Confederate Memorial Day 2016 At Soldiers' Rest
CSA Cemetery, Vicksburg, Mississippi

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Mr William M Rockwood was born March 1, 1838. He was with the Mississippi Southrons. Mr William Anner Fairchild, born July13,1838, was with the 1st Mississippi Light Artillery. Both were gallant Confederate veterans.

Both had served as Masters of W H Stevens Masonic Lodge.

Mr Rockwood was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Vicksburg.  He had served as president of the Y.M.C.A., as well as President of the Vicksburg Volunteer Fire Department.

Mr Fairchild was very active with the Mason. In addition, he had served as Commander of Vicksburg's Magnolia Commandery and the Grand Commandery of the Mississippi Knights Templar. He was a Warden of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and has a stained glass window in Holy Trinity.

Yellow fever was a horrible and strange disease. It was hard to diagnose. Its symptoms ranged from a mild headache to flu like symptoms to a violent death. Regardless, if one survived he was immune for life.

So many people died in 1878 in the Mississippi River Valley that for the next ten years the steamboats did not carry full cargos of cotton. It was so bad in Memphis that it was necessary to construct one of the first Crematories in the Country to deal with the number of deaths. When Yellow Fever arrived, everyone who was able left town. In 1878, there were colonies of Vicksburg people in St Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati, and surely in many other places. Many people moved out to the country because no business was being transacted in the city.

In 1878, Mr. Rockwood and Mr. Fairchild were President and Secretary of the Howard Society. Today, we would say the Howard Society was the Red Cross of the yellow fever epidemic. Prior to 1878, the heroes rotated the jobs from year to year. Both men were wealthy and, like many others, could have left the area affected by the fever, but they decided it was their duty to stay in Vicksburg to deal with the crisis.

Mr. Fairchild died September 20, 1878 and Mr. Rockwood died a week later on  September 28, 1878. Mrs Fairchild died a year later September 22, 1879. All were buried in Vicksburg City cemetery and lay in unmarked graves for the next 35 years.

In 1909, W H Stevens Lodge took the lead in raising the money to purchase suitable monuments. U.S. Representative John S. Williams was recruited to come to Vicksburg and lecture at the Opera House, at the corner of Walnut and South streets. Not enough money was raised, so they purchased a monument for Mr. Rockwood and would have wait on one for Mr Fairchild.

In 1910, W H Stevens Lodge again took the lead. Magnolia Commandery and the Grand Commandery of Mississippi, in addition to Holy Trinity Church, assisted. Funds were raised for the purchase of a recumbent cross, a large cross that lay between the two graves of Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild with the arms extending across the graves.

The dedication was a large event. The baseball game was cancelled that Sunday afternoon to free up the street cars running from Holy Trinity Church and from Washington Street to the City Cemetery for the ceremony. A very large crowd attended. W H Stevens Lodge, Magnolia Commandery, the Grand Commandery of Mississippi and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church were all represented. The Choir from Holy Trinity was present and sang Onward Christian Soldiers, the anthem of the Knights Templar.

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