Confederate Memorial Cemetery

Keatchie, DeSoto Parish , Cemeteries of LA

Submitted by Norm Mayfield  

Flagpole at Confederate Memorial Cemetery  

 Located on LA172 West, approximately one mile west of the crossroads at Keatchie, DeSoto Parish, LA.

After the Battle of Mansfield on April 08 1864, Keatchie College was converted into a hospital. Many Confederate Soldiers were treated there and the ones that died were buried in this cemetery There are a number of unmarked graves, some graves marked with a "CSA" headstone, some with only bricks or stones. For years this cemetery was un-kept, but concerned citizens have cleaned up and restored it.  Now the cemetery is fenced and well kept by the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Daughters of the Confederacy

 

Last Name First Name Birth Death Comment
Anderson George M. - Feb 07 1861 Age 2 yrs, 11 months old  son of JA and SA Anderson
Anderson Sara K. - Dec 23 1862 12 yrs. 2 months
Anderson ? marker missing - - mound only,  the Marker is missing.  One can only assume another Anderson family member.  It is a small mound, suggesting a child
Booten Wess - Mar 04 1907 Aged 75 Years
Carson Pvt Andrew J.  Feb 13 1835 Apr 21 1864 Co. K 28 LA INF CSA  (new marker in 2002)
Cornett Arthur Sep 12 1830 Oct 17 1915 In Memory of  “Was a true and brave soldier to the Confederacy” h/o Sally Cornett
Hall PVT Major William Jan 20 1829 Apr 15 1964 Co H, 11 Texas Inf.  CSA,  husband of Amanda Bryant and father of Alexander. (marker placed in 2002) He is actually buried in the mass graves.  

Alexander Franklin Hall and Willie Ann Shadowen had 7 sons.  My grandfather is their eldest son. Grover Cleveland Hall, My father is the eldest son of Grover Cleveland Hall and his wife Ruby Lenny Neal. 

Hudnall Frances Bozeman Oct 18 1829 Mar 31 1860 Wife of J. W. Hudnall, Aged 30 yrs, 4 mo. 13 da  She is part of the Valentine Hollingsworth family.  She was the daughter of Sarah Hollingsworth and Daniel Bozeman.
Hudnall John Willis Feb 22 1818  Jun 26 1864 The area where Frances is buried is a Hudnall plot and the two brick places are that of other family members.  We do not know what happened to the markers as they were once there.  One is of Frances ’ husband, John Willis Hudnall, born Feb. 22, 1818 and died June 26, 1864, from wounds received during the Battle of Mansfield.
McMillian Bone - Mar 14 1911 Aged 76 years   “Co I, 19th Rect. Louisiana Volunteers Infantry, Gibson S. Brigade, CSA
Patch Charles P Mar 24 1859 June 10 1859 S/o J. H. & M. L. Patch  2 Mos 17 Days  
Swain Richard 1839 1900 CSA Co F. 2 Lieut
Unknown Person - - CSA Headstone

  Information  Submitted by Carole Ann Hall-Zoebel

This story about the cemetery was passed on to me a few years ago by one of the residents of Keatchie.  It may or may not be the exact facts.  But not to let a good story die, I will pass it on to you.

 “The slaves would dig long trenches, because the men were dying so fast. It was 1864 about April, during and after the Mansfield Battle.  The soldier would just be wrapped in a blanket or some canvas.  They would be dropped in the trench, covered with lye and dirt thrown on top of them.  The smell was awful and there were insects covering every body.

 There were family members of some of the soldiers at Keatchie, but the weather was too hot to take the bodies away.  At every battle, there would be civilians camped around or near the military camps.

 The girls’ school was being used as a field hospital.  When a soldier would die, he would be taken over to this burial area.  The burial area was down and across the road, near an existing cemetery. It was very close to the Field Hospital.  The girls’ school was called The Keatchie Woman’s Academy.”  The mortuary was on the 2nd floor.

 Note:  information about this school can be found in past issues of the DeSoto Plume.  

 I have visited this cemetery many times through the years starting in my youth of 5 or 6 yrs old, and on into my teens.  My great grandfather is buried here.  And in those years past our family would go and clean up the cemetery.  My grandfather would tell me the story of the Civil War and about his grandfather who died and was buried at this old cemetery.  In hindsight, I wish I had listened to the stories better.  We would cut down the weeds and clean around the markers.  There would be many people there, not just our family doing the work, so I am hoping others will remember and place markers for their fallen ancestors.   There was a store down the road and my dad would buy me a pop, as we would have food along with us.  I didn’t realize how important preserving history was in those days. Now the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Daughters of the Confederacy take very good care of the cemetery. (Carole Ann Hall-Zoebel )