Retreat Burying Groung, Glynn County, Georgia @GlynnGen.com



Retreat Burying Ground
African-American / Retreat Plantation, St. Simons Island

Located on St. Simons Island off of King's Way roundabout turn onto Retreat Avenue. This is a gated community and you must have permission to access the grounds. The cemetery is located behind the RSM Classic & Davis Love Foundation Corporate Offices.

This cemetery is the burial ground for the people enslaved by the Page and King families of Retreat Plantation and New Field. The signage at the cemetery's entrance states: "RETREAT BURYING GROUND Since 1800's, slaves of Retreat Plantation and their direct descendants have been buried beneath these live oaks."

Buried here are the friends and family of the most "famous" of enslaved people from this area, Neptune Small, a man who presumably chose his surname because he was small in stature. He was sent into combat during the Civil War as a body servant for two of the King sons and was lauded and praised for his efforts of reclaiming one son's body from a battle field during the darkest hours of the night. Then, all by himself, he found a horse and cart and brought his master from Virginia back to Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia so that he could be buried until a later time when his remains could be removed to the family plot at Christ Church Frederica, also on St. Simons Island.

Neptune returned to St. Simons Island and was then sent into battle a second time as the body servant of another King son, this time, returning home with said son alive. Twice, Neptune was sent into battle, and we know of one heroic deed attributed to him, that of recovering a soldier's body from a battlefield, and yet, to this day, Neptune Small has never been recognized as a war hero nor even as a participant of the Civil War. While he was not an enlisted soldier, he did serve the Confederacy by taking care of his master while he went into battle, which means that Neptune also saw battle and most likely had to defend himself at various points.

The men and women buried here were pioneer residents of St. Simons Island, landing here in the late 1790's with their enslaver, first, Thomas Spalding who removed to Sapelo Island, and then Major William Page whose daughter, Anna Matilda (Page) King, managed the plantations until her death in 1859. The graves of those long ago ancestors have long since been destroyed and lost over time due to humans and mother nature. Today, a golf course and parking lot squeeze this burial ground into a small little nook, taking away much of the original burial ground as possible. It is a shame no one was there to fight for preservation of this cemetery in the early 1900's in order to save the entire burial ground and not just the 86 marked graves I found in 2021. We know from public records and Anna's own recordkeeping that there are more than just 86 people buried in this burial ground.

Cemetery was surveyed by Amy Lyn Hedrick & Karen Miranda Gleason 11 March 2021.

