Emily Roche- Stonewall Jackson Cemetery

A trip to the Stonewall Jackson Cemetery in Lexington, Virginia this morning had a very interesting impact on me.  As I think about how much thought was put into the layout of this cemetery, it makes me question the amount of thought that has been put into other historical landmarks in Lexington that I have passed by, not knowing their significance.  In fact, after making a stop at the war memorial down the street from the cemetery, I realized I had ate lunch right next to the memorial without even knowing it was there.  I was amazed at the amount of landmarks Lexington has to offer.

In relation to the cemetery itself, I found it very interesting the way that Stonewall Jackson was positioned in comparison to everything else.  The way that Stonewall Jackson is facing the south was also very interesting to me, as well as how there was no south entrance into the cemetery, as if to pay respect to Stonewall Jackson.  This location of the historical figure, as well as the structural designs (such as obelisks) of fallen soldier's tombstones, showed how the dead were at the center of their world, or the center of the cemetery in terms of Jackson.  Finally, it was also very interesting to see the amount of confederate flags placed at tombstones, as well as a good amount of American flags, showing the diversity of the cemetery, and how anyone could have been buried there.  The subtle diversity of the area really helped to unify all those buried there.