HAWPATCH LIBERTY CEMETERY

More commonly referred to as Liberty Cemetery; also Old Liberty Cemetery or Liberty Cemetery (in the Hawpatch), referring to the area it lies in, north of Columbus, between the Flat Rock River and Hawcreek, commonly called the Haw Patch.

500 North and 100 East, near Clifford

Bartholomew County, Indiana

Reports of Haunted Activity

None.

Our Investigation

February 6th, 2016 my son and I visited this cemetery around 3 pm. It was basically planned as just a walk around this beautiful and historic cemetery — but I did bring my PRD 1000, an Android tablet with EchoVox loaded, and a JBL wireless speaker. I thought it might be interesting to conduct some ITC experiments here. Given the age of the cemetery, I was curious if anyone would still be hanging out after all this time. I also liked how isolated this area feels. We were there for about an hour and only saw one vehicle and no living people. The only noise contaminate we had to deal with (besides the wind) was that Hawpatch is situated on the north side of a small airport. So the occasional plane would fly over.

Points of Intrigue:

• I had several eye-opening moments here. The first came when we turned on the PRD 1000 and I asked for a name. I hadn’t paid attention to the name on the headstone that I had sat the unit on, so when the name William Lindsay came through and you see me pan my camera down, I was really caught off guard.

• The wind coming through the EchoVox was irritating. The last 1/4 of the video I turned the microphone off on my tablet and still received spot-on responses.

• At one point we recorded whistling. I believe this to be disembodied. It did not come through the speaker, it wasn’t heard at the time, nor was it a bird, radio from a vehicle, me or my son (he can’t whistle).

• The age of enlistment of Revolutionary War Vet Solomon Tracey was later confirmed to be just as he said on the video — he was indeed 22. Fascinating. http://graves.inssar.org/T/tracsolo.html

• At the end of the video clip, a name is spoken through my ITC app just as I’m walking past a grave. The name said was Ora, the name on the tombstone immediately to my left was Ora Hamblen. I assumed at that moment that Ora was a woman, turns out I was wrong. Mr. Ora Hamblen was facing court over a drunk driving charge and consequently hung himself in his shed. Suicide, no matter how long ago, is always a tragedy.

Friday June 18th, 1948 edition of The Republic

Video

Historic Timeline

• Established 1821

• Most current statistics found: 2.7 acres; 1,850 graves

LIBERTY-HAWPATCH SOCIETY

Society was the first to be formed in Bartholomew County and was organized in early 1821.

In 1822, a meeting was held and agreement reached to build a Union Meeting House, Free to All. John Young donated an acre of ground for a Church and Graveyard and soon after a 20-by-60-foot log house was built, long known as Liberty Meeting and SchoolHouse and Hawpatch Chapel.

An old building foundation is still visible which appears to follow the same general configuration as the log building constructed during 1822. Some limestone steps are still in place near this foundation. The area is now dominated by the Hager family gravesites. The reason for this could be the Hager family association with Reverend Joseph McQueen, longtime Separatist Baptist Preacher, who married Matilda Hager.

During 1942, the military extended the cemetery by approximately one-half acre on the east side and across Middle Road. This was to provide burial space for the random graves removed from farms throughout Bakalar Air Base. (See below.)

* From “125TH ANNIVERSARY CLIFFORD, IND.” compiled by Ellen E. Capper: This was on the east side of the road across from Liberty Cemetery. Soon thereafter Young sold his farm to a David Taylor for $700.00 and 100 barrels of corn. In the deed he neglected to reserve the ground for the church and cemetery and Taylor refused to allow any more burials. I believe these graves were moved when the air base was built and the tombstones now stand on the east side of the drive at Liberty Cemetery.)

* Regarding original landowners of Atterbury Army Air Base/Bakalar Air Base property; Captain Stratton Hammon Scrapbook notes (1942):

“Many of the early pioneers are buried in Liberty Cemetery, which is just inside the north boundary of the field.”

“Plans are being made for moving graves from two small cemeteries inside the air base area. Present plans call for moving them to Liberty.”

“Graves were moved today to Liberty.”

Notables

Samuel Spear, Clark County, died at home of son in Bartholomew County. Pioneer Founders of Indiana Project (Society of Indiana Pioneers recognition of Indiana Pioneer Settlers who helped to lay the first foundations of civilized life in Indiana).

War Veterans
Thomas McQueen, Revolutionary War

Solomon Tracey (Tracy), Revolutionary War

Benjamin McQueen, War of 1812

William West, War of 1812

Squire West, Mexican War

Sampson Burns, Civil War

Nathan F. Carter, Civil War

Sterling Carter, Civil War

George Fortner, Civil War

Capt. John Gabbertt, Civil War

J. A. Harbour, Civil War

William Hill, Civil War

David Holman, Civil War

Rev. Joshua N. McQueen, Civil War

Benjamin Miller, Civil War

John Newton, Civil War

Thomas Patram, Civil War

Noah H. Perry, Civil War

William Rouse, Civil War

Anderson Talkington, Civil War

John Tolen, Civil War

Henry Weekly, Civil War

Everett Jackson Burns, World War I

Hollie S. Champion, World War I

Thomas Conner, World War I

DeWitt Hager, World War I

Glen Edwin Newton, World War I

Lenius Steenbarger, World War I

Myron Steenbarger, World War I

Leroy Edgar Hull, World War II

All historical information was compiled by PARAHOLICS.COM Researcher, Amy Specter.

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