Wayside Hospital Cemetery

The following information came from an article by Jane Renwick Wilkes in The Charlotte Observer, Women's Mecklenburg Declaration Edition, 5/20/1896, page 4:

The first Hospital in Charlotte was established by the ladies, in a large building used as a wash-house for the Military Institute, now the Graded School. After a while, the Confederate Government took charge of the Wayside Hospital, placed it under care of the Medical Department, and used the buildings of the Carolina Fair Association, on what is now Middle street, between Morehead and the railroad crossing, south. The Charlotte women had little to do with hospital work till near the close of the war, when the tide of battle surged into North Carolina. Many sick from Beauregard's and Johnston's commands, and many wounded from Averasboro and Bentonville, were brought to Charlotte. The large store now occupied by E. M. Andrews, and an old storehouse on the opposite side of Trade St, called the Old Red House, were hastily prepared for hospitals, and again the women bravely took up the duty that came to hand, and did everything that could be done for these poor fellows. Many died and were buried in the field near the Wayside hospital, between it and the Rudisill Gold Mine. After the war closed, the Soldier's Aid Society was merged into the Memorial Association, which bent its efforts to raising funds to give proper burial and a commemorative monument to those who had been laid to rest near us, and far from their friends and relatives, and also to honor of the soldiers of Mecklenburg county.

The city gave the beautiful plot in Elmwood. Old Mr. Segraves, then keeper of the cemetery, was greatly interested and his son was engaged to find and remove the bodies. The field used for burial was overgrown with briars, weeds and bushes. Most of the headboards had been destroyed, and the field had been used by the Negroes, who for a time had appropriated the old Hospital barracks as a burial place. The work proceeded slowly. The graves had to be probed for, and distinguishing marks sought, a shred of grey uniform, a button, or some such slight token often the only certain mark. However, in March the work was completed; 160 bodies had been removed to the cemetery, the graves sodded, the plot dressed. I was given by the late Jonas Rudisill of this city, a list of coffins made by him for the soldiers, under contract with the Confederate Government, with name of each man and, date of death. Mr. Segraves also made a careful list of names and dates on the few head boards he found in place. These gave us the list of names. We hoped the Veteran's Association would publish this list, with the Mecklenburg Roll of Honor, but it has not as yet been accomplished.

Confederate soldiers' graves were relocated to Elmwood Cemetery from January through March in 1870.

Documentation

(1) Jane Renwick Wilkes in The Charlotte Observer, Woman's Mecklenburg Declaration Edition, 5/20/1896, page 4