Cong Hendley Stone Bennett Gravesite

Picture taken by the author

This grave was a fun challenge to “unearth” (which is not a term to use in graveyards too often). His Find A Grave profile said he was buried in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Franklin, TN but there were no monument pics. While I was in Franklin one Saturday evening for some pre-wedding activities for my son’s upcoming nuptials I decided to see if I could find him and headed to Mt. Hope (Minnie Pearl is also buried there and I went by and gave a “How-dee”). I walked past the plot where Bennett was supposedly located and couldn’t find anything. I got in my steps that day walking all around and back and forth and nothing.

Then I thought of the tactic I’ve used before and checked to see if there was a relative nearby and found his daughter Martha and son-in-law John Henry Hunter were buried in the same plot. John Henry was a Confederate Captain in the 44th Consolidated Infantry and has an easy to find monument. But still no marker for Bennett.

Photo by the author (the sun was getting low!)

I looked closer at the marker in this picture and realized it wasn’t corner plot marker of some sorts but the bottom of monument that was missing the top. I used my inner Helen Keller and ran my fingers all over the stone and felt some indentions I thought could be carved letters so I drove to a coffee shop under repairs and the owner gave me some old water bottles filled from the newly-updated bathroom sink and I headed back to see if something might show up. And sure enough it did.

Photo from the author

Hooray! That was enough to show me he was there. How I wished for my tombstone cleaning satchel complete with the right cleaning tools and NOT ABBRASIVE cleaning chemicals. Maybe on another visit to see my daughter in law and her husband I’ll re-visit Congressman Bennett and give him a good scrubbing.