I found my family in Magnolia Cemetery?

We visited Magnolia Cemetary last Friday and it was, to put it lightly, overwhelming. The mass amount of gravestones and the sheer size of the cemetery was hard to comprehend. Looking back, I should have researched on Magnolia Cemetary's website or its Wikipedia page before being surprised by the size.

I would usually consider myself very good at directions whilst walking. Maps have always been easy for me to understand and I can find my way around any city if I've been there at least once. I don't know what it was about Magnolia Cemetary, but about halfway through our tour, I realized I had absolutely no bearing of where I was or what direction I came from. The hundreds upon hundreds of gravestones seemed to blend together combined with the Spanish moss trees and the meandering layout, I got completely lost.

One of my favorite gravestones in the cemetery is General James Conner's plot. I particularly liked that one because he had the same last name as me, but other than that I did enjoy hearing the story of his life. He was a great confederate general, present at both the Battle of Bull run and returning from a bullet injury to fight in Gettysburg. He had his leg amputated as a result of the war and went on to become a very successful lawyer in Charleston before his death. His box was very handsomely decorated, with a wreath of honor depicted on the front and a detailed frieze with poppies and other add-on's. The two graves next to him are those of his daughters, both of which roughly say "Daughter of General James Conner" further emphasizing his importance.


Another one of my favorite gravestones is the one for James Henry Parker (January 4th, 1843- January 23rd, 1915) and his wife Julia Augusta Parker (December 22nd, 1947). According to our professor Mr. Harwood, the husband James was killed due to injuries sustained by an incident with a revolving door, which I think is pretty funny in itself. Apparently, the wound he received due to the door became infected and killed him. I think this is a good example of how fleeting life is and how this one incident could leave his wife a widow for 32 more years. I like how this gravestone is sculpted though, with a kind of acropolis where people can sit and talk if they so choose. The center is framed with the large cross emphasizing the importance of Christianity. Overall this grave is unique in style to others in the cemetery but is still one of my favorites I saw.



One of my other favorite gravestones I saw was this one. The only information I could see was that it said "Little Annie" on the side. This one was heartwrenching because it was obviously made by grieving parents who have just lost there child. The carving on the top is one of a sleeping child, and I believe there are a few other sleeping children gravestones in Magnolia Cemetary, but this one was my favorite because of how open it was around it and how clearly you could read the descriptions. The child depicted looks around 5-7 years old and is holsing a wreath in her hand to symbolize remembrance. I do not think there is anything else known about this child, but the fact that it is unknown makes it more touching to random strangers such as myself.

Lastly, I have included a photo of me and my friend Emma in front of the Vanderhorst tomb. I thought overall it was a very enjoyable tour and I wish I had gotten more time to explore all that this beautiful cemetery has to offer.