The very name, Magnolia Cemetery, causes scenes of the old South and Southern heritage to come to mind. What can be more Southern than the stately magnolia trees that shade the streets and avenues in the resting place of more than 36,000 people? However, the magnolias didn't give their name to the cemetery until the mid 1930's. About 350 magnolia trees, some over 100 years old, keep company with 100 year old crepe myrtles.

Before the establishment of a city cemetery, Augustans were interred in church yards or family plots. The city, realizing the need for a public cemetery, purchased a tract of land in 1817, between present day 2nd Street in the cemetery and the North boundary wall, from the Academy of Richmond County for $800. This tract had already been used for the burial of J. Hartford Montgomery who died on Christmas Eve, 1800. With this purchase, the cemetery of St. Paul's Church was closed and City Cemetery burials were begun in 1818. Wealthy Nicholas de l'Aigle donated part of his plantation and brick yard to the city making a total of 60 acres for the cemetery. A historical marker at the family plot at the corner of de l'Aigle Ave. and 2nd St. (cemetery streets) gives more information.

The de l'Aigle family lost a son, Armand, to the Confederacy. He was killed at Savage Station, VA in June 1862, brought home and buried here in March, 1863. His grave is marked with a Southern Iron Cross as well as a family memorial.

Entrance to the cemetery is through the wrought iron gate from Augusta's 3rd St. on to the cemetery's 4th St., the office is on the right. The physical layout is arranged in blocks with four avenues, de l'Aigle, Estes, West Wall and East Wall, running North-South, and fifteen numbered streets running East-West. (Streets or avenues mentioned from this point will be cemetery streets.) In the arch above the gate hangs the old chapel bell that tolled for many burials from Magnolia's chapel. The chapel, which stood at the end of 2nd St. at the West Wall, was demolished in 1931. Walk ways are paved with bricks stamped "Augusta". The existing map of the cemetery is credited to Mrs. Rose Betts, a cemetery employee, who completed it in the early 1960's. She worked many years with simple and inefficient tools to make it possible for us to locate specific sites.

With money given by Mrs. Louise de l'Aigle Reese in memory of her mother, Mary, who is interred here, the first office was built in 1940. This wooden building was later replaced with the present office. Over the front door is a message engraved in stone: "A Daughter's Tribute to the Past, a Tender and Heroic Mother and an Old Plantation". A portrait of Mrs. Mary Clark de l'Aigle hangs in the round reception room of the office. Facing her across the room is the portrait of a handsome young man, Charles Dawson Tilley. Mary de l'Aigle, daughter-in-law of Nicholas de l'Aigle, was widowed in 1868 at 27 years of age. A few years later she was courted by a young Irishman, Charles Tilley. He was described by an unidentified person as being "glorious in youth and beauty, gallant and brave." When a disparaging remark was made about Mary in 1875, Mr. Tilley challenged the offender to a duel to defend her good name. Thus, Mr. Tilley gains the dubious distinction of being a participant in the last duel fought on the Sand Bar Ferry dueling ground. Tilley was fatally wounded and died shortly afterwards in the de l'Aigle home. He is interred in the family's plot at 7th St. and de l'Aigle Ave.. Mary de l'Aigle never remarried.

In 1864, Augusta prepared for Sherman's non-arrival. The eastern side of the brick wall that surrounds the cemetery was incorporated into the city's perimeter defenses, as shown in General Bragg's map of the defenses of Augusta. The only visible signs of this today are clearly discernible patches in the wall where the wall was broken for cannon placements.

There are several distinct sections in the cemetery: five Hebrew, one each of Greek, Masonic, Fireman, Confederate, Union, Indigent, and Confederate Survivors. Veterans of thirteen wars are remembered here with military service noted on their tombstones: Cherokee (1755 and 1834), Revolutionary, War of 1812, Creek, Seminole, Mexican, Civil, Spanish American, both World Wars, Korea and Vietnam. Some were veterans of more than one war!

One of the most interesting veterans is John Martin, who died in 1843 at 105 years of age. He survived a tomahawk wound to his head during the Cherokee War of 1755, went on to fight for freedom from England and at the end of the Revolutionary War somehow brought a cannon back home with him! Today this cannon marks the foot of his grave.

Confederate Square, located between 4th and 5th Streets near the East Wall, holds approximately 337 men, most of whom died in one of the eight military hospitals or the Wayside Home in Augusta. Each Confederate state and branch of service is represented in the square. The WHT Walker Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy has in its possession a 1924 receipt from the City Council of Augusta for the amount of $2500 to place Confederte Square and the Survivors' Section in Perpetual Care. It is signed by then mayor, Julian M. Smith. The fountain in the center of Confederate Square was restored to working order in 1987 and flows each Confederate Memorial Day in April.

In private sections throughout the cemetery, there more than 160 soldiers or sailors who died in Confederate service. Among notable Confederates buried here are Nathaniel Savage Crowell, Medical Director of the Confederate Army; John Troup Shewmake, member of the Confederate Congress and James Ryder Randall, author of "Maryland, My Maryland". The survey of Confederate soldiers and veterans buried in Magnolia is far from complete. At this writing, 743 are documented (their Confederate service proved).

