Benton Co., Mississippi
Capt. Robert William Smith's Grave
Back in the woods in the northeast quadrant of the
intersection of highway 72 and Pottery Road is an old abandoned cemetery.
No one has been buried here since 1919 and until recently even people living
near it did not know its official name. It is carpeted with periwinkle and
said to be beautiful when in bloom. The cemetery is not easy to find and there
is no road leading to it.
This land was once a part of about 1000 acres owned by Robert William Smith, a wealthy man from Virginia who owned 67 slaves at the time of the 1860 census. The area was known as Smith's Grove. Robert's house was once about a half a mile north of the cemetery. When the Civil War began, Robert's son, John Waverly was attending Virginia University. He enlisted in Co. E 13th Tenn. Infantry and was wounded in the right shoulder at Richmond, KY 30 Aug. 1862. He came home and after recovering for six months, joined Forrest's Cavalry, becoming Lt. Col. of the 18th Mississippi Cavalry. Sons Richard Edward and Marion Skipwith also enlisted at the beginning of the war and were in the 18th Mississippi Cavalry as well. Robert did not immediately join himself. During the winter of 1862 and 1863 some Yankee looters came to his house demanding food. Robert told them he had given them all he had and that they should return to camp. They tried to force their way into the house and in the ensuing scuffle, Robert killed at least one of them. Robert immediately sent his wife and small children to neighbor's and went to join up with his son's unit. That night the Yankees returned and burned his house. Robert was made Captain of Co. D of the 18th Mississippi Cavalry. His son Richard was 1st Lt. and son Marion a private in his company. Robert was killed in a battle on Yellow Rabbit Creek just south of Ashland and near what is now the border of Benton and Tippah County 1 May 1863.
A part of the cemetery is enclosed with a wire fence and contains all of the Rowlands buried there. William T. Roland, son of Charles, served in Co. D of the 18th Mississippi Cavalry and is buried in the Rowland section of the cemetery. Another son, Joseph E. Rowland was also in Co. D but is not buried in this cemetery.
There was a Smith family reunion held in 1998 and they placed a government marker on Robert's grave. After the war R.E and M.S and R.G. moved west. They were the first settlers of what is now Sterling CO. Later M.S returned to Grand Junction TN. Over the years the Smith had lost contact with each other and were reunited through genealogy. They were able to meet at the family reunion. Another reunion is planned for Labor Day 2003 at which they will discuss a book on the Smith family.
This land was recently purchased by Sammy Bell ( [email protected] ) of Ashland. Sammy contacted me and told me of the cemetery and said he would like to know more about the people buried on his land. I was able to visit the cemetery while on vacation in April 2003 and took two pictures before the batteries in my camera ran down.
This land was once a part of about 1000 acres owned by Robert William Smith, a wealthy man from Virginia who owned 67 slaves at the time of the 1860 census. The area was known as Smith's Grove. Robert's house was once about a half a mile north of the cemetery. When the Civil War began, Robert's son, John Waverly was attending Virginia University. He enlisted in Co. E 13th Tenn. Infantry and was wounded in the right shoulder at Richmond, KY 30 Aug. 1862. He came home and after recovering for six months, joined Forrest's Cavalry, becoming Lt. Col. of the 18th Mississippi Cavalry. Sons Richard Edward and Marion Skipwith also enlisted at the beginning of the war and were in the 18th Mississippi Cavalry as well. Robert did not immediately join himself. During the winter of 1862 and 1863 some Yankee looters came to his house demanding food. Robert told them he had given them all he had and that they should return to camp. They tried to force their way into the house and in the ensuing scuffle, Robert killed at least one of them. Robert immediately sent his wife and small children to neighbor's and went to join up with his son's unit. That night the Yankees returned and burned his house. Robert was made Captain of Co. D of the 18th Mississippi Cavalry. His son Richard was 1st Lt. and son Marion a private in his company. Robert was killed in a battle on Yellow Rabbit Creek just south of Ashland and near what is now the border of Benton and Tippah County 1 May 1863.
A part of the cemetery is enclosed with a wire fence and contains all of the Rowlands buried there. William T. Roland, son of Charles, served in Co. D of the 18th Mississippi Cavalry and is buried in the Rowland section of the cemetery. Another son, Joseph E. Rowland was also in Co. D but is not buried in this cemetery.
There was a Smith family reunion held in 1998 and they placed a government marker on Robert's grave. After the war R.E and M.S and R.G. moved west. They were the first settlers of what is now Sterling CO. Later M.S returned to Grand Junction TN. Over the years the Smith had lost contact with each other and were reunited through genealogy. They were able to meet at the family reunion. Another reunion is planned for Labor Day 2003 at which they will discuss a book on the Smith family.
This land was recently purchased by Sammy Bell ( [email protected] ) of Ashland. Sammy contacted me and told me of the cemetery and said he would like to know more about the people buried on his land. I was able to visit the cemetery while on vacation in April 2003 and took two pictures before the batteries in my camera ran down.
