Indian Hills Cemetery Workday

Saturday February 7th was a busy day for Camp 1524 with ten Dragoons participating in the Millbrook Revelers' Mardi Gras parade while another group worked the morning at Indian Hills Cemetery. Great progress was made in clearing the scrub and undergrowth along the north and west lines.  1st Lt Harold Grooms reported a successful day when he called the camp Commander at 1:45 in the afternoon after having labored almost seven hours on the project.  Benny Harris again led the work effort and was there even before 8am and was still there with Tom Crowley tending the fires even later into the afternoon.  Adjutant Wayne Sutherland and Commander Stuart Waldo worked an hour early in the morning before heading to the parade, pulling double duty.  But that was for fun whereas Treasurer Billy Leverette put in a couple hours at the cemetery before heading into his work. Bill Branch and Harold brought their chain saws and knocked out the larger stuff but piles of vines and leaves and limbs made for a couple huge bonfires. Chaplain Tom Snowden and Paul Whaley came to contribute to the work at Indian Hills also.  Indian Hills is the final resting place for 39 souls including original Dragoon Lt. A.Y. Smith.  A number of graves date to the 1840s.  The Dragoons anticipate the Indian Hills cleanup and renovation completion in April and Benny has started planning for a wonderful event to rededicate the cemetery on April 27^th with reenactments, cannon salutes, bonfires, and speeches.

Paul, Wayne, Billy and Harold (L-R)

Bill, Benny and Tom (L-R)

Billy and Harold Building the Brush Pile

Tom Crowley Tending a Fire