Bethany Historic Cemetery -- Bethany MS - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Historic Bethany Cemetery in this small Mississippi community has been serving as a sacred burial ground since 1853. In 1864 the piece of the cemetery was disrupted in the rudest possible manner by a battle between Union and Confederate forces over the Bryce's crossroads.

In the aftermath of the battle, the cemetery, Bethany church, and Bryce house were destroyed. All were later rebuilt.

The day Blasterz visited Bethany Cemetery, we estimated there were around 200 people buried here, including the veteran's cemetery.

A nearby sign reads as follows:

"BETHANY HISTORIC CEMETERY
Since 1853

Reverend Samuel A. Agnew (1833-1902), second pastor of Bethany church, was a consistent diarist. His daily entries warm the basis for the church and cemetery history.

The Bethany Historic Cemetery, referred to as the burial ground by Reverend Samuel A. Agnew, second pastor of the Bethany associate reformed Presbyterian Church, was laid out in 1853. Major John T. Humphreys donated 3.75 acres to the Bethany church for the cemetery and a site for the Bethany church, open for worship on July 31, 1853.

Also according to Reverend Agnew, the first burial in the cemetery with Mr. Jon Howard Nelson, who died March 27, 1853. He also states that 53 members of Bethany community were buried here before 1870.

17 members of the Bethany church and others in the community are buried in the cemetery during a flux epidemic (a form of dysentery) that swept through the community in the summer of 1857.

On June 10, 1864, a major part of the battle of Bryce’s crossroads was fought through the cemetery destroying much of it, as well as the church and the William Bryce house, which flanked it. In the latter part of July, the congregation and people of the community came together to repair the cemetery and church. This became a tradition for many years as an annual time for cleaning the cemetery.

For many years after the war, the members of the church and community met the latter part of July to clean the cemetery."

Group that erected the marker: Historic Bethany Cemetery Association URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Bethany Cemetery Mississippi SH 370, 4 miles west of Baldwyn MS Bethany, MS

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Date Logged Log   07/29/2023 FLMathfreak visited it 08/04/2017 Benchmark Blasterz visited it

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