Brainerd Mission Cemetery


The Brainerd Mission Cemetery is located six and a quarter miles northeast of Chattanooga on the Brainerd road. This cemetery is one of the oldest in Hamilton County. Most of the people buried here were missionary workers among the Cherokee Indians. The oldest marked grave is 1821, but the cemetery was started in 1817. There are sixty graves that have tombstones but there is no writing on them.
Brainerd Mission

Here upon a small clearing in the wilderness in 1817, Brainerd Mission was founded among the Cherokee Indians by teh American Board of Foreign Missions. It closed in 1853 when the Cherokees were removed from their ancestral domain to the west. This mission received support from the government and was visited in 1819 by President Monroe.

Its work was successfully carried on by the Eastern Missionaries, among whom were Rev. Ard Hoyt, first superintendent, and Samuel Austin Worcester, who instituted the use of Sequoyah's syllabary in printing.

Scientific agriculture, trades and domestic arts were taught to several hundred chiildren, and through their influence, Christian ideals were spread throughout the Cherokee Nation.

Notable among its pupils were John Arch, interpreter, David Brown, translator and Catherine Brown, author.

Restoration Chairman, Mrs. Sam Erwin, Regent Chickamauga Chapter DAR, Mrs. Bashie Lindslay Martin, Chickamauga DAR Treasurer, Mrs. Penelope Johnson Allen, State Vice Regent, Tennessee DAR.

Text of the inscription on one of the bronze tablets, dedicated Sunday, March 31, 1935 given by the four DAR Chapters Viz, Chickamauga Chapter, Nancy Ward Chapter, Judge David Campbell Chapter, John Ross Chapter.

WORCESTER

Here lies the world remains of the - Worcester, Rev. Samuel, D. D. - Pastor of the Tabernacle Church in Salem, Massachusetts and First Corresponding Secretary of the American Board of Commissioner for Foreign Mission. He was born November, 1770 and died June 7, 1821. As a minister of the Gospel, Dr. Worcester labored for more than twenty years with zeal, fidelity and success. As a distinguished agent, in exercising and directing the missionary enterprise of theAmerican churches, he displayed eminent talent and was impelled by an ardent desire for the salvation of the heathens. To the promotion of this divine work he applied all his faculties, till, exhausted by arduous labors, he fell asleep in Jesus while on a visit of kindness to the Cherokee poeple. D Ritter, W. Haven, Conn.


BLUNT

Blunt, Harriet E - Died 1847
Her children
Blunt, Harriet E - Died 1825
Blunt, Sarah E - Died 1834
Sacred to the memory of Vail, Mifs. Mary Ann - Died Sept 16, 1831 - AET 17
Sacred to the memory of Ferrel, Mrs J O Anna S B - Wife of Mr. Luke Ferrel - Died Oct 13, 1829 - AET 28 - 'I leave thee here with joy and sadness, my heaven is weak, my faith is dim, yet to the Lord I turn with gladness, and yield my partner up to him.'
Ferrel, Samuel A W - Their son - Died Nov 28, 1829 - AET 7 wks.


BRAINERD MISSIONARIES
1817 - 1838

Rev. Cyrus Kingsbury, NH		Mrs. Abijah Conger, NY
Loring S Williams, VT			John Vail, NJ 
Mrs. Loring S Williams, NY		Mrs. John Vail, NJ
Moody Hall, NH				John Talmadge, NJ
Mrs. Moody Hall, -			Mrs. John Talmadge, NJ
Rev Ard Hoyt, Conn.			Answorth E Blunt, NH
Mrs Ard Hoyt, Conn.			Mrs. Answorth E Blunt, NH
Anna Hoyt, Conn.			John C Ellsworth, Conn.
Cornelius Hoyt, Conn.			Mrs. John C Ellsworth, VT
Darius Hoyt, Conn.			Henry Parker, Conn.
Rev. Daniel S Butrick, Mass.		Mrs. Henry Parker, Conn.
Rev. William Chamberlain, VT		Frederick Ellsworth, Conn.
Mrs. William Chamberlain, Conn.		Mrs. Frederick Ellsworth, VT
Rev. Alfred Finney, Mass.		Erastus Dean, VT
Mrs. Alfred Finney, VT			Mrs. Erastus Dean, Mass.
Rev. Cephus Washburn, VT		Sylvester Ellis, VT
Mrs. Cephus Washburn, VT		Mrs. Sylvester Ellis, Conn.
Dr. Elizur Butler, Conn.		Josiah Hemingway, Mass.
Mrs. Elizur Butler, Conn.		Sophia Sawyer, Mass.
Lucy Ames, Mass.			William H Manwaring, Conn.
Milo Hoyt, Conn.			Fenner Boswath, NY
Isaac Proctor, Mass.			Luke Ferrel, NH			
William Holland, Mass.			Nancy Thompson, VA
Mrs. William Holland, Mass.		Delia Sargent, Mass.
Rev. William Potter, Conn.		Hannah Kelly, Mass.
Mrs. William Potter, VT			John Thompson, NY
Rev. Samuel Worcester, Mass.		Mrs. John Thompson, VT
Mrs. Samuel A Worcester, NH		Catherine Fuller, Mass.
Ermina Nash, Mass.			Flora Post, VA
Abijah Conger, NY			John F Wheeler, Tenn.

If you have resources for Hamilton County or would like to volunteer to help with look-ups, please e-mail me at Tim Stowell / Chattanooga, TN
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Last updated: 31 Jul 2006

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