*Image Key:  Tombstone Photo -       Obituary/Notes - - Requires Adobe Reader
Surname Given Name Maiden Name Birth Date Death Date Burial Sex Vet Age Section Space Images Notes
ABBOTT Phoebe  Murphy  30 Dec 1930  04 Apr 2012  11 Apr 2012     81  A  13      fh. Hall, Jones & Brown FH; d. Brunswick, Glynn, Georgia 
ANDERSON Clifford    00 OOO 1883  24 Nov 1929  28 Nov 1929  M   45  Death Certificate     p. Clifford Anderson & Elizabeth Coleman; m. Luphemia; fh. O.J. Harris, undertaker; cod. acute alcoholism; b. Savannah, Chatham, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
ANDERSON Martha  Wells  00 OOO 1845  22 Jul 1919  23 Jul 1919  F   73  Death Certificate     p. John Wells & Bettie Marshal; fh. John Byrd, undertaker; cod. old age; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
ARMSTRONG Joseph J (Sr)    00 OOO 1876  00 OOO 1964    M   88  A  06      
ARMSTRONG Julia P    00 OOO 1891  00 OOO 1961    F   70  A  07      
ARMSTRONG Virginia    10 Jun 1868  20 May 1922    F   53  C  14      
BAKER Nancy  White  00 OOO 1857  06 Jul 1937  8 Jul 1937  F   79  Death Certificate     p. Robert White & Betsey; m. William Baker; fh. Hall's Funeral Home; cod. cerebral hemorrhage; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
BARNES Creola  Morrison  16 Oct 1879  18 Oct 1948    F   69  B  18      
BARNES James Eugene (Sr)    31 May 1879  03 Ju 1927    M     B  19     p. Jasper Barnes & Dicie Green; m. Creola Morrison; b. Albany, Dougherty, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
BARNES Jasper Spencer    12 Apr 1913  24 Oct 1998    M  WWII US Army Cpl  85  B  20      two tombstones;  
BERNARD Charlie    00 OOO 1929  00 OOO 1984    M  Korea US Army Sgt  55  C  03      
BERNARD Derick J    05 Jul 1970  07 Aug 2017    M   47  C  07      
BRYANT Eliza B    24 Apr 1932  06 Feb 1995    F   62  C  04      
BUTLER Louise    10 Oct 1918  22 Mar 2008    F   89  A  17     
CARTER Gwendolyn    19 Jun 1904  29 Nov 1923  29 Nov 1923  F   19  Death Certificate     p. Anthony Carter & Mamie DeLoach; cod. pulmonary tuberculosis; b. McIntosh County, Georgia; d. McIntosh County, Georgia 
COOPER Lettie C    16 Mar 1909  14 Sep 1973    F   64  A  30     
COOPER Willie Amos    05 Dec 1939  12 Dec 1939  13 Dec 1939  M   7 da  Death Certificate     p. Willie Cooper & Lettie Cummings; cod. icterus; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
CUMMINGS Billie    21 Aug 1923  30 Aug 1923  1 Sep 1923  F   9 da  Death Certificate     p. James Cummings & Rose Murphy; fh. Jimmie Cummings, undertaker; cod. premature; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
CUMMINGS Carey    16 May 1917  10 Feb 1975    M  STM3 US Navy  57  A  29     
CUMMINGS James Joseph (Sr)    00 Mar 1874  03 Dec 1938  5 Dec 1938  M   64  Death Certificate     p. James Cummings & Adlet; m. Rosa Murray; fh. Hall's Funeral Home; cod. pneumonia; b. Camden County, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
CUMMINGS Rosa  Murray  00 Mar 1878  05 Nov 1937  8 Nov 1937  F   59  Death Certificate     p. Cyrus Murray & Sarah; m. James Joseph Cummings, Sr.; fh. Hall's Funeral Home; cod. Bright's disease; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
DAVIS Leanora B    00 OOO 1910  00 OOO 1980    F   70  B  16      
DAVIS Lee Ella    22 Dec 1899  03 Mar 1941    F   41  B  02     double tombstone w/Hennly J. Petterson;  
DOZIER Mary Elizabeth    04 Aug 1929  13 Mar 2019    F   89  A  35      
Surname Given Name Maiden Name Birth Date Death Date Burial Sex Vet Age Section Space Images Notes
