Cemetery Thoughts- Ralston Hartness

I thoroughly enjoyed our experience at the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery this morning. One thing that I found particular interesting was the directionality of the cemetery and what that suggested in terms of sacrality. Upon entering the cemetery, one's attention is drawn instinctively to Stonewall Jackson, as he stands tall as the axis mundi from every line of sight. Thus, it felt as if his position was the center and climax of the experience of memory and memorialization at that cemetery- as if he stood as the "holy of holies" in that place. However, upon arrival to his monument, I was confronted by the inherent paradox of monuments. I was drawn towards and attracted to this axis but faced by the reality that I could neither truly see nor access it. As I experienced this feeling, I took this photo of Stonewall-as-axis from eye level.

The viewer is drawn to Stonewall from every angle, yet upon arrival they are held at arms length from the thing which drew their attention. Thus, what stands as the most sacred among sacreds remains unattainable. It was at this point that I felt even more drawn to what was engraved on numerous headstones throughout the cemetery:

 "Sacred to the Memory of..." was etched as a banner across the top of numerous stones. Though this exploration feels circular and continuous, it is powerful to me that the small, rectangular headstones bear a proclamation of their sacrality in a way that Stonewall does not- it is only his foreboding prominence that draws the viewer into what feels to be powerful and monumental. However, the sacred declaration of these smaller headstones stands as a reminder of the pure sacrality of true memorialization. This is not as a contrast or counter to Jackson's position, but as a balance and leveling, and a reminder of the intense individuality of the cemetery that bears his namesake.