Notables At Cedar Grove Cemetery
Established 1832
Established in 1832, Cedar Grove is the oldest city-owned cemetery in Portsmouth. The Cemetery contains more than 400 graves with monuments dating from the late 1700s to the present.
Listed on the Virginia and national registers of historic sites, the cemetery is noted for its funerary art and the civic, business, maritime, religious and military leaders who are buried here.
Its memorial markers include small tablets, ledger stones, obelisks, columnar monuments and mausoleums. They include notable examples of Green Revival, Late Victorian and Exotic Revival funerary art.
Historical markers placed throughout the cemetery allow for self-guided tours – many you will visit doing this cache.
Be sure to do this cache in tandem with GC5PZJP – Veterans of Cedar Grove CemeteryGet
N 36 50. TUV W 076 18. XYZ
Below we give the coordinates for 12 graves, where you will find the information you need to determine the location of the physical cache.
A N 36 50.384 W 076 18.493 Grace Phillips Pollard
Grace was the wife of John Garland Pollard, governor of Virginia from January 15, 1930 – January 16, 1934. She is the only Portsmouth woman to serve as the First lady of Virginia and the only one to die while her husband was in office.
Thanks to her, dogwoods line Virginia’s highways.
The family plot is enclosed with a wrought iron fence.
A = Number of flowers on the one panel to the right of the gate.
B N 36 50.378 W 076 18.439 Charles Francis Nash
Charles, a Leading Aircraftman, is one of 16 Virginia airmen who died while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII.
Next to Charlie is a LT from the 9th VA Infantry.
B = Number of letters in the First Line on his memorial.
C N 36 50.351 W 076 18.426 Reverend James Chisholm
St. John’s Episcopal Church was founded in 1848. James Chisholm assumed the charge as the first rector, June 1, 1850.
James Chisholm died of yellow fever after working to assist others stricken by an epidemic with not only pastoral care, but food, medical care and even digging graves.
The Episcopal Church has recognized Chisholm’s selfless example by adding him to the calendar of saints. He is celebrated each year on September 15.
Nearby Edward Jr. has an American Legion Marker
C = Portsmouth Post No. _C_
D N36 50.313 W076 18.438 William Collins, MD
DR Collins studied medicine at University of Pennsylvania and returned to Portsmouth to practice his profession. Shortly after, he was elected as one of the delegates from Norfolk County in the Virginia Legislature.
While in DC he enlisted others to resuscitate the railroad connecting the waters of the Roanoke with Elizabeth River. They formed Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad Co which he became president.
Dr Collins was stricken down by the yellow fever in his 52nd year.
In his memory Sea Board & Roanoke Railroad Co erected this memorial with a Relief at the base of a locomotive with broken driving rod.
To the left is a Spanish American War Vet.
D = His Regiment number PLUS 25
E N36 50.326 W 076 18.460 Chaplin Vernon Eskridge
Eskridge first came to Portsmouth in 1831. He served as the minister at Dinwiddie Street Methodist Church (now Monumental United Methodist Church) in 1831 and 1832. In 1832 a cholera epidemic hit the city. Rev Eskridge set up office hours under a tree in the middle of the city and visited the sick.
From 1839 to 1850 he served as the assistant minister and superintendent of the Sunday school at Dinwiddie Street Church. He also became the founding minister of Wright Memorial Methodist Church in 1843.
1952 – 1855 he served as Navy Chaplain aboard the frigate U.S.S. Cumberland during its Mediterranean service cruise. He chose to come back to Portsmouth when he learned of the outbreak of yellow fever.
Yellow fever claimed him on September 11, 1855.
Find Eskridge’s neighbors John and Mary,
E = The age of John and Mary when they died.
F N 36 50.335 W 076 18.462 Charles McAlpine MD
Dr. McAlpine was the health officer of the city, a member of the Council when Portsmouth was incorporated in 1858.
Upon the breaking out of the war he raised a company named the Bilisoly Blues.
Company G – Bilisoy Blues (Norfolk Co)
At the battle of Spotsylvania Court House he was promoted to Major. He was placed on the Confederate Roll of Honor (equivalent of the Medal of Honor) for his numerous acts of heroism and bravery.
After the war he returned to Portsmouth and resumed the practice of his profession until his death in 1876.
F = Last two numbers of the year Yates was born PLUS 11
G N36 50.356 W 076 18.462 William Murdaugh
In 1841 he was appointed a midshipman by President Tyler in the United States Navy. He served in the Mexican War on the USS Potomac.
Murdough served on USS Advance under Captain De Haven as Passed Midshipman, acting master and first officer in the famous Grinnell Arctic expedition in search of British explorer Sir John Franklin. For his distinguished service he received the Victoria Cross. He is among few Americans ever to receive the highest British award.
