A Visit to Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery--Megan Fricke

Megan Fricke

I was surprisingly excited about our visit today to the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery.  Believe it or not, I have actually been there 4 times before this class excursion.  My dad, a former member of the Navy and a history fanatic, has dragged my family to the cemetery every time we visited Lexington.  Yes, even after my admissions interview here at Washington and Lee, I spent 20 minutes standing in front of the memorial, listening and watching as my dad acted like a kid on Christmas morning in front of the memorial, pacing around and eagerly discussing Jackson's life and military strategies.  We even placed lemons in front of the memorial.  My dad obviously greatly admires and studies Jackson's military tactics and life.  He is named after Stonewall Jackson and so is my younger brother.  As I stood in front of the memorial today, I realized that this is what memorials should do.  They should bring people together to reflect and discuss the life of the deceased, celebrating a life that was lost.  

 (Lemons and Flag make Jackson's memorial a living memorial)

                           (Stonewall Jackson's Memorial)-----

The reason that I was excited, however, was to experience the other aspects of the cemetery.  Typically when I would visit the cemetery, our family would rush straight to the Jackson Memorial without stopping to really explore the rest of the cemetery.  Jackson’s memorial is in the center of the cemetery, with all paths leading to it.  This only further explains the importance of the monument.  I also like that the memorial faces South, towards the land that he served and loved.  I immediately noticed the unconformity of cemetery as I ventured from the memorial.  The gravestones seemed rather randomly placed and the aisles were not cleared marked or defined at all.  It was a little difficult to navigate amongst the graves and gave the cemetery a disorganized feeling.  Also, the gravestones varied greatly in size, shape and age.  The shapes and inscriptions made each gravestone unique.  I saw many obelisks throughout the cemetery, which I think symbolizes the strength of the memory of the deceased that it is marking.  It symbolizes the life that the deceased led and the legacy that they left behind.  I also noticed many ornate crosses, which ties in a strong religious aspect and the belief in eternal life in heaven.  I also noticed a very interesting gravestone that incorporated many different aspects of the person it was marking; it was extremely unique to the deceased.  The tree carved into the stone shows that perhaps this person was very involved in nature and the cross shows the importance of religion.  The rope carved into the stone could symbolize how all of these aspects played necessary roles in the deceased’s life.  

                                                                 (An ornate cross)                                                            

                                                                                               

                                               (An extremely large and noticeable obelisk)    

                  

                                                    (The Unique Memorial)

The cemetery was definitely a living memorial, serving as a place of people to actively reflect and remember the dead.  The lemons placed on Jackson’s memorial are an example of the memory of Jackson that remained after his death and demonstrates the purpose that memorials should serve.  The flowers surrounding many tombstones and the Confederate flags waving in the wind in front of certain markers show the legacy that was left behind and thoughts of those still living.

                                             (A living memorial)