Across 5th St. at Confederate Square and near the East Wall, is a section devoted to 183 Union prisoners of war who died in Augusta hospitals or nearby during the Civil War. Only fifteen stones remind us of their sleep on "foreign" soil. At some time, the others were reinterred in the National Cemetery at Marietta, GA. Neither Magnolia nor Marietta has a record of when this took place, but a record of their names and units remains in our cemetery books. Among these Federal markers are two Confederates. That should make an interesting story! It seems fitting that a monument to POW's of all American wars was erected near these Union graves in 1976 by VFW Post 3200.

Between the two military sections is a Speakers' Stage built by the Ladies Memorial Association and the United Confederate Veterans. The three marble benches on the stage are gifts of the Ladies Memorial Association, Confederate Survivors' Camp #435 (UCV) and the "A" Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. In "the old days", governors and mayors gave lofty and inspiring orations on Confederate Memorial Day from this stage.

Seven Confederate generals sleep in Magnolia. In 1994 the E. Porter Alexander Camp of SCV erected the Generals' Walk on 5th St., dedicated to the memory of the generals buried throughout the cemetery. The generals are:

1-E. Porter Alexander, born Washington GA 26 May 1835 died Savannah 28 Apr 1910 3rd in class of 1857 West Point one of 3 to hold rank of Brig. Gen in arty.

2-Goode Bryan born Hancock County 31 Aug 1811 died Augusta 16 Aug 1885 grad 1834 West Point.

3-Victor Jean Baptiste Giradey born Lauw, France 23 June 1837 died 16 Aug 1864 KIA . Came to USA age 5. Promoted for action at the Crater from Capt. to Brig Gen.

4-John King Jackson born Augusta 8Feb 1828 died 27 Feb 1866.

5-William Duncan Smith born Augusta 28 Jul 1825 died 4 Oct 1862 in Charleston, yellow fever

6-Marcellus Augustus Stovall born Sparta GA 18 Sept 1818 died Augusta 4 Aug 1895 youngest member of Richmond Blues at 17, served in Seminole uprising in FL 1836.

7-Ambrose Ransom Wright born Louisville GA 26 Apr 1826 died Augusta 21 Dec 1872 Maj. Gen.

The Children of Israel Section, immediately behind Confederate Square, contains the graves of several Southern soldiers. Most notable are the Levy brothers, both Lieutenants. One was killed in action at Hatchers' Run and the other at Petersburg. Sadly, both obelisks are in great need of repair as are many more tombstones on Confederate graves.

Thirty-one Confederate survivors are buried in the parcel given by the city of Augusta for this purpose. It lies between Estes and de l'Aigle Avenues at 9th Street. Zachariah Smith, the last Confederate veteran in Richmond County was buried here in 1941 at the age of 99. Members of the UDC nursed him in his last illness. His was a grand funeral indeed. With his death, Camp #435 of the United Confederate Veterans was closed.

Is Royalty buried in Magnolia? Arthur Edward Adolphus Grabowskii called himself "Count" and gave himself a post-Civil War promotion to Colonel. These "promotions" seemed to have been a common occurrence in both the North and the South! His tombstone merely states he was a Confederate volunteer and a great educator.

Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas, who kept a 450,000 word journal, is buried here. The parts of her journal concerned with the Civil War and its aftermath testify to the strength of her gender, particularly women of that time. She was a brilliant and accomplished author who kept her family afloat in the dark days of reconstruction.

Poet Paul Hamilton Hayne lived in a nondescript house near Grovetown in Columbia County. His poetry was far better known in Europe and the North than in his native South. Alfred Lord Tennyson pronounced Hayne's sonnets the best written by any American; high praise, indeed! Mr. Hayne's grave was unmarked until 1931.

Among the famous lie the infamous. Gambler Wylly Barron built a mausoleum 24 years before his death fearing that the curse of a loser in his gaming establishment would come true. Perhaps it did in 1894.

Today's vandals of cemeteries have nothing on nature. The cemetery grounds suffered each time the Savannah River flooded. The families of those buried here would come to Magnolia to retrieve the wooden markers that had washed to one end of the cemetery and put them back into place - hopefully back into the correct place. The markers in the Confederate section were replaced in no particular order after one of these floods. Silt from repeated floods have buried the Confederate Square markers about halfway to their tops. The big flood of 1908 did extensive damage to markers, plot walls and walks. And once a little earthquake caused some of the larger and taller markers to turn - just a mite.

Older cemeteries are so interesting to explore because of the writings we may find as a last tribute to a once living being. Some may be amusing and some are terribly sad. Others tell of exploits and derring - do, but the very best one in Magnolia on a Confederate grave states: "He was outnumbered, not outdone". Major Whiteford D. Russell of the 7th Georgia Cavalry, died on June 11, 1864 at Trevillian Station, VA. He was 24.