Recorded on Jan. 23, 2001
Submitted by Sue Neill
Last week I was visiting in the town of Atoka. We went out looking
for some points of interest an decided to explore the local Museum. It
is called the Confederate Memorial Museum. I highly recommend it for an
interesting afternoon's pastime and to those interested in genealogy
and/or the civil war, you will also want to include a visit to the
Cemetery, located on the grounds.
It is located just under a mile north of Atoka on Highway 69. The
cemetery was first used by travelers and emigrants just North of Middle
Boggy or Muddy Boggy as it became known later) on the Butterfield Stage
stop at a place called Harkins' Spring. Confederate forces were assigned
to guard and protect the stage route and delivery road to Boggy Depot
which was about 15 miles southwest of the outpost camp located near the
spring. In 1862 Colonel C. L. Dawson's 19th Arkansas Infantry was sent
to assist the building of earthen works at Fort McCullouch. On their
journey from Ft. Smith to Fort McCullouch, they were forced to stop at
the Confederate Camp known as Middle Boggy due to an outbreak of
measles. Many of those men died and were buried in the small burying
ground on the north side of the Middle Boggy River. There were
sandstones inscribed with the name of the soldier, along with his death
date and the letters "CSA" set up to mark the graves. In 1988,
members of the Atoka County Historical Society identified as many as
they could of those buried there and new headstones were placed beside
the old. Their research continues in the effort to identify all the
soldiers who rest there.
HARKINS, H. C. APRIL 6, 1886 CSA (Inscription not legible)
NAIL, SINA AGE 70 YEARS (NO DATES)
??????, JUNETTA 2-10-18?? 7-18-1874 DAU OF EMMA RECTOR
ROGERS, William 1-25-1814 12-3-1877 1st CHEROKEE REG CO. E
????WITH, INFANT 12-19-1879 Son of J.G. & Anna ????WITH
FRANKLIN, William JUNE 10, 1878 7-7-1884 SON OF J.G. & Matilda
?LANDWITH?
FOOTSTONES SAY IL; WFL; JGL.
AT LEAST ONE STONE HOUSED GRAVE HAS AN INSCRIPTION BUT NOT
LEGIBLE.
ABOUT 17 OR 18 INDIVIDUAL SAND STONE MARKERS WITH NO SCRIPTS.
19 STONE BORDERS OR STONE HOUSES, NO SCRIPTS.
THOMAS R. GLASS NOV 15, 1865 Died on Stage Coach
CROSBY, Carry FEB 19, 18?? Born in Atoka, I.T.
HARLON, Aaron (NO DATES).
In the front part of the Cemetery near the
entry gate is a large memorial stone dedicated to several Indians both
Choctaw and Cherokee who fought there including John JUMPER, who is well
known in the Sasakwa-Konawa, Seminole County, OK. Area as well.
10 CSA STONES IDENTIFIED BY MEMBERS OF ATOKA HISTORICAL SOCIETY AS
FOLLOWS;
FLOYD, 2nd Leut C.A. 5-30-1862 Co C Dawson's 19th Ark Inf
RUNELLS, Corp J.J. 4-23-1862 CSA Co I 19th Ark Inf
MAYBEN, Pvt Thomas 4-25-1862 Co I 19th Ark Inf CSA
JOHNSON, Francis M. 4-25-1862 Co A 19th Ark Inf CSA
FALKNER, Pvt William J. 1840 1862 Co D 19th Ark Inf CSA
FLOWERS, John E. Jul 26, 1831 Apr 15, 1862 DAWSON Co A 19th Ark
Inf CSA
BATES, Pvt Washington Mar 7, 1839 Mar 9, 1862 Co H 19th Ark Inf
CSA
BAKER, Pvt Thomas T. Apr 21, 1862 Co B 19th Ark Inf CSA
NEUGENT, James B. Apr 23 1862 Co A 19th Ark Inf Dawsons
DAVIS, Pvt W.C. Apr 22, 1862 Co C 19th Ark Inf
ALLISON, L. J. Dec 24, 1865 Dec 12, 1916
The above ten men all have white CSA stones as well as the
sandstone marker. They were identified by the Atoka Historical Society.
Our Thanks to the many ladies who worked and continue to work on that
project.
Recorded on Jan. 23, 2001 by Sue
Neill
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