 1, 1864, the town woke up to a huge problem. They had to bury thousands of soldiers and care for many wounded. Colonel John and Carrie McGavock owned a plantation house called Carnton. It was very close to where the main fighting happened. Because of this, Carnton became the biggest hospital in the area. Hundreds of wounded and dying Confederate soldiers were brought there.
Carrie Winder McGavock led the efforts to help. She organized everything. She also told her enslaved African-American workers to help. She gave food, clothes, and supplies to care for the wounded. Carrie's two young children, Hattie (9) and Winder (7), also helped as medical aides that night. At least 150 Confederate soldiers died at Carnton on the first night.
Most of the dead soldiers were buried near the battle lines. Union soldiers were buried in shallow graves by their friends. Many Union soldiers were later moved by their families or by the military. They were reburied in their home towns. The Stones River National Cemetery was created in 1864. Union soldiers from Franklin and other battles were reburied there between 1865 and 1867.
On December 1, 1864, burial teams identified most of the 1,750 Confederate dead near Carnton. Soldier teams collected and identified their friends. They put up simple wooden markers. These markers showed the soldier's name, rank, regiment, and company.
Most Confederate soldiers were buried on land owned by Fountain Branch Carter and James McNutt. Carter had the largest area of graves. He even lost his own son, Todd Carter, in the Battle of Franklin. The Carter-McNutt land was only meant to be a temporary cemetery. By the spring of 1866, the graves and markers were in bad shape. Many wooden markers were hard to read. Some had even been used for firewood. The names of these brave men were in danger of being lost forever.
A New Permanent Cemetery
The McGavock family from Carnton decided to help. They gave 2 acres (8,100 m2) of their land. This land would be a permanent burial ground for the soldiers. People in Franklin started raising money. They wanted to dig up and re-bury nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers. The new burial spot was just northwest of the Carnton house.
Enough money was raised to begin the work. The group hired George Cuppett to manage the re-burial. He was paid $5.00 for each soldier. Colonel John McGavock said the work was done "to have removed from fields exposed to the plow-share, the remains of all those who were buried." This meant moving the bodies from farm fields.
George Cuppett was helped by his brother Marcellus and two others. The whole job took ten weeks. It was finished in June 1866. Marcellus, who was 25, became sick during the work and died. He was buried at the front of the Texas section in the new cemetery. George Cuppett wrote about his feelings for the "brave & noble Confederate dead."
Soldiers from almost every Southern state in the Confederacy are buried here. Only Virginia is not represented. Wooden headboards were put up with each soldier's information. Footboards were added in 1867. A strong iron fence was also built around the cemetery. Mary Ann Harris Gay, an author from Georgia, helped pay for the fence. Her brother had died in the battle. She raised $5,000 for the fence and gate. A plaque with her name is on the gate.
The Cemetery Book and Its Caretakers
George Cuppett carefully wrote down the names and details of each soldier in a special cemetery book. After he finished the re-burials in mid-1866, he gave the book to the McGavock family.
In 1896, a group of veterans called the "John McEweb Bivouac" raised money. They wanted to replace the wooden headboards with strong granite markers. Carrie McGavock continued to manage the cemetery's care. She worked with African-American workers until she passed away in 1905. The original cemetery book is now on display at the Carnton house.
After 1905, the Franklin Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy took over. They became responsible for paying to maintain the cemetery. Today, 780 Confederate soldiers have been positively identified. But about 558 soldiers are still officially listed as unknown.
The Cemetery Today
The cemetery is located off Lewisburg Pike. It is only a few minutes from downtown Franklin. The graves cover a 2-acre (0.81 ha) part of the Carnton plantation property. The cemetery has thirteen sections. Each section is organized by the state the soldiers were from. A 14-foot (4.3 m) pathway separates the two main sides.
When you enter, on the left side, you will find sections for:
- North Carolina (2 soldiers)
- Kentucky (5 soldiers)
- Florida (4 soldiers)
- Unknown (225 soldiers)
- Louisiana (19 soldiers)
- South Carolina (51 soldiers)
- Georgia (69 soldiers)
- Alabama (129 soldiers)
- Tennessee (230 soldiers)
On the right side, you will find sections for:
- Mississippi (424 soldiers) - This state has the largest number of men who died at Franklin.
- Arkansas (104 soldiers)
- Missouri (130 soldiers)
- Texas (89 soldiers)
