Two thousand memories swirled around me. Only about four hundred and sixty still had names and dates. This is Eagle Cliff / Miles Cemetery. Nestled in farmland and old trees lies the final resting places of over two thousand people. The years have not been kind to this dear old place. Weather and vandals have been harsh to the cemetery. Many graves like the ones above are weathered and barely legible. The cemetery has a story to tell though, one filled with a strange joy and heartbreak. The story started with Stephen W. Miles.
He was born on November 30, 1795 in Cazenovia, New York. He lived up north for his childhood and early adult life. He earned a liberal education and became a very proficient violinist. The War of 1812 called him away. He returned a veteran and received a warrant of land in Monroe County, Il for his service. Stephen moved his life to Southern Illinois. Soon afterwards he met the love of his life and married Lucretia Shook. Together they had three children. One can imagine he lived a very comfortable life. His neice described him as "a government surveyor, who had settled on a 5,000 acre tract of fertile land in Eagle Cliff, Il." Stephen was financially very well off for his day and age. Looking out over his land he once said, "For miles and miles, it is all Miles." The proud man used to once walk these very grounds.
This is just a little bit about Stephen. Along the way this cemetery became a public burial ground. Families began to bury their beloved lost ones as early as 1800. Some graves were marked with just rocks and others were not even marked. Sleeping here are seventeen marked veterans of five different wars. These brave men fought in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Blackhawk War, Mexican War, and the Civil War.
Why is this lost piece of history so enticing? It is the beauty and mystery of the lonely place. The cemetery starts out with just a couple of graves but then widens into row after row of graves. Woods flank both sides blocking out any distractions. Tall stately trees grow randomly between graves casting patches of sunlight. There is a lovely memorial created in honor of the unmarked graves and found tombstones that do not have a grave. It asks us to remember these people who are "lost forever in time." Next to it is a lovely stone bench that one can take a moment to ponder their history.
The picture I took above was taken near the beginning of the cemetery. I like how the sun came out to light this picture. Originaly it was an overcast day. I knelt down to be almost eye-level with the graves. This way I could capture the weathered tombstones and dappled sunlight. The pictures I took that day now live on. I've added their memory to my life.
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