DUNHAM Frederick    00 OOO 1848  03 Feb 1924  4 Feb 1924  M   75  Death Certificate     p. Fred Dunham; m. Augusta; fh. John Byrd, undertaker; cod. cerebral hemorrhage; b. Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
FAHM Mollie  Fahm  00 OOO 1874  13 Aug 1933  16 Aug 1933  F   58  Death Certificate     is she buried in this cemetery?; p. Sumner Fahm; m. widow; fh. Byrd & Hall Funeral Home; cod. nephritis; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
FLOYD Consuelo N    29 Oct 1949  25 Jan 2015    F   65  A  15     
FLOYD Elmo C    16 Sep 1911  05 May 1982    M   70  A  20     
FLOYD Emma P    11 May 1907  21 Jun 1995    F   88  A  21     
GRANT Horace W    30 Jun 1947  29 Apr 1966    M   18  A  32     
GRANT James A    08 Dec 1952  09 Jan 1972    M   19  A  31     
GRANT Larry      12 Dec 2017    M           
GRANT William Earl    09 Oct 1957  05 Oct 1997    M  PV2 US Army  39  A  27      
HARDEE Matilda      04 Jul 1916    F     A  19     Wesley Oak Chamber 2128 St. Simons Island, GA;  
HARMAN Claude L    10 May 1910  01 Nov 1961    M   51  A  18     cannot read death year;  
HARRISON Eliza  White  26 Nov 1926  24 May 2004    F   77  C  17      
JACKSON Araminta B    00 OOO 1912  00 OOO 1968    F   56  B  17      
KEYLOR Arthur    00 Feb 1920  10 Apr 1921  11 Apr 1921  M   14 mo  Death Certificate     p. Arthur Keylor & Rockenia Owens; fh. none; cod. flue; b. Hackinsack, New Jersey; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
KING Charlie    03 Jun 1877  14 Jun 1977    M   100  C  12      
KING Cloie    00 Sep 1886  25 Mar 1950    F   63  C  13      
LEWIS Eugene W    12 Nov 1920  07 Jun 1995    M   74  A  02      
LEWIS Josephine    00 OOO 1900  00 OOO 1934    F   34  A  01      
LEWIS Leon    12 Oct 1919  15 Aug 1972    M  WWII US Army S Sgt  52  A  08      
LIFE Sadie    12 Jul 1897  19 Mar 1965    F   67  C  25       
LOTSON Elethia    20 Sep 1913  24 Dec 2006    F   93  A  11     
LOTSON James    11 Jul 1913  06 Feb 1984    M   70  A  10      
MCINTOSH Elizabeth  Robinson  15 Aug 1884  19 Nov 1938    F   54  C  15     1933 or 1938; m. Herbert McIntosh; b. Georgia; d. Hackensack, Bergen, New Jersey 
MCINTOSH Herbert    18 Oct 1859  08 Aug 1925  10 Aug 1925  M   65  C  16     death certificate is hard to read, mother's name was Celia, marked out, then Maria and Owens or Sevens; his birth was recorded in plantation records but census records give 1860 to 1865; p. Sam McIntosh & Maria Owens; m. 1) Carrie Williams 2) Elizabeth Robinson; fh. John Byrd, undertaker; cod. acute uraemic poisoning; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
MCINTOSH Katie    08 Jan 1921  14 Jan 1922    F   12 mo  Death Certificate     no tombstone found; p. Herbert McIntosh & Elizabeth Robinson; fh. none; cod. broncho pneumonia; b. Glynn County, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
Surname Given Name Maiden Name Birth Date Death Date Burial Sex Vet Age Section Space Images Notes
MORRISON Fletta  Coleman  00 OOO 1875  20 Oct 1957    F   81  B  09      
MURPHY Cassius (Jr)    16 Jul 1877*  07 May 1935  9 May 1935  M   57  Death Certificate     death certificate says he was born the 15th but age at death calculates to 16 July 1877; p. Cassius Murphy, Sr. & Patience Fahm; m. Cornelia Small; fh. Byrd & Hall Funeral Home; cod. cirrhosis of liver; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
MURPHY Hester  Murray  00 OOO 1885  11 Jul 1964  15 Jul 1964  F   78  Death Certificate     p. Cyrus Murray & Sarah; m. London Murphy; d. Glynn County, Georgia 
PALMER Araminta  Davis  04 Feb 1930  28 Mar 1998    F   68  B  15     fh. Hall, Jones, & Brown FH 
