Jake’s Woods and the grounds behind the Clinton Methodist Church contain the graves of Black and White people, including enslaved persons such as Caesar whose headstone is quoted above. Dr. J[ames]. F[inney]. Barron (Feb. 10, 1825-Jan. 17, 1898), a surgeon and doctor, owned Caesar. The headstone was erected before the Civil War since its text is similar in style to those of other antebellum headstones. Barron would have likely lacked postwar funds to erect a headstone. SACRED to the memory of CAESAR The Faithful Servant Of Dr. J. F. Barron Who died Dec. 8, 1862 Aged 37 y’rs. “Faithful Servant” obscures these facts: Caesar was enslaved for life, his labor was uncompensated, his body was someone else’s property, he was not free to travel at will, and he likely never learned to read and write. Dr. Barron’s version of Caesar’s life is counterbalanced by Caesar’s silence in the historical record and his inability to rebut or affirm his enslaver’s narrative. The burials of enslaved persons took place with enslavers’ permission usually during evenings and on Sundays, making it difficult for Blacks on neighboring plantations to attend, restricting their ability to plot mass rebellion. Mourners prayed, sang, and celebrated their loved ones in services that could last until morning. Bodies were interred so that their heads faced east, the direction of the rising sun, a symbol of resurrection and renewal. It was rare for a grave like Caesar’s to be so close to those of White people, or inscribed with a name and birth and death dates. More often, in places like the Sea Islands of Georgia, they were “hidden away in remote spots among trees and underbrush” and placed on uncleared land (Parsons, p. 4). They were often denoted by personal property, including pitchers, vases, clocks, saucers, and crockery that were broken to symbolize the ending of mortal life and the beginning of eternity. Ceasar’s headstone is slated to be cleaned, repaired, and set upright. Sources Memoirs of Georgia, Containing the Historical Accounts of the State’s Civil, Military, Industrial and Professional Interests, and Personal Sketches of Many of its People. Vol. 1. Atlanta, GA: Southern Historical Society, 1895, p. 322. "The Preservation of African-American Cemeteries." Grave Matters. Columbia, SC (1996). Type: Story
