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Confederate CemeteryThe history of Bethel Cemetery began in 1859 when Knox county acquired two acres of land from brick mason Preston D. Blang for use as a graveyard. The advent of the Civil War necessitated the use of at least part of the plot for Confederate military burials. With the number of burials escalating, the cemetery was enlarged in 1862 by the purchase of two acres of land from Joseph A. Mabry, Jr. By the time Confederate forces evacuated Knoxville in August, 1863, a total of 1465 identified Confederates were buried here. In addition to the original 1465 graves and the 105 battlefield dead from Fort Sanders, the cemetery also became the resting place of 50 Union prisoners and 50 unidentified Confederate soldiers. Thus, approximately 1670 dead from the Civil War period, including Confederate soldiers from every southern state, came to rest in the county cemetery, which is now one of the largest privately-owned Civil War cemeteries. Located one block south of Bethel Cemetery is the Mabry-Hazen House Museum: a stately, elegant home of the Victorian and Civil War periods that showcases one of the largest collections of original artifacts including china, silver, crystal, and antique furnishings. One official source states: "The Confederate Cemetery is rarely opened to the public. It is owned and administered by the Mabry-Hazen Foundation, and inquiries should be addressed to the Mabry-Hazen House (865) 522-8661. Most of the 1,600 Confederates and 50-60 Union prisoners of war buried here were lost to disease, which periodically swept the camps during the War. As far as is known, none of those lost at Fort Sanders are interred here." However, historian William Rule wrote in 1900: "The Confederate or Bethel Cemetery is located about one mile east of Gay street on the Rutledge pike, and includes four acres of land, two acres of which was purchased in 1862 of Knox county, and two acres of Joseph Mabry. Ever since it was established it has been in charge of the Ladies’ Memorial Association. More than 1,600 Confederate dead lie buried in this cemetery, and according to the present section, W. D. Winstead, an old Confederate soldier, there were buried here in the southeast corner, three hundred bodies of soldiers killed in the charge on Fort Sanders, immediately after the battle, which, if correct, when added to the ninety-two buried in neat pine boxes under the direction of S. T. Atkins, would make three hundred and ninety-two killed in that disastrous attack. The monument on the Confederate dead in Bethel Cemetery was erected through the efforts of the Ladies’ Memorial Association, and was unveiled May 19, 1892, that being the day usually observed for the purpose of decorating Confederate soldiers’ graves." Website: http://www.knoxcotn.org/cemeteries/
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