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I was recently given an article on the Self
Family Cemetery which come out several
years ago in a Shreveport newspaper. The
date of the article is sometime in 1961.
The article mainly dealt with the Self
Cemetery and efforts to clean it up and
build an appropriate memorial to the two
Confederate officers who founded the
cemetery, Major David Washington SELF and
Captain Franklin Dawson SELF, C.S.A.
Editor, Don Smith |
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THE SELF DESCENDANTS
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PLAINVIEW COMMUNITY Descendants of two Confederate officers who led troops to war from Sabine and Vernon Parishes are attempting to find as many members of the family as possible as part of a private Civil War Centennial. The graves of Major David Washington Self and Captain Franklin Dawson Self, brothers who commanded the Sabine Rebels from 1861 to 1865, are situated in a dense thicket a few hundred yards off Highway 171 in lower Sabine Parish. When members of the family attempted to clear the old family cemetery, they found the spot overgrown and secluded a few weeks ago. A hasty meeting of descendants arrived at the decision to locate other family members. Purpose of the drive is to set up a lasting and appropriate memorial to the two former officers. Both men served as sheriff of Sabine Parish following the war (Sabine included Vernon Parish at the time). The project includes a request for permission of the present owners to open a road to the cemetery; a letter-writing compaign to call back members of the family to a reunion later this summer, and an appeal to historical organizations for help in erecting the memorial. The family drive is timed to coincide with the national observance of the national conflict 100 years ago. Appointed temporary chairman of the committee to locate descendants is George F. Tarver, Hornbeck. Following is a letter drafted to the owners of the tract of land on which the cemetery is located: |
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Route 1, Box 140
Hornbeck, Louisiana May 15, 1961 |
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Mr. A. J. Hodges
A. J. Hodges Industries Shreveport, Louisiana In this year of the Centennial observance of the War Between The States, the descendants of Major David Washington Self, C. S. A. and Captain Franklin Dawson Self, C. S. A. are especially interested in the preservation of the site of their forefathers last resting place. Because these two men were the leaders of units of the Confederate Army which originated in Sabine Parish in 1861, the family feels their graves are especially worthy of proper care and attention. The family cemetery in which the Selfs are interred is situated on what is now property of the A.J.Hodges Gardens and/or the A.J.Hodges Industries (T-5:N: R-10 W: Secs. 19, 20, 29 or 30). We take this means to request your help, as the present owner of the property, in reopening a opening a passable road to the Self Family Cemetery in order that descendants and friends may pay their respects (especially at this time) without undue inconvenience. These two men served their cause very well in the Confederate military and later returned to carry on in public life as sheriffs of Savine Parish (which included present-day Vernon Parish at the time). The family is also aware that the nature of the A. J. Hodges Gardens requires a maximum security against poachers. Therefore, we wish to assure you that we are moved in this endeavor only by an honorable desire to see our forefathers' graves in a suitable state of preservation. It is not our intent to impose upon your organization or cause any inconvenience to you. If fact, it has been suggested that during the Centennial years, the graves of Sabine Parish's two Civil War leaders may well add a note of historical significance to the A.J.Hodges Gardens. In this way, we may be able to repay you for any trouble our project may cause you. We are taking the liberty of submitting copies of this letter to other persons and groups to which we may look for aid in finding just recognition of the Selfs and the roles they played in the history of our nation, our region and our state. Respectfully, C/O The Sabine Police Jury, Sons & Daughters of the Confederacy, The Shreveport Times, Dr. T.Harry Williams, co- chairman of the Louisiana Civil War Centennial Commission, The Sabine Index, Representative Clifton Ammons,Senator C. M. Posten. Reply: George P. Tarver Route 1, Box 140 Hornbeck, Louisiana. |
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