Notable Burials

Notable Georgians

Buried at

Bonaventure Cemetery

Bonaventure Historical Society has identified and researched numerous notable Georgians buried at Bonaventure Cemetery. Some of the more famous ones are listed below. Back issues of the Bonaventure Historical Society Newsletters containing published research material is available to members and non-members upon request to Bonaventure Historical Society, Inc., P.O. Box 5954, Savannah, Georgia 31414

Aiken, Conrad (1889-1973) Poet, short story writer, novelist. Awarded Pulitzer Prize (Poetry) 1929. (Burial Site: Section H, Lot 78)

Anderson, Robert H. (1835-1888) West Point Graduate. Served Confederacy 1861-1865; attained rank of Brigadier General. Chief-of-Police, Savannah, 1866-1888. (F-12)

Arnold, Richard D. (1808-1876) Helped organize Medical Association of Ga., American Medical Association, Savannah Medical College. Mayor of Savannah 1842-1865; surrendered city to General William T. Sherman 1864. (F-34)

Ashmore, Otis (1853-1934) Editor of Grier's Farmers Almanac 1882-1932. Superintendent of Savannah Schools 1896-1916. (A-181)

Beckwith, John W. (1831-1890) Elected second Bishop of Georgia Episcopal Church 1867. Established 20 churches and 5 missions including the Savannah Orphanage for Confederate children. (H-79)

Brandt, Carl L. (1831-1905) First Director of Telfair Academy of Arts (1883-1905). Redesigned Telfair mansion for display of art; gathered art reproductions from Europe. (H-94)

Bryan, Joseph (1812-1863) Served at siege of Vera Cruz in Mexican War (1845-1848). Appointed Chief of Savannah's Mounted Police 1854; shaped corps into model program. (F-33)

Butler, William (1715-1761) Established 2400 acre Silk Hope Plantation (Richmond Hill) 1755; appointed tax collector for Hardwick. Appointed to Council by King George II; served 1759-60. (F-50) Note: Slab may be oldest of its type in Georgia.

Clinch, Duncan (1784-1849) Attained the rank of Brigadier General, U.S. Army 1829-1835. Elected as Whig to U.S. House of Representatives 1844; served until 1845. (C-16)

Estill, John H. (1840-1907) Owner of the Savannah Morning News 1868-1907. President of the Evergreen Cemetery Company 1880-1907. Served 12 years as County Commissioner; 22 years on the Board of Education. (Estill)

Herndon, Brodie S. (1810-1886) Came to Savannah from Fredricksburg, Virginia. Served the Confederacy as chief surgeon of hospitals, Richmond, Virginia. First to perform a Caesarean operation in the United States. (F-19)

Hodgson, William B. (1800-1871) U.S. Counsul in Algiers 1826-1829. Curator of the Ga. Historical Society 1845-1870. Hodgson Hall, site of the Georgia Historical Society, given by wife Margaret Telfair as memorial. (D-19)

Houstoun, Patrick (1698-1762) Owner of the Rose Dhu Plantation, Vernonburg. Elected to first Provincial Assembly 1751. Appointed to Royal Council 1754; served under three Royal Governors. (E-148)

Jackson, Henry R. (1820-1898) One of most distinguished Georgians of his day. Superior Court Judge 1849-1853. U.S. Minister to Austria 1853-1858. Brigadier General in Army of Confederacy. (H101)

Jones, Noble (1702-1775) Owner of Wormsloe Plantation, Isle of Hope. Arrived with James Oglethorpe in 1733. Organized the first local militia 1751. Served in Royal Council and General Assembly. (D-13)

Jones, Noble Wimberly (1723/24-1805) Arrived as child with father Noble 1733. One of the leaders of the Liberty Boys in 1765. Chosen as a delegate to Continental Congress. First President of Ga. Medical Society 1804. (D-13)

Kollock, Lemuel (1766-1823) One of Savannah's leading physicians and a founder of the Georgia Medical Society 1804. Compiled copies of the Georgia Gazette from 1763 to 1770. (E-41)

