White Oak Flats Cemetery is one of the last places still bearing Gatlinburg’s original name. I got tired go there today and spent a lot of time walking up and down the steep hill it’s a part of.
Before we go much further, there are gravestones bearing that members were former fighters for the Confederacy. I do acknowledge that this may be upsetting to some people for a variety of reasons. When it comes to the Dead, I do not discriminate based on their potential (mis)deeds. They are the Dead now and the act of dying opens a lot of eyes in a lot of ways and this has played out with me, personally, in other areas. My family overwhelmingly fought for the North.
The family who had the majority of the CSA gravestones also had service in WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.
As a former soldier myself, I honor all soldiers, including those who tried to kill me. Thus, those pictures of their gravestones will be included here. I do apologize if this causes friction.
4 Likes
You can’t really drive up and park at this cemetery. Parking will cost about $20 for the day. Come early.
You’ll also have a hard time finding an address. The entrance is a ramp just behind this colorful place.
And then up the creepy looking walkway that seems even creepier because of the lack of graffiti.
This is what you’re greeted with.
There are 3000 known burials and a thousand more suspected. Given the establishment date, it’s safe to assume that it was in use long before. Certainly felt like it. The vibe was more of an undertone of energy than up and in your face sort. Really had seeped into the place.
4 Likes
I was greeted early on by a spirit that was dark, but not malevolent. He simply wanted to acknowledge me and be acknowledged. That was fine. Throughout the walk, there were several that came around that weren’t going to be a problem for me, but I could see them taking advantage of someone unsuspecting and without many means to fight back. Not evil, but opportunistic at times was what came to mind.
2 Likes
Some of the graves that touched me more deeply were those where the names were just scratched into the stone. Such a simple act, done with care, still visible despite the elements.
No the next spot here is where a female spirit came into the site from the left and disappeared here in this spot. I suspected it was the rumored ghost of Lydia. She wasn’t coherent when I felt her disappear there, because she was focused, but then returned and spoke to me that if I took a picture of the in place she stopped, I could grab a stone from the graveyard and no one would be offended. I was near the top left.ofmthe cemetery at that time, so I had to have her guide me to the spot. Don’t know why it was important, didn’t ask. But I will be seeing her again, I suspect, even if we don’t interact much (my usual daily offerings to the Dead). Done.
Before I forget again, the latest grave was 2019.
3 Likes
I did take some photos of areas where there obviously used to be graves. Not nearly all or even a large percentage.
2 Likes
And that’s it. Plenty of “active” graves there. By active, I mean that they are still linked to a spirit at that site. May not be the same person whose grave it is, but there is a sentience linked to it.
I did have some spirits from that site volunteer their services, mainly soldiers, so I invited those interred there, with or without stones, to come for the daily offerings, if they agreed to follow the rules. I look forward to seeing them there.
New site tomorrow!
2 Likes
