Old Live Oak Cemetery is an historic cemetery in

Selma, Alabama Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 17,971 as of the 2020 census. About ...

that was founded in 1829 and expanded in 1877. The newer portion is sometimes called New Live Oak Cemetery and the cemetery is collectively known as Live Oak Cemetery. It contains burials of Confederate States of America leaders, as well

Benjamin Sterling Turner Benjamin Sterling Turner (March 17, 1825 – March 21, 1894) was an American businessman and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives representing Alabama's 1st congressional district in the 42nd United States Congres ...

, an African-American who served as U.S. Representative for Alabama during the

Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

. The cemetery is at 110 Dallas Avenue approximately west of downtown Selma.

Famous burials

William R. King William Rufus DeVane King (April 7, 1786 – April 18, 1853) was an American politician and diplomat. He was the 13th vice president of the United States from March 4 until his death in April 1853. Earlier he had served as a U.S. represent ...

(1786–1853) 13th Vice-President of the United States. * John Tyler Morgan (1824–1907) CSA General, then six-term

U.S. senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

after the war. An ardent racist and ex-slave holder, advocate for Jim Crow laws and racial segregation * Robert W. Barnswell (1849–1902) Episcopal Bishop of Alabama *

(1825-1894) African American State representative that was born into slavery and freed during the civil war. Worked and died in

Confederate Circle

The graves of soldiers are to the south of the Confederate Soldier Monument, with cannons pointing north, forever protecting the deceased Confederates. Elodie Todd Dawson, buried nearby, was head of the Ladies Memorial Association (later the United Daughters of the Confederacy) and spearheaded the effort to build the $5,500 Confederate Monument in the cemetery. 155 soldier bodies were moved from elsewhere to be around the monument.

Other Confederate monuments

*Jefferson Davis Memorial Chair unusually in the form of a carved stone chair *Forrest Memorial (2000) inscribed in part "Defender of Selma, Wizard of the Saddle, Untutored Genius, The First with the Most, This Monument stands as a testament of our perpetual devotion and respect for Lt Gen.

Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was a prominent Confederate Army general during the American Civil War and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan from 1867 to 1869. Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealt ...

... One of the South's finest heroes."

Elodie Todd Dawson Monument

The Elodie Todd Dawson Monument marks the graves of Elodie Todd Dawson (April 1, 1844 – November 14, 1881) and her husband Confederate Col.

Nathaniel H. R. Dawson Nathaniel Henry Rhodes Dawson (February 14, 1829 – February 1, 1895) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 3rd U.S. Commissioner of Education. During the American Civil War, he served in the Confederate Army as a col ...

(1829–1895). Elodie Todd Dawson was the half-sister of Mary Todd Lincoln the wife of President Abraham Lincoln. Her parents were Robert Smith Todd (1791–1849) and Elizabeth L Humphreys Todd (1800–1874) and she had 17 full or half siblings. After the war Dawson was appointed U.S. Commissioner of Education, the first from Alabama. Dawson also served as a member of the Alabama legislature which included serving as Speaker of the House. He was an organizer in the Democratic Party. Dawson was considered a leading citizen of Selma who raised money for Selma's Charity Hospital and Dallas Academy. He was a church leader at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, where his funeral was held. In 2015, the Elodie Todd Dawson sculpture was named one of Alabama's "most photographed cemetery monuments".

The Pigeon House

A structure also called the Spring House for when it was used, sits near the Confederate Soldier Monument. The unusual name arises from the gables that were designed as bird houses, since closed to preserve the structure. The building was used for Confederate Memorial Day band concerts and programs each Spring. It is now used for storage.

References

External links

* * * Library of Congress Imag

{{Coord, 32.40531, -87.03203, type:landmark, display=title cemeteries in Alabama Selma, Alabama