Hollywood Cemetery Richmond, Virginia overlooks the James River and is in a historic neighborhood adjacent to the VCU campus. It reminds one of Central Park with rolling hills and vales. Paul Goldfinger photo. 4/15/16 © click to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger. Re-posted from April, 2016.
We visited the grave of President John Tyler (1790-1862). He was a Whig and was elected Vice President in 1840 with William Henry Harrison, President. But Harrison died after spending only one month in office, and Tyler was the first President to succeed to the office from the VP spot. Tyler had the dubious distinction of making everybody, including his own party, mad at him, particularly over his support for the southern states.
His best achievement was to annex Texas. He was a Virginian and a life long politician whose last office was as a member of the CSA House of Representatives. He was married twice and had 15 children, so it seems he took some time off from the oval office.
Tyler is buried in Richmond, Virginia, at the glorious cemetery known as Hollywood (for the Holly trees). It is a marvelous place to visit, and Tyler is found in the Presidents Circle, a fine spot way up overlooking the James River. He is buried with his second wife and his daughter Julia who passed at the age of 20. A small Confederate flag is stuck into the ground at his site.
His nearby neighbor is President James Monroe whose monument is undergoing some renovation.
The Hollywood Cemetery contains a special section for 28 Confederate generals, and another area for several thousand enlisted men many of whom died at Gettysburg. You can imagine the task of bringing those bodies back to Richmond. Jefferson Davis is also there in a place of honor.
The property is huge and quite gorgeous now with cherry blossoms all around. Students from Virginia Commonwealth University are nearby for jogging, hiking, and socializing .
Photo by Paul Goldfinger. ©
LARRY SPARKS: “Smokey Mountain Memories”
Jefferson Davis married his second wife, Varina Howell Davis, granddaughter of Revolutionary War veteran and NJ Governor Richard Howell from Shiloh, Cumberland County, NJ.
General Sherman’s wife, Eleanor Boyle Ewing was the great-granddaughter of Revolutionary War veteran Richard Ewing from Greenwich, Cumberland County, NJ.
Both Howell and Ewing participated in the famous tea burning that took place in Greenwich in the market square where a State marker memorializes the event.
Howell’s home was the meeting place of the men who dressed up as Indians before heading to burn the tea.
It is interesting that two families who played such a large role in the Civil War had early family connections to NJ and rebellion.
Kevin Chambers
Nov. 2018: As of earlier this year, two of Tyler’s grandsons were, amazingly, still alive. I think they are both still living.
Yippee I won. Sitting in Mrs. Friberg’s social studies class has paid off. Janet OG. Thank you Paul.
Janet: I will deliver your prize to your home—- Paul (Note: Our email is blogfinger@verizon.net)
Doug. Thank you. It was Jefferson Davis. Paul
Minor point, but I think Robert E. Lee and his wife are buried at Washington & Lee University in Lexington VA.
James Tyler, Tenth President of the United States.
President John Tyler.
John Tyler
Editor’s note: Janet wins. Please send us your name and address so we can send your prize. Paul (Blogfinger@verizon.net)