The Civil War at Porter Cemetery
On September 17 & 18, 1863, a minor skirmish took place between Federal and Confederate soldiers near what was then known as Porter Cemetery. The brief battle involved a 4:00 AM raid by Union Horsemen. Subsequent artillery fire, lobed by the Confederates, scattered Federal troops.
No war is ever humorous. However, the accounts of this skirmish seem almost farcical even to the solder telling the story. He recounts the onset of an attack that took place so quickly, the horsemen overshot their intended targets. While the horsemen were captured in an instant, other soldiers sought cover in a field of high corn stalks. Although this skirmish was mild compared to the larger war, it was not without casualties. One Captain and several soldiers died in the battle.
With opposing factions each maintaining adjacent hilltop strongholds after the two day fight, all troops were called northward to take up arms in the Battle of Chickamauga which was fought September 18 – 20, 1863.
Porter Cemetery Becomes Cove Cemetery
Porter Cemetery was maintained by The Cove Methodist Church. It is now known as Cove Cemetery. The Cove Cemetery contains the remains of many Civil War era soldiers who died on the battlefield.
Civilians are buried here, too. Most notable in the cemetery is the grave site of the Widow Glenn. This young woman’s husband, a Confederate Soldier, was killed in the line of battle. She lived on the battlefield near Porter Cemetery and her house was commandeered, for a time, by Federal Troops.
