[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 138 (Saturday, October 28, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1966]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 MYRTLE HILL CEMETERY AND THE TOMB OF THE KNOWN SOLDIER, ROME, GEORGIA

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                             HON. BOB BARR

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 26, 2000

  Mr. BARR of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, one of the most beautiful 
cemeteries in the nation sits atop Myrtle Hill in Rome, Georgia, where 
the Etowah and Oostanaula rivers come together. The cemetery was opened 
in 1857 and is a National Register site. It is the resting place for 
more than 20,000 people who have shaped Georgia's history. The hill was 
purchased from Shorter College founder Alfred Shorter. The historic 
significance of the cemetery, combined with its beauty, makes it one of 
the most unique in the world.
  In one corner of the cemetery is a monument to General John Sevier, a 
Revolutionary War hero. During the Civil War almost 400 men were buried 
in the cemetery. Their graves, at the base of the hill near the 
entrance, are a silent tribute to the men, both Union and Confederate, 
who made the ultimate sacrifice. In 1901, the Xavier Chapter of the 
Daughters of American Revolution erected a monument in honor of General 
Sevier, and the marker is located in the southwest corner of the 
cemetery. A Confederate monument atop Myrtle Hill was erected by the 
Women of Rome as a memorial to the soldiers from Floyd County who lost 
their lives in defense of the Confederate States of America. A monument 
erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to the memory of 
General Nathan Forest for his bravery and valor in protecting the city 
from a siege by the Yankees also stands in the cemetery. There are 377 
confederate soldiers, both from the north and south, who lost their 
lives while here or who were originally from Rome.
  Ellen Axon Wilson, first wife of President Woodrow Wilson, and who 
was a native of Rome is buried at Myrtle Hill. She is the only First 
Lady to be buried in the State of Georgia.
  After the First World War, Charles Graves, an infantryman from Rome, 
in the American Expeditionary Force, was killed near the French-German 
border. On October 15, 1918, he was given military honors and buried in 
France. I March 1922, his remains were returned to U.S. soil. The 
American people thought something should be done to prevent wars, and 
the notion of honoring an Unknown Soldier and a Known Soldier, was 
developed. An Unknown Soldier was selected in France, and his body was 
enshrined in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington in 1932.
  It was decided that one of the bodies from the final troopship would 
be selected as the Known Soldier. A sailor was blindfolded, asked to 
run his hand down a long roster of names and when his finger stopped on 
one name, that one would become America's Known Soldier of the World 
War. The moving finger stopped on the name of Charles W. Graves of 
Rome, Georgia. However, his mother preferred to have his remains 
brought home to Rome, rather than be interred at Arlington. Charles 
Graves' coffin was taken from the troopship with special care, covered 
with the American flag, and carefully placed on a special carriage 
drawn by six white horses. An honor guard, made up of U.S. Army 
generals, accompanied his coffin down the streets of New York City. 
Admirals of the Navy, Generals of the Marines, Governors from various 
U.S. States, five U.S. Senators, four Representatives of Congress, the 
Secretary of War, and the Mayor of New York, all watched as thousands 
of soldiers, veterans, dignitaries, and Gold Star mothers descended 
upon the city. When the coffin finally stopped, President Warren G. 
Harding spoke about Charles Graves and all the others who had paid the 
ultimate price for freedom.
  When the ceremonies were complete, the body of Charles Graves was 
loaded onto a southbound train and a day later it pulled into Rome. He 
was buried in a small cemetery outside of Rome. After his mother's 
death, the body was moved to Myrtle Hill Cemetery; where it has been to 
this day. Thirty-four magnolia trees were planted around the grave to 
represent the 34 Floyd County residents who died during World War I.
  Every year since, the patriotic spirit of the citizens of Rome and 
Floyd County is displayed when families, loved ones, friends, and 
military veterans, make their ways to Myrtle Hill Cemetery on November 
11th to honor America's fallen war heroes. This tradition has been 
passed from one generation to the next, and parents, grandparents, 
aunts, and uncles are proud to bring young family members to Myrtle 
Hill, and to tell them the stories of the Known Soldier, Charles W. 
Graves, and those of others who fought for the freedom, and peace, we 
should cherish each and every day.




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