PALMER Monroe Benjamin (Sr)    10 Jul 1927  24 May 2013  1 Jun 2013  M  WWII US Navy STMI  85  B  14     p. Saul Palmer & Viola Mells; fh. Hall, Jones, & Brown FH; b. Meridian, Georgia; d. Brunswick, Glynn, Georgia 
PETTERSON Hennly J    28 Feb 1896  24 Jun 1945    M   49  B  01     double tombstone w/Lee Ella Davis;  
PROCTOR Samuel (Jr)    16 Feb 1946  20 May 1967    M  Vietnam CPL CO B 4 BN 503 INF PH  21  A  03     
RAMSEY Hannah  White  00 OOO 1872  20 Oct 1946  24 Oct 1946  F   73  Death Certificate     p. Abram White & Mary; m. widow; fh. Hall, Jones & Brown FH; cod. myocarditis; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, GEorgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
REESE Charlotte M    06 Jun 1904  01 May 1992    F   87  B  11      
SHEPPARD Agnes N    00 OOO 1917  00 OOO 1980    F   63  C  08      
SHEPPARD Holland    30 Apr 1912  03 Oct 2003    M   91  A  16     
SHEPPARD Simon    00 OOO 1916  00 OOO 1980    M   64  C  02      
SHEPPARD Sonny Keno    00 OOO 1910  00 OOO 1976    M   66  A  23     
SHEPPARD MENZIES Marian Shirley    11 Mar 1944  03 Sep 2011    F   67  A  22 �     cremains;  
SMALL Alexander    00 OOO 1864  11 Feb 1934  13 Feb 1934  M   69  Death Certificate     p. Alexander Galaway & Hannah Small; m. widow; fh. Byrd & Hall Funeral Home; cod. aterio sclerosis; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simions Is, Glynn, Georgia 
SMALL Charlotte    30 Aug 1845  BEF 1900    M          Charlotte Galery was enslaved by the King family at Retreat Plantation on St. Simons Island; p. Alex Galery & Ellen; m. Neptune Small, Jur; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
SMALL Clarence    00 Jun 1882  19 Apr 1938  21 Apr 1938  M   55  Death Certificate     his death certificate says his mother was Ila, however, Ila died in 1875 and could not possibly be his mother.; p. Neptune Small & Charlotte Galery; m. Betty Baker; fh. Hall's Funeral Home; cod. carcinoma of colon; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
SMALL Ila    30 Dec 1834  BEF 1875    F          m. Neptune Small; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
SMALL Mamie (s/o)    01 Dec 1927  01 Dec 1927  1 Dec 1927  M   INF  Death Certificate     p. Mamie Small; fh. none; cod. premature birth; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
SMALL Neptune (Sr)    04 Aug 1796  BEF 1853    M   57       enslaved by William Page then later by his daughter Anna Matilda (Page) King; he may have been born in South Carolina or on another plantation owned by Page in Georgia; m. Sukey; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
SMALL Neptune (Jr)    15 Sep 1831  10 Aug 1907    M   75  B  08     Plaque: NEPTUNE BELONGED TO MR. AND MRS. THOMAS BUTLER KING OF RETREAT PLANTATION. WHEN THEIR SON CAPT. H.L.P. KING, ENLISTED IN THE CONFEDERATE ARMY, NEPTUNE ACCOMPANIED HIM TO WAR AS HIS BODY-SERVANT. CAPT. KING WAS KILLED AT THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA, DECEMBER 13, 1862. WHEN NIGHT FELL NEPTUNE WENT OUT ON THE BATTLEFIELD, FOUND THE BODY OF HIS MASTER, AND BROUGHT IT HOME TO REST IN THE FAMILY BURYING GROUND AT CHRIST C
SMALL Sukey    00 OOO 1817  01 Jun 1852    F   34       enslaved by Anna (Matilda) Page King and her husband Thomas Butler King; m. Neptune Small, Sr; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
SPAULDING Annie    08 Feb 1891  08 Feb 1925    F   34  A  12      
TAYLOR Adlet W    08 Dec 1925  01 May 1995    F   69  A  28      
UNKNOWN Adult 01               A  09    slab next to James Lotson, no marker;  
Surname Given Name Maiden Name Birth Date Death Date Burial Sex Vet Age Section Space Images Notes
