Description: This black and white image of a cemetery landscape shows magnolia trees surrounding a raised area with a central monument, a short stack of steps, and stones laid out in a line below.
Historical Note: The founders of Elmwood had set aside eight acres for the burial of soldiers when Elmwood was established in 1852. The "Confederate Rest" section of Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis was established during the Civil War. Union soldiers were buried in a section across from Confederate Rest during the war, then re-interred in the Memphis National Cemetery in 1867. A monument built with funds from the Ladies Memorial Association was unveiled at Confederate Rest in 1878. Flags and garlands in low relief adorn the column and the finial is designed to resemble stacked cannon balls.Former Confederate soldiers continued to be buried there over the decades and "Decoration Day" was celebrated by well-known figures including Jefferson Davis, Isham G. Harris, and Nathan Bedford Forrest in the 1870s. Today nearly 1000 Confederate soldiers are buried at Confederate Rest; the section is surrounded by large magnolia trees.
Contributing Institution: Courtesy of Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee
Rights: Images reproduced on this website are intended for individual, educational use only. For research inquiries about specific objects or requests for high resolution images, contact Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee.
Digital Publisher: Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University
