Buried Jasper County, Georgia
Horse back trail riders love their horses, love to ride and love to talk about the trails they have ridden and those they hope to ride one day. A couple of friends chatting about the expanded horse trails in Jasper County, began an unexpected charge The topic changed from descriptions of rocky paths next to the meandering Ocmulgee River, to a special spot hidden in seclusion off the established trail.
Pat Harmon, a farrier and horseman, from
About four of us headed out for the initial visit, saddlebags loaded with paper, pencils, tape measurers and…shaving cream! The sense of adventure was not packed, but led the way to this quiet spot, isolated but for the occasional hunter or rider stumbling into a piece of the past.
We tied the horses a short distance from the area and walked into another time. The headstone was faded and stained, only the first couple of lines were legible. Spraying the stone with the shaving cream then wiping off the excess revealed the entire text:
SACRED TO
THE MEMORY OF
GEN. DAVID ADAMS
WHO DIED
IN THE 60 YEAR
Near
him are buried his daughter Mary
His
mother two brothers Jonathan & James
General
Adams was a native of SC and came to
The
state of
He
was a member of the Legislature more than
20
years at different times presided as speaker of
The
House of Representatives.
He
received successively from the state
Commission
of Brigadier and Major General.
Reading the words transformed a lighthearted picnic in the woods into a veritable mission. How could General Adams and his family be ignored and forgotten? They lived, laughed, cried, worked, loved and were buried here in this spot. These people helped create the world today and deserved the respect of each of us standing in awe on that cool spring afternoon.
Raising awareness of this forgotten family and funding for a simple clean up became a challenge to both Pat and me. Another friend, Roger Pierce, who is a local historian in his own right, donated a mule to auction to raise money. (See the picture of Kate the Mule). Mules were a part of life on a farm, and it seemed to Roger that this would be an appropriate salute to a warrior turned farmer in an era long past.
A web site was created to explain the project and offer the mule, humbly named Kate Mule, for sale. Blending history with the internet, allowed communication faster than this General could have ever understood. The lucky bidder picked up Kate Mule, a reader of the newspaper covering this event, Katherine Bray, picked up the project.
Mrs. Bray made contact through the web site and sent along her research, which gave more details of the man beneath the headstone. The information brought the General even closer to our hearts. Bits and pieces of the history of this area were brought to light, as information about the General was dredged up from the dusty past.
A simple restoration plan was written and submitted to the local Department of Natural Resources Manager. After meetings and discussions, our plan was approved. The project was offered to the Georgia Horse Council, Region 3 and Region 4. The members that joined our project were enthusiastic and eager to schedule a work day.
Materials and tools were trucked in as closely as possible, then carried the last quarter mile. A helpful DNR Ranger assigned to open a closed road for us, was kind enough to haul the bags of marble chips, which were heavier at the end of the trail than they were at the beginning!
The day was spent dragging old limbs, dead trees and other debris out of the immediate area. Raking back brush, leaves and trash revealed more stones. While General Adams is the only marker with an inscription, there are many stones precisely set out. We do not know who lies beneath the loamy soil, under the towering hardwoods, but we honor them as pioneers in the untamed land that was theirs.
After filling in the sunken depression
covering the General, the marble chips were spread and a small decorative
railing was placed around his final resting place.
Born in
Days and months have passed, we have all gone about our different lives, different trails and new missions. We stop to check the site, and see that all is as we left it. No trash is visible, the obvious changes seemed to have made an impact on the solitary visitors to this spot. Mrs. Bray contacted me once again to ask about the project and has plans of her own to memorialize this warrior, and I hope that the story does not end here.
Virginia Linch (Virginialinch@aol.com)
Kate the Mule - Auctioned to raise money for restoration of Gen. David Adam's Gravesite
PICTURE OF VIRGINIA AND THE VOLUNTEERS FROM THE GEORGIA HORSE COUNCIL