Meeting and Field Trip – Thursday, January 25

“Rollins Cemetery – Restoring A Forgotten Resting Place”

Gary Mulliner talks about the effort to rehabilitate the neglected Rollins Cemetery where 3 Civil War Veterans are buried.

Gary Mulliner of Kahite talked about the Rollins Cemetery Restoration Project.  Before Tellico Lake was flooded, 8 cemeteries would be affected by the rising waters so the TVA decided to rebury  about 150 graves to the existing Rollins Cemetery on TRDA property off Riden Road in Greenback.

Among the graves are several slaves as well as three Civil War Veterans and possibly a War of 1812 Veteran.  After Gary’s talk several of us went for a field trip to see first hand the work of over 20 volunteers.

Field trip to Rollins Cemetery. Many markers are simply a piece of a rock.   Many graves had settled and required filling to level the ground.

Norm Curtis (l) of Vonore has two great uncles buried here – William Curtis and Burton Curtis. Seymour resident Tommie Moser Nichols’ grandfather Peter Moser is buried here.  All three were Civil War Veterans captured at Vicksburg by Union troops but released once they promised not to fight for the Confederacy again.