Burside Cemetery
Click for Photo Gallery

Article by Dorothy Falk as of 1999

A family cemetery sits within the Eldon Hazlet State Park, north of Carlyle, near Carlyle Lake. It is located about a quarter of a mile south of the Cherokee hiking trail entrance, up a winding grass path. It is on a hill overlooking a field of wildflowers and the spot where the Burnside's house used to be long ago. There is a wooden fence around the cemetery.

There are only 17 individuals known to be buried here, two others assumed to be buried here and probably others unmarked. Nine are from the BURNSIDE family, three from the HOOD family, three from the FOREST family, one from the ALLEN family and one from the LEDBETTER family. Although little is known about the relationship of these families, we do know that the Burnsides, Hoods and Forests were all originally from Ireland, they were all farmers, and census records indicate that they may have been neighbors. We assume that Ledbetters were also friends of the Burnside family.

Grave Name Born Died Inscriptions and Comments
1 ALLEN, Benjamin1830 22 Apr 1852 Was the grandson of the elder John Burnside, and son of Jane Burnside. Died at the age of 21 years, 7 months and 13 days. This data was on the bottom part of a broken stone. Same marker, top portion, stone fragment says Died in April, Age 48 years, 11 months. This could be the grave for Jane BURNSIDE ALLEN. 
1 ALLEN, Jane BURNSIDE Apr Same marker as ALLEN, Benjamin, top portion, stone fragment says Died in April, Age 48 years, 11 months.This could be the grave for Jane BURNSIDE ALLEN. 
5 BURNSIDE, Eliza8 Jan 1799 1 Apr 1832 Second wife of James Burnside, Jr. was born in Ireland. She emigrated with her husband to Irishtown, Clinton County, Illinois in 1817. She and James, Jr. had six children: John, Samuel, Sarah, Robert, Thomas, and William G. Eliza died at the age of 33 years, 2 months and 23 days, 20 years before her husband died. 
4 BURNSIDE, James, Jr.1793 9 Feb 1851 Was the first man to make settlement here in the spring of 1817. He was born in Northern Ireland and came to this country in 1816, and first stopped in Indiana. He came to this country a single man, and married Elizabeth in Indiana. He remained there a year, then they came to the northern part of Clinton County, Illinois in what is now called Irishtown Township. The life and death of Elizabeth is unknown but from the union, six children were born. James worked in agriculture, as listed in the census records, we have records of James, Jr. purchasing 160 acres of land at the price of $2 an acre in Section 28 on 25 Sep 1817. This was his original purchase of land from the State of Illinois. James is buried on the top of the mound in the cemetery next to his second wife Eliza. He died at the age of 59. 
2 BURNSIDE, John6 Jun 1829 3 Aug 1861 Son of John and Catherine Burnside. John married Martha C. Prathen and from this union, one child was born  
3 BURNSIDE, John1791 11 Dec 1851 Son of James Burnside, Sr., and brother of James Burnside, Jr. He and his family came to this area a year after his brother in 1819 and appear in the 1820 Bond County and Federal census. John married Catherine and from this union, eight children were born. He was appointed trustee for the school system for township 3, range 2. John worked in agriculture and took over James 
9 BURNSIDE, John26 Jan 1818 21 Jan 1861 Eldest son of James, Jr. and Eliza, died at the age of 42 years, 11 months, 25. The only glimpse into the life of John is through the epitaph carved into his tombstone which reads: "His face was fair, his person pleasing, his temper amiable, his heart kind. He delighted in relieving the wants of his fellow creatures. To the poor he was a benefactor, to the rich an example. To the prosperous, an ornament. He loved to do good and thanked his Creator for being permitted to do so. When death took him from the bosom of his family, he could but transport him to a just God." 
8 BURNSIDE, Robert G.6 Jan 1829 24 Aug 1846 Twin son of James, Jr. and Eliza, died shortly after his twin brother, Thomas, at the age of 17 years, 7 months and 18 days. He was thought to have died from diptheria (a respiratory virus) and/or consumption. 
6 BURNSIDE, Sarah1 Nov 1822 17 Jan 1842 The only daughter of James, Jr. and Eliza, died at the age of 19 years, 2 months and 16 days. She was thought to have died from diptheria (a respiratory virus) and/or consumption. 
7 BURNSIDE, Thomas H6 Jan 1829 5 May 1846 Twin son of James, Jr. and Eliza, died at the age of 17 years, 3 months and 29 days. He was thought to have died from diptheria (a respiratory virus) and/or consumption. 
13 FOREST, David1839 10 Nov 1855 Son of J. & E., died at the age of 16 years, 8 months and 5 days. Nothing else is known about David. 
13 FOREST, Elizabeth1837 9 May 1945 Believed to be the daughter of James and Elizabeth Forest, died at the age of 8 years, 3 months and 9 days. Nothing else is known about Elizabeth. 
13 FOREST, Jamesabt 1810 23 Feb 1868 Born in Ireland. The first record of them here is the 1860 census which indicates that they arrived in this area between 1850 and 1860. The census spells their name Forrest, but we assume they are the same family. We also assume that David, Elizabeth and Robert are children of James and Elizabeth, they all died before the 1860 census as James and Elizabeth are shown alone in the census. James, David, Elizabeth (daughter) and Robert 
13 FOREST, Robert1845 9 Jan 1856 Believed to be the son of James and Elizabeth Forest. Died at the age of 11 years, 3 months and 11 days. Nothing else is known about Robert. 
12 HOOD, James B.26 Jan 1830 22 Oct 1860 Oldest son of Thomas and Elizabeth, died at the age of 30. Little is known about James. 
10 HOOD, John T.15 Dec 1833 18 Sep 1860 Son of Thomas and Elizabeth. John died at the age of 26. Marriage records showed that John married Sarah Barker 2 Dec 1858. 
11 HOOD, Thomas1792 1 Jan 1857 His wife was listed as born in Ireland, so we can assume he was, too. He married Elizabeth, and they and their two sons arrived here before 1830 as indicated by census records. Those records indicated that Thomas was a farmer. He died at the age of 65. The 1860 census was the first census that indicated where the people were born, but Thomas had died before that census. He is buried next to his two sons, John and James. His stone says "In memory of". 
14 LEDBETTER, Marion17 Mar 1860 21 Oct 1860 Son of Henry and Mary Elizabeth, died within a year of his birth. In an 1860 census, Marion is listed as being five months old. Cause of death is unknown. There is a poem about leaving his Father, Mother and little sister. 
 MCNEILL, Elizabeth Burnside  Sister of James, Sr., lived on a river bank in London, Derry County, Ireland. In the spring of 1823, Elizabeth and three of her children came to America by way of sailboat. She was run out of Ireland, because she was a protestant, by Mary, Queen of Scots. After a hazardous three week trip crossing the Atlantic, they landed at Quebec, Canada. They came down the Ohio River in a yawl (a two-mastered sailing vessel), and landed in Shawneetown, Illinois. They came an overland route to Irishtown Township, Clinton County, Illinois in 1823. Elizabeth is believed to be buried in the Burnside cemetery but her marker no longer appears where it once was long ago.  

Burns Cemetery Map

Cemetery ID:92