Members of Survey Team standing on the four corners of the Mitchell Cemetery.
23 February 2014
Located in a pasture field near 313 Jim Ford Road, the cemetery has no remaining markers and no way to identify the exact location of the cemetery. The property is marked with “No Trespassing” signs. In February 2014, members of the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee were granted access to the property and believe we found the location of the cemetery, using dowsing rods and an old photograph.
Map location: Sullivan Gardens Quad
GPS location: 36°23’12.6″N 82°31’22.2″W
The property was once owned by Wesley Mitchell (1828-1865). Wesley and his brother, Thomas came home from the Civil War after being released from Camp Douglas, a POW camp in Chicago, Illinois, arriving in Washington County on February 20, 1865. They were starving and Wesley overate, resulting in his death sometime between February 21 and February 28, 1865. His widow, Mary Ann Hale Mitchell married George Jackson in 1869. She died on July 18, 1874. No tombstone has been found for either Wesley or Mary Ann and it is believed they are buried on this property. Mary Ann’s last husband, George Jackson is buried with his first wife in the Jackson Cemetery.
Wesley’s son, William “Buck” Mitchell (1865 – 1903) took over the farm and lived there till his death. His wife was Hannah Elizabeth “Eliza” Ford (1864 – 1925). No marker has been found for either William “Buck” or Hannah Mitchell and they may be buried in this cemetery, as well. Hannah’s death certificate states she is buried in “Bethany, Tenn.”, and there is a small church cemetery (Bethany) nearby. If she is buried in the church cemetery, she has no marker. Family members researching this line were told that “they buried Eliza out behind the barn.” They have spoken to a great granddaughter, who said that she was taken to the cemetery in 1977. The photograph mentioned above was taken at this time and was used to mark the approximate spot of the cemetery.
Surveyed, transcribed and donated to the Washington County TNGen Web 23 February 2014 by Donna Cox Briggs, Bob Shell, Jan Clark and Betty Jane Hylton, members of the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee and Mitchell descendants, Bill Mitchell, Pam Kaleva and Marlene Peterson.
Copyrighted 2015 by the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee. No part of this work may be copied without written permission from the Cemetery Survey Team.