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Locating the African Cemetery at
Higgs Beach
The African
cemetery appears on an 1861 map drawn by the US Army Corps of
Engineers. It was located in an uninhabited tract of land, along
the beach. On the map, it is labeled "African
Cemetery," and nine small X's are drawn to represent the
location of the graves. This same location was later chosen for
the site of one of two Martello towers constructed to fortify
the island during the US Civil war.
Click on map to see close up.
File is large. Will take time to open.
Using this map,
and transferring the information to a modern map, the general
location of the African Cemetery was determined. According to
this, the 295 graves were under the West Martello structure, and
extended out onto the beach towards the East. An archaeological
survey was designed to test the theory of their location. Though
it was important to find any graves, it was imperative that the
search would not cause any disturbance, or affect their
integrity. Ground-penetrating Radar (GPR) offered the best
solution.
Ground-penetrating
radar data is generated by the reflection of pulses of energy
transmitted into the ground. The energy bounces off the buried
features, and is detected with a receiving antenna. Each
below-ground feature reflects this energy in its own unique way.
Objects, and soils of different densities will generate
detectable signals. By providing the user with the ability to
“see” below the surface without disturbing anything, GPR is
the ideal tool for locating sensitive features such as graves.
Three grids of
GPR data were collected in areas to the East and North of the
West Martello tower. The area immediately adjacent to the fort
was found to be highly disturbed, probably as a result of
construction. An area to the north, across the street from the
beach, was also found to be disturbed. But on the beach,
approximately 40 feet from the fort walls, rows of grave-like
features were found. Though GPR does not currently reveal
details such as skeletons or coffins, it does show excavation
features. At this location, 2 to 3 feet below the surface were a
series of 5 to 6 foot long oval holes exactly where the African
Cemetery was located in 1861. Nine of these are very clear, and
another six are there, but not as well defined. These features
are closely spaced, and form three rows.
The images recorded of these features match exactly with
other known gravesites found by using GPR.
So, has the
African Cemetery of 1860 been located? Without digging at the
site, it is impossible to say with absolute certainty. But
nonetheless, the evidence is quite strong. A series of
grave-sized disturbances have been found in the beach exactly
where historic documents say the African Cemetery should be.
These are relatively shallow features, and are lined in closely
spaced rows, much as would be expected from the interment of a
large number of people in a short time. These features also fit
in the context of the construction of the fort. When it was
built in 1862, it is recorded that many graves were encountered
and removed. The features revealed by the GPR survey are
probably those graves at the periphery of the cemetery, and
outside of the area affected by construction. Of the 295 burials
on Higgs Beach, it appears that only around 15 remain intact.
Because of the
sanctity of the graves, it is felt that they should not be
excavated. A tremendous wealth of historical documents tells us
who these people were, and what their situation was. Their story
can be reconstructed without disturbing their graves. As GPR
technology improves, and it is doing so rapidly, scientists will
soon be able to see under ground much more clearly. Future
surveys at the African Cemetery site will allow specific
details, such as skeletons, to be seen. For now the more
important question is where are all the bones that were removed
in 1862?
The Ground-penetrating Radar
Survey
For three days,
June 14, 15, and 16 of 2002, a team of archaeologists and
volunteers conducted a Ground-penetrating Radar survey in the
area of Higgs Beach to locate any evidence of the African
Cemetery. Grids were laid out on the ground, and using a
hand-towed antenna, radar signals were generated and their
reflections measured. The
data was collected into a computer, and once processed, clear
images of the subsurface structures were revealed. A series of
shallow graves was found near the sidewalk on the beach.
Project
Participants:
Lawrence
Conyers, Ph.D., University of Denver
Eileen Erenwein,
Graduate Student University of Arkansas
Corey Malcom,
MFMHS Archaeologist
Brian Blanco,
MFMHS Archaeological Assistant and Videographer
Rev. William
McKinzie, Volunteer Assistant
The West
Martello Tower
In 1860 the
site of the African Cemetery was a remote and rarely visited
part of Key West. But the outbreak of the Civil War prompted
Army engineers to better fortify the island. Construction began
on Fort Taylor Towers No. 1 (“West Martello”), and No. 2
(“East Martello”) in January of 1862. As the ground was
being cleared for the first site, some of the graves were
uncovered and the sight of the bodies, together with the stench
repulsed the workers. The skeletons were removed, and reburied
elsewhere. Construction continued only to be halted in 1866, and
the uncompleted fortification was abandoned.
Tower No. 1
fell into disrepair, but there is debate as to how it was
dismantled – some say it was used as target practice by
gunners at Fort Taylor, and others believe it was used by local
residents for bricks. The site was purchased by cigar
manufacturer Eduardo H. Gato in the early 1890’s. Under his
ownership, the fort was used as a stockade and stable, and was
occupied as a living quarters for several families. In 1898,
during the war with Spain, the Army reoccupied the site, and
reinforced it with two guns placed on the seaward side of the
fort. During World War II an anti-aircraft battery was mounted
there, with troops stationed in barracks nearby. After the war,
the Army left Key West, and the tower was deeded to Monroe
County. Today, it is home to the Key West Garden Club.
In the summer
of 2002, trenches were excavated on the beach immediately to the
west of the tower, beginning construction for new restrooms.
Staff from Monroe County, the City of Key West, and the Mel
Fisher Maritime Heritage Society joined together to recover some
of the many artifacts that lay buried below. Items dating from
the Civil War period through the 1940’s directly reflect the
history and use of the “West Martello” Tower.
The Burials
Many of the
Africans were quite ill from the harsh, inhumane conditions they
endured aboard the slave ships during their voyage from the
Coast of Western Africa. Despite the efforts of the US Marshal
to restore their health, during the eighty-five days they were
in Key West, 295 of the Africans died.
A cemetery was
established for them on a sand ridge along the southern shore of
the island. The burials were carried out by Daniel Davis, a
local carpenter who had also helped in the construction of the
barracoons, and hospital. Davis was paid $5.50 by the government
for each of the burials.
A poignant
description of one of the funeral services is recounted by
Jefferson Browne in his 1912 history of Key West:
"The first burial was of a child six weeks old,
whose young mother was barely in her teens. Her devotion to her
offspring made her an object of much sympathy to the visitors to
the camp, and, upon the death of the child, our people provided
a handsome coffin to bury it in. The interment took place some
distance from the barracoon, and the Africans were allowed to be
present at the services, where they performed their native
ceremony. Weird chants were sung, mingled with loud wails of
grief and mournful moans from a hundred throats, until the
coffin was lowered into the grave, when at once the chanting
stopped and perfect silence reigned, and the Africans marched
back to the barracoon with out a sound.”
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