Lawton, Alexander R. (1818-1896) Augusta and Savannah Railroad President. Member House of Representatives and State Senate. Brigadier General in Army of Confederacy. President of the American Bar Association. (H-168)

Meldrim, Peter W. (1848-1933) Instrumental in establishing Savannah State University. Served as Judge of Superior Court Eastern Circuit from 1917 to 1933. Organized Georgia State Guard. (H-97)

Mercer, Hugh W. (1808-1877) Graduated U.S. Military Academy 1828. Commissioned Brig. Gen. in Army of Confederacy; placed in command of Savannah. Joined Joseph Johnston's Atlanta campaign 1864. (F-19)

Mercer, Johnny (1909-1976) One of the most popular lyricists of the 20th century. (H-48) Note: Descendant of both Gen. Hugh Mercer & Brodie Herndon.

Mongin, John D. (1760-1833) Owner of one of the first steamboats operating between Savannah, Charleston and plantations on coastal waterways. (H-99) Note: All family members were originally buried at Daufauskie Island, S.C.

Myrick, Marie Scudder (1853-1934) First woman in the South to own and edit a daily newspaper; Americus Times-Recorder 1895. (F-F)

Neufville, Edward (1802-1851) Rector of the Christ Church 1827-1851. A Plaque in Savannah's Christ Church commemorates his service. (E-41)

Paine, Col. William W. (1817-1882) Member of the State Constitutional Committee 1850. State Senator from 1857 to 1860; U.S. House of Representative from 1870 to 1871, Georgia House 1877-1899. (F-10)

Roberts, Dr. William (1818-1847) Medical Staff U.S. Army. Mortally wounded leading charge at Molino del Rey near Mexico City during the Mexican War 1845-1848 (E-7) Note: 1st burial in Peter Wiltberger's cemetery.

Sneed, James R. (1818-1891) Editor of the Savannah Republican newspaper from 1856 until the surrender of Savannah in 1864. (C-12)

Stoddard, John (1809-1879) President of the Georgia Historical Society 1867-1868. First Chairman of Evergreen Cemetery Company 1868. (C-24)

Tappscott, Susan (?-1852) Came to Savannah from Stauton, Va., for her health. Writer of some fame. (E-9) Note: Among the oldest burials in the cemetery.

Tattnall, Josiah III (1795-1871) Coined the phrase "blood is thicker than water" statement. U.S. Naval career 1812-1861. Resigned to assume Confederate Naval defenses 1861-1864; responsible for burning Confederate ironclad ship, the Merrimac, to prevent its capture by the Federals. (E-1)

Telfair, Edward (1735-1807) One of the leaders of the original Liberty Boys 1765. Governor of Georgia 1786-1787; 1789-1793; first governor elected under Constitution of Georgia. (D-19)

Telfair, Mary (1791-1875) Bequeathed home built by her father to the Ga. Historical Society as the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences. (D-19)

Walz, John (1844-1922) Sculptor of stone architectural sculptures and relief ornaments for many Savannah public buildings. Created numerous funerary monuments for local cemeteries. (A-331) Note: No headstone at grave

Wheaton, John F. (1822-1898) Served three terms as Mayor of Savannah 1876-1882. State funeral given by Chatham Auxilliary in which he served 1856-1895. (H-75)

Wilson, Claudius W. (1831-1863) Col. 25th Ga. Regular Infantry 1861; promoted Brig. Gen. after battle at Chicamauga, Tenn. (G-36)

Zouberbuhler, Bartholomew (1720-1766) Ordained minister, Christ Church 1745; served for 21 years; completed first Christ Church building in 1750. Secured teacher for the children of Negro slaves in 1751. (C-26)

Please direct all comments and/or questions to:

Ms. Stacy Doty, Chairman
Chairman@BonaventureHistorical.Org

Bonaventure Historical Society, Inc.,
P.O. Box 5954, Savannah, Georgia 31414