The Prattville Dragoons Camp 1524,
Sons of Confederate Veterans completed work at the historic Indian Hills
Cemetery Project including a workday the morning of Saturday, April 11th
including final cleanup and monument repairs, fence cleaning and repairs,
rehearsals and a rededication program on Confederate Memorial Day, Monday April
27th. Dragoon Benny Harris coordinated the project again and led the headstone
setting and repairs. Stalwarts again included 1st Lt Harold Grooms, Tyrone and Tom Crowley and Bill Branch, Larry and James Spears,
Skip Ward, and Allen Herrod. Leaves were raked and burned and the area was
mowed and smoothed with a box blade outside the burial plots.
Nearly
two hundred folks including Dragoons, other SCV members, friends, family and
neighbors gathered for the Rededication Service on April 27th, which
started with tours at 5:30pm and music by the Tallassee Armory Guards Camp 1921
String Band. Tyrone Crowley served
as the Master of Ceremonies portraying Daniel Pratt and he started the program
with cannon fire by the SCV St. Clair Camp 508 crew and lighting of bonfires by
Indian reenactors followed by his remarks on the history of the Indian Hill
community. Kathy Beatty portrayed Euphemia Graham, Barbara Gaston portrayed Mary Baxter Graham Smith, Kerri Waldo and Commander Waldo
reenacted the Dragoon flag presentation between Abigail Holt and 2nd
Lt. A.Y. Smith and 1st Lt Harold
Grooms gave a rousing portrayal of 2nd Lt. Dixon S. Hall. Musket
Salutes to the Confederate Veterans were provided by an honor guard led by
Dragoon Paul Whaley and Bob Miller
played “Scotland the Brave” and “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes.
A
modern program followed including a Prayer of Rededication by Chaplian Tom Snowden. Awards by the Alabama Cemetery Preservation
Alliance were made to Mayor Bill Gillespie for the City of Prattville and Commander
Waldo for the Dragoons. Descendants of those interred at Indian Hill Cemetery
were recognized including a number of Hall family. The Honor Guard presented arms for the
playing of “Taps” by Raymond Keel of
Camp 692. This was a touching meaningful
rededication program called perhaps the best event the Dragoons have ever
hosted by Comm Ofc Larry Spears and
a wonderful culmination to a year of hard work and effort by the Dragoons in
reclaiming and restoring this cemetery.
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| Portrayal Reenactors |
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| Tallassee String Band |
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| St. Clair Cannon Crew |
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| Paul Whaley and the Honor Guard |
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| Dragoons Larry and James Spears |
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