The
Blakeley Cemetery is located in the deserted town of Blakeley on the Tensaw
River.Blakeley was the second county
seat of Baldwin County.From Bay
Minette, travel southwest on Highway 138 (also called Hurricane Road) some
six miles until you reach the intersection of Highway 138 and Highway 225
(Crossroads).Turn left on Highway
225 and travel some 8 miles until you see the Historic Blakeley State Park
sign and turn right.Follow road,
keep going after the pavement turns to gravel.The
Cemetery will be on the left.
There
are not many tombstones left from over the years.Many
have been stolen, broken, and vandalized.There
are several slabs and broken up markers with writing on them which could
not be read.Also there are several
blank slabs in the cemetery and stone crosses.There
is a African American section to the cemetery too.These
graves date from 1948 to 1991, very recent if you ask me.
Surveyed
on May 25, 2001 by Leon W. Weekley
Burials:
These
names listed on square pedestal
monument
The
side facing the east reads:
PETERS,
James W., Esg.
Died
Dec. 1, 1822
“3rd
son of General Absalom Peters died in this place.”
“Aged
31 yrs. who with his partner Russel Stebbins emigrated from New York to
this country in 1816.”
“These
two with a few other enterprising young gentlemen from the North commenced
in the wilderness and founded the town of Blakeley in 1817.”
The
side facing the south reads:
BUTLER,
Horatio S.
Died
August 4, 1820
“Son
of Rev. D. Butler of the city of Troy, N.Y. died at this place”
“Aged
28 yrs.”
BOYD,
Henry
Died
27, 1822
“Son
of Gen. William Boyd of the City of New York died at this place of malignant
fever”
“Aged
21 yrs.”
The
side facing the north reads:
HEMPSTESD,
Ira
Died
July 20, 1818
“Son
of Isaac Hempstead, Esq. of the City of Albany, N.Y. died at this place”
“Aged
19 yrs.”
STEBBINS,
James
Died
Nov. 10, 1818
“2nd
son of Nathan Stebbins of Ridgefield Connecticut died at this place from
a fall from a horse”
“Aged
22 yrs.”
The
side facing the west completes the monument:
PETERS,
Maj. George P.
Died
Nov. 28, 1819
“of
the U.S. Army, 2nd son of Gen. Absalom Peters of New Hampshire departed
this life at Fort Gadsden, E. F. when he was in command”
“Aged
30 yrs.”
PETERS,
Mrs. Lorraine Hitchcock
Died
Apr. 22, 1815
“Consort
of Major George P. Peters died at Burlington, V. T.”
“Aged
25 yrs.”
African
American section:
CROOKS,
Prince A.
June
15, 1871
Jan.
13, 1948
FOSTER,
Mary M.
May
5, 1839
June
6, 1948
“At
Rest”
HALE,
Wille
1947
1985
“Husband”
HALE,
Barbara
1949
1982
“Wife”
SLEDGE,
Herman J.
Aug.
6, 1922
Oct.
31, 1991
SLEDGE,
Daisy
Jan.
8, 1889
Nov.
1977
SLEDGE,
Joshua
1896
1972
SLEDGE,
Alfred
Nov.
26, 1925
Nov.
19, 1989
CROOKS,
Beulah
June
24, 1914
Nov.
76, 1979
MCCRYNDLE,
James J.
Jan.
4, 1924
Dec.
26, 1981