HUNTER CEMETERY (Historic)-MAURY COUNTY, MT PLEASANT, TENNESSEE 

July 12, 1887, an awful day, in the Hunter (black section) Cemetery.

This is an abstract from the diary of William McClinchey. It is from Vol 14-issue 1, page 5, "Historic Maury Quarterly", 1978.

1887
July 12 - The most appalling occurrence we have ever heard of took place at the Hunter Cemetery this evening. The people had met to bury a colored woman named Terry and a shower of rain coming up, a number took shelter under a large Oak tree; which was struck by lightening killing nine persons. Before that we have no recollection of more than two being killed by a single bolt of lightening electricity; others have been knocked down senseless, but recovered! It is a terrible warning to many of us, who were not at the burial. We know not when to expect the grim messinger - 'In the midst of life, we are in death"...Those killed at the cemetery were: Rev. Burch, Mrs. Burch, Emanl. Orr, Mrs. Guthrie, Tom Rogers, Hester Terry, Harriet Terry, Rose Terry and Inez Hanna.

July 13 - They were all buried in one grave, except Mrs. Guthrie, near where they fell.

Mr. McClinchey never did say where they buried Mrs. Guthrie. Mr. McClinchey lived in the Mt. Pleasant area. So, I presume this is Hunter Cemetery (black section) at Mt. Pleasant. This location is 100 yards from the Hunter Cemetery (white section)

Compiled by Pat Cribbet, 2005