UNKNOWN Adult 02               A  24    next to Sonny Sheppard;  
UNKNOWN Adult 03               A  25    next to Unknown Adult 02 which was next to Sonny Sheppard;  
UNKNOWN Adult 04               A  26    next to William Grant;  
UNKNOWN Adult 05               A  33    next to Horace W. Grant;  
UNKNOWN Adult 06               A  34    next to Mary Elizabeth Dozier;  
UNKNOWN Adult 07               A  04    next to Samuel Proctor;  
UNKNOWN Adult 08               A  05    next to Joseph J. Armstrong, Sr;  
UNKNOWN Adult 09               A  14    brick coping mixed w/concrete, tree pushing up against coping; grave is 20 feet from paved golf cart path;  
UNKNOWN Adult 10               B  03     in a row of five, between the Petterson/Davis stone and the Neptune Small marker;  
UNKNOWN Adult 11               B  04     in a row of five, between the Petterson/Davis stone and the Neptune Small marker;  
UNKNOWN Adult 12               B  05     in a row of five, between the Petterson/Davis stone and the Neptune Small marker;  
UNKNOWN Adult 13               B  06     in a row of five, between the Petterson/Davis stone and the Neptune Small marker;  
UNKNOWN Adult 14               B  07     in a row of five, between the Petterson/Davis stone and the Neptune Small marker;  
UNKNOWN Adult 15               B  13     behind Victoria White's tombstone; is this possibly where her tombstone belongs or is this another grave?;  
UNKNOWN Adult 16               B  10    left of Charlotte Resse;  
UNKNOWN Adult 17               B  12    right of Charlotte M. Reese;  
UNKNOWN Adult 18               C  01    next to Simon Sheppard;  
UNKNOWN Adult 19               C  09    next to Agnes N. Sheppard;  
UNKNOWN Adult 20               C  10    below unmarked next to Agnes N. Sheppard;  
UNKNOWN Adult 21               C  20    next to John Wilson;  
UNKNOWN Adult 22               C  21    next to unmarked that is next to John Wilson;  
UNKNOWN Adult 23               C  22    next to Abraham Howard Wilson, Sr.;  
UNKNOWN Adult 24               C  24     to the left of Sadie Life;  
UNKNOWN Adult 25               C  26     to the right of Sadie Life;  
UNKNOWN Adult 26               C  28     next to Janie Wilson;  
Surname Given Name Maiden Name Birth Date Death Date Burial Sex Vet Age Section Space Images Notes
WALTERS Patsy  Bryant  19 Feb 1957  12 Nov 2012    F   55  C  06      
WHITE Arthur    00 OOO 1883  14 Oct 1920  15 Oct 1920  M   36  Death Certificate     p. Jupiter White & Victoria Merchant; m. Lula Brinson; fh. none; cod. valvular disease of heart; b. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia; d. St Simons Is, Glynn, Georgia 
WHITE Ellen R    00 OOO 1882  00 OOO 1962    F   80  C  11      
WHITE Victoria    09 Jul 1854  06 Feb 1927    F   72  B  21       
WILLIAMS Ila  Davis  11 Apr 1934  03 Jun 2012    F   78  B  22      
WILSON Abraham Howard (Sr)    14 Aug 1906  24 May 1992    M   85  C  23      
WILSON Janie    00 OOO 1881  00 OOO 1952    F   71  C  27       
WILSON John    22 Sep 1904  19 Nov 1976    M   72  C  19      
WILSON Madlene  Jackson  08 Jan 1926  12 May 1999    M   73  B  23       
WILSON Ruby C    03 Oct 1908  29 Dec 1994    F   86  C  18      
WOODARD Theodore (III)    24 Aug 2000  12 Aug 2001    M   11 mo  C  05      






Last Updated:  18 March 2021

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Please report any inaccuracies to: Amy Lyn Hedrick

All photographs are copyrighted by Amy Lyn Hedrick & Karen Miranda Gleason and may be used for personal use only.

 

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