Preserving historic Camp Family Cemetery

A group of volunteers gathered to help clean the historic Camp Family Cemetery in preparation of an official Texas State Historical Marker expected this spring.

Located just outside of Navasota on Highway 90, the cemetery is the gravesite of Ira Camp and his wife Eliza Collins and their children. In addition, it is the burial place of Miriam Beck Forrest Luxton (mother of General Nathan Bedford Forrest).

In 1863, at the height of the war, General Forrest moved his mother and two of his younger half-siblings to the safety of Camp Inn. James Madison Luxton, one of these half-brothers served as a Grimes County Deputy Sheriff. In 1867, he fell ill, and Miriam was called to his side. She got in a carriage and hurried to assist him. When she arrived at the location, she stepped off of the carriage onto a nail. She died of tetanus and/or blood poisoning Nov. 15, 1867. Her son recovered.

In 1924, the Hannibal Boone Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy placed a beautiful grey stone marker on Miriam’s grave in honor of her son, Lt. General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

On Nov. 5, 2022 the Grimes County Greys Camp 924, in Anderson, took the lead in cleaning up the Camp Family Cemetery. Camp Chaplain Faber McMullen arranged the event with the current property owner. Greys Commander, Jody Ballard, said there was a great turnout with 10 workers representing various camps assisting.

Camps and their workers represented include: Grimes County Greys Camp 924 - Jody Ballard, Faber McMullen, Terri Grimm and Don Midkiff; General Jerome B. Robertson Camp 992 - Commander Finney Clay and Tom Merka, Lt. Commander; Sul Ross Camp 1457 - Commander Bill Boyd, Dan Wood and Bobby Diess. Jerry Nelson, Commander, 11th Brigade also attended.