MATHEWS CEMETERY

To get to this cemetery my husband & I had to walk about 1/4 mile through shoulder high weeds & then up into the woods. The cemetery was enclosed with a wrought iron fence (see G.S. Cresswell picture) & the gate was padlocked. (We did have permission to be there but didn't have a key.) The only access to the cemetery was to climb over the fence which I had difficulty doing. So I shinnied up a small adjacent tree & dropped down over the fence that way. All pictures were photographed in the 1980's. There were several tombstones that I did not photograph as I was getting very tired. Always intended to go back but just never got to it.

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Ambrose Powell
In memory of Ambrose Powell who was born December 25, 1785 and died October 15, 1843.

NOTE: I had been asked to photograph the tombstone of Ambrose Powell but could not find him anywhere. After the trouble we had getting to the cemetery & after photographing other tombstones I was getting really tired & had decided to give up trying to find Ambrose & go home. I started walking toward the fence to leave & after a few steps I tripped over something in the thick layer of leaves which covered the cemetery. Wondering what is was that I tripped over I reached down & brushed the leaves back. It was the corner of a fallen tombstone. I brushed the remaining leaves away only to discover it was Ambrose! It was almost as though he had reached up & tripped me so I could find him & get his picture too - the one I most wanted. :-)

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Elijah B. Mathews
Mo. 3rd Cav.