HILL-JOHNSON CEMETERY
(Smith Cemetery)The Hill-Johnson Cemetery is located on the Roby Inman farm, north of Parsons to the rear of the home of Mr. & Mrs. Cleo Rhodes at 2053 Holladay Road. The cemetery is reached via a farm road which begins at the driveway, passes all the farm outbuildings, climbs the hill behind the house, then follows the south fence line down the opposite side of the hill. The cemetery is behind the fence about 3/4 of the way down. Cemetery maintenance may be limited to a once-yearly clearing. There are seven fieldstone-marked graves — three in the Hill-Quinn area, two in the row with the Jas. Johnson military marker, and two with the Smith markers.
David Donahue recorded Hill-Johnson Cemetery July 11, 2004. Margarett Alexander recorded Hill-Johnson Cemetery on March 20, 1977. Her record appears as an unnamed cemetery in Decatur County, Tennessee Cemetery Records, published by the Nathaniel A. Wesson Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Parsons, Tennessee, p. 595.
Hill, Mary E. [see Quinn, Mary E. Hill]
Inman, Infant, Aug. 17, 1917-Aug. 18, 1917, "Infant daughter of R. E. & M. D. Inman"
Inman, Martha D. Quinn, Aug. 5, 1882-Dec. 10, 1961
Johnson, Jas., no dates, military marker "Corp'l Co. D. 7th Tenn Cav."
Quinn, John M., 1842-1903, military marker "Co A 3 US Vols Civil War"
Quinn, Laura, 1884-1900, "Daughter"
Quinn, Mary E. Hill, 1859-1891, "Mother" [replacement]Quinn, Martha [see Inman, Martha D. Quinn]
Quinn, Rosette H., 1866-1920
Quinn, John A., 1861-1928 [replacement]Smith, Emiline, Oct. 15, 1840-Oct. 1, 1865, "Wife of W. H. Smith"
Smith, Isaac L., June 7, 1863-May 18, 1942
Smith, Pollie A., Aug. 25, 1863-Sept. 19, 1901, "Wife of Isaas Smith" (broken)
Smith, W. H., July 21, 1838-June 3, 1889, "Husband of Emiline and Emly Smith"
Smith, Walter, Sept. 10, 1892-Dec. 24, 1892, "Son of Isaac L. & Polie A. Smith"
Hill-Johnson Cemetery
by William (Bill) ChumneyThis is the old John Prior Hill property and cemetery. John Prior Hill was born ca. 1801 in North Carolina and died after Feb. 2, 1867. He was probably the first Baptist preacher in this area, settling with two of his brothers, Campbell Hill and Dutton Hill. His wife was Rebecca Aldridge Hill (b. ca. 1805 in North Carolina, d. after 1860). One of their daughters was Fannie A. Elizabeth Hill who married James Johnson. Fannie and James acquired the farm and lived there until he died during the Civil War. He is buried in the cemetery.
Children of John Prior Hill known buried in the cemetery:
1. Fannie Elizabeth Hill and husband James Johnson
2. Emiline Hill and husband W. H.Smith
3. Martha Melinda Hill and husband Robert M Quinn, Jr.
4. Mary Elizabeth Hill and husband John M. QuinnFannie A. Elizabeth Hill was born ca.1832 in the part of Perry Co., Tennessee that is now Decatur Co. On Oct. 20, 1854, she married James Johnson, the son of Jeremiah Johnson. James was born ca. 1832 in the part of Perry Co. that is now Decatur Co., Tennessee. The marriage was performed by John Priar Hill, a Baptist minister and Elizabeth's father, in the home of John Priar Hill, witnessed by John M. Johnson and John T. Hill.
James Johnson enrolled in company D of the 2nd Regiment of West Tennessee Cavalry on Sept. 23, 1862 at Carroll Co. and mustered into service as Corporal on Sept. 24, 1862 at Trenton, Tennessee, to serve one year. This regiment was later changed to become Company D 7th Tennessee Cavalry. He was mustered out of service Oct. 26, 1863 at Saulsbury, Tennessee. While in service at Saulsbury, Tennessee he contracted smallpox. At the date he was mustered out of service, he was still suffering from this disease and left camp in a wagon. Near Bethel Station in McNairy Co., Tennessee, he had a relapse from the smallpox and died Nov. 13, 1863. He was being treated by E. D. Bostick, acting assistant Surgeon for the 7th Tennessee Cavalry and his death was witnessed by James P. Haggard of Co E 6th Regiment of Tennessee Cavalry. He was taken home dead and buried on Nov. 17, 1863 in the family grave yard near the rear of his residence in Decatur Co., Tennessee. Fannie A. Elizabeth Hill Johnson died about 1891.
James Johnson and Fannie Elizabeth Hill had two children, William Campbell Johnson and Sarah Johnson. They lived on this farm until they were grown. Later William Campbell Johnson, my grandfather, bought Sarah's half of the farm. William Campbell Johnson acquired other land but he would never sell this farm. When his oldest daughter, Ada, married John Hearington, he let them live on the farm until she got sick and moved into Parsons. At the time of his death he left one half of the farm to Ada and the other half to another daughter, Genora, the wife of Claude Evans. When Genora died she left the farm to her daughter Mable Inman, when she died it was left to her daughter Claudine Rhodes.
John M. Quinn was first in the Southern army, taken prisoner and then joined the Northern army. He was sent West to fight the Indians.
Buried in the cemetery in unidentified graves are Elizabeth's sister Martha Melinda Hill Quinn (ca. 1837-aft. 1880) and Martha's husband Robert M. Quinn, Jr. (ca. 1835-aft. 1880).
There are several more unmarked graves in this cemetery and as this is the old Hill-Johnson property, Elizabeth probably had her father, John Priar Hill and mother, Rebecca buried here along with some more of her sisters and brothers.