Day 8 @ Tyner/Silverdale Confederate Cemetery

One of my favorite stops on the Run for the Wall- Southern Route is the Tyner/Silverdale Cemetery, located just behind the Thunder Creek Harley Davidson Dealership. This little cemetery has been neglected for years. The RFTW family donates money to help maintain and restore the cemetery.

A brief history of the cemetery: There are approximately 75 - 100 Confederate Soldiers buried at the Silverdale Cemetery. They are from General Bragg's army and they died in a nearby hospital. The names of some of the soldiers are a mystery. The cemetery continues to identify those buried in the cemetery but headstones can only be requested by family members.

General Braxton Bragg succeeded General P.G.T. Beauregard as commander of the Army of Mississippi shortly after the battle of Shiloh and on July 21, 1862 ordered 27,816 men to Chattanooga, TN in preparation for his famed Kentucky campaign. These med had been in camps in northern Mississippi where poor water, shallow wells, mosquitoes and dysentery had made many of these soldiers sick. Some were still recovering from wounds received at Shiloh. The number of troops sent to Chattanooga made it necessary for most of them to be located outside of town. Brigadier General J.M. Withers' division was placed at Tyner's Station on the railroad 10 miles from town. The men buried at Silverdale are from General Withers' division hospital. His division consisted of men from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. The hospital was housed in 100 tents.

This poor little cemetery is getting by on a wing and a prayer. RFTW has been instrumental in helping with what little maintenance it does get. While visiting we met Mike who is passionate about helping maintain the cemetery. He loads his lawn mower onto his truck and after work stops to mow the cemetery. His wife is not super happy about the time he spends away from the family or the money he spends on gas for the mower. I am not sure of the dollar amount RFTW donated this year but I am sure it will help with many projects to maintain and restore the cemetery.

I have purchased two of the cemetery patches. I hope there are more patches to purchase next year. Having a background in the funeral business and having a Confederate soldier from Georgia in my family makes this a very special place for me.

The history of the Cemetery comes from A Condensed History of the Cemetery as told by Jerry Wormsley for the Chattanooga Are Relic and Historical Association.