Murdough was for many years superintendent of the Norfolk County Ferries. He was appointed by President Cleveland supervising inspector of steam vessels for this district. He was a member of the Board of Harbor Commissioners for many years and was a vestryman of Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church for 30 years.
Fanny Murdaugh Downing - William’ sister
The author of the poem “Memorial Flowers”. In 26 verses she honors 20 fallen Confederate soldiers, pairing each with specific flowers.
After the war she served on the staff of the Portsmouth Daily Times.
Fanny became well known as a newspaper editor, southern poet and author.
Look at the “To Our Confederate Dead” monument.
This monument is made of rock taken from the dry dock at the
Gosport Naval Shipyard, where the CSS Virginia was built.
G = The number of stars are engraved on the monument?
H N 36 50.353 W 076 18.477 George Grice
Major Grice served as mayor of Portsmouth. 1856, 1859, 1860.
In 1861 he was among the first to enlist in the cause of the South, being then chief magistrate of Portsmouth. He was later appointed captain and acting quartermaster in the Confederate service and assigned to duty as post quartermaster at Portsmouth. He was invaluable to providing supplies to General Robert E Lee’s army.
In 1867 he assisted in founding the bank of Portsmouth and was elected its first president.
September 1875, he was elected president of the Raleigh & Gaston and Raleigh & Augusta Air Line railroads.
His death occurred from an attack of apoplexy November 12, 1875.
H = Find Joseph MD –
Subtract the last two numbers of the year he died
from the last two numbers of his birth year.
I N 36 50.324 W 076 18.480 Major/Judge James Francis Crocker
James Crocker was admitted to the bar of Isle of Wright in 1854. He was elected to the House of Delegates from Isle Of Wight County and served the session 1855-1856. In 1856 he moved to Portsmouth and became a member of the firm of Godwin and Crocker.
In 1861 Crocker enlisted in Portsmouth as a private.
During the Battle of Malvern Hill, he was shot but recovered to rejoin the 9th Virginia for the Confederate victory at Fredericksburg. At Gettysburg he was wounded and taken prisoner for more than a year, first at David’s Island, NY and later to Johnson’s Island.
After the war he went back to practicing law.
He became a Judge of the Portsmouth Court of Hustings 1901-1907
Among the positions he has held are: Superintendent of Norfolk public schools, Member of the city council, President of Portsmouth and Norfolk County Monument association, Commander of Stonewall Camp, C. V., Brigadier-general of the first brigade off the Virginia division of the United Confederate veterans.
Dr Archibald was a surgeon in the Wise Brigade
I = 2 nd digit of the year he was born
J N 36 50.310 W 076 18.491 John William Hunter Porter
In 1861 he dropped out of college at UVA to join the Confederate Army. He served in Company K, 9th Regiment of the Virginia Infantry.
He is best known as the author of “History of Norfolk County” which was published in1892. The book is a record of events in Norfolk County, VA from April 19th, 1861, to May 10th 1862. Copies of this book are still available in Portsmouth libraries.
He was known as a lawyer, political figure, newspaper editor & historical writer.
J = The number of times the word ARMY is engraved on the Porter family
Monument.
K N 36 50.279 W 076 18.487 Thomas Williamson, M.D.
Dr Williamson entered the US Navy in 1813 as a surgeon.
July 1830 surgeon Thomas Williamson, who was stationed at the shipyard, was ordered to make the hospital ready to receive patients. Dr Williamson became Medical Director of the nation’s first naval hospital.
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is known as the “First and Finest”. It was the nation’s first Naval Hospital and has served the military since 1830.
Stuck in the corner are William and Mary.
K = Total letters of the first 3 lines on Mary’s stone. (Sum check is 4)
L N 36 50.303 W 076 18.487 Reverend John Henry Wingfield
Trinity Church was built in 1762. Rev. Wingfield was the Rector for 50 years.
In Trinity Church the crew of the C. S. S. Virginia (the ironclad Merrimac) was blessed at the altar and the ship before it went to the first battle of the ironclads. Ft. Wingfield’s refusal to pray for the President of the United States resulted in his being forced to sweep the streets in Norfolk with a ball and chain on his leg.
He later became the first Bishop of Northern California.
A few feet over is Richard.
L = Number of Letters in the phrase under the cross PLUS one (+1)
N 36 50.TUV W 076 18. XYZ
T = A – B X = G - H
U = C – D Y = I + J
V = E – F Z = K - L
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
☆☆ Thanks TreasureTrovers(Va) for Beta-Testing ☆☆