Confederate Circle at Mount Olivet
N 36° 09.188 W 086° 44.020
16S E 523957 N 4000966
This historic marker is located inside the Lebanon Road entrance of the Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Waymark Code: WM31Z8
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 01/27/2008
Views: 36
In 1869, the Ladies’ Memorial Society of Nashville purchased a circular burial ground at the highest point in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Confederate Circle became the final resting place for more the 1,500 Confederate Soldiers who died in battles that took place in the Nashville Area. The Ladies’ Memorial Society included such prominent citizens as Mrs. James K. Polk, and Felicia Grundy Porter. The association reserved a large center section for a monument that they hope to build later. Thirteen Rows of grave encircle the central square. The first six rows contain the graves of Confederate soldier who were from outside of Tennessee. The seventh row contains the graves of the Unknown and the remaining rows contain the grave of the Confederate Soldiers from Tennessee. Seven Confederate generals are buried in or around the circle. They are William B. Bate, William N.R, Bealle, Benjamin Franklin Cheatham, William H. Jackson, George E. Maney, James E. Rains, and Thomas Benton Smith. Other prominent Nashville Confederates, Colonels Adolphus Heiman and Randall McGavock, lie nearby.
On May 16, 1889, a 45-foot high monument of Vermont Granite was dedicated at the center of Confederate Circle. At the top of the monument stands a 9-foot statue of a Confederate Soldier. More than 10,000 people attended the dedication ceremony, including Colonel John Overton and Confederate General William H. Jackson.
Source/Credit: A Walking Tour of Mt. Olivet Cemetery by W. Riley Willis II (1993)
The text of this historic marker reads:
”After the War Between the States, the women of Nashville bought land at Mount Olivet and formed Confederate Circle. The remains of about 1,500 Confederate Soldiers were moved here from area battlefields. Seven Confederate Generals were buried in or around the circle. The are William B. Bate, William N. R. Bealle, Benjamin Franklin Cheatham, William H. Jackson, George E. Maney, James E. Rains, and Thomas Benton Smith. Other prominent Nashville Confederate, Colonels Adolphus Heiman and Randall McGavock, lie nearby. A 45-foot granite monument marks the center of the circle.”
Marker Name: Confederate Circle at Mount Olivet
Marker Location: Roadside
Type of Marker: Monument
Marker Number: 3A-144
Group(s) Responsible for placing Marker:
Tennessee Historical Commission
|
Visit Instructions:
At minimum, your visit must consist of a picture of the marker itself or anything referenced on the marker plus additional information you may have learned about the waymark topic. (You and your GPS receiver do not need to be in the picture, but can.)