Authorities investigate after Civil War-era graves are disturbed

<p>Authorities are investigating after a Civil War-era cemetery was disturbed near a plantation in southwest Georgia.</p><p>Investigators were told by an Ecila Plantation manager that workers tried to clean up the area, but dug up a concrete slab and tall headstones dating back to 1853, then abruptly stopped their work, sheriff's Lt. Craig Dodd said.</p><p>"No bodies were moved," Dodd said. "The workers went 4 to 6 inches deep into the ground. They're claiming that they thought the cemetery wasn't there."</p><p>The plantation is adjacent to the cemetery, which is located in western Dougherty County near Albany. Dodd was told by manager Freddie Carlisle that workers tried to replace the "messy area" in May or June of 2004 with rye grass_ not knowing the graves were there and believing the area needed maintenance.</p><p>"Once they figured out something was wrong, the workers stopped," Dodd said. "But they didn't tell anybody, and that puts a little damper on things."</p><p>Georgia law stipulates that disturbing a cemetery is a felony, punishable by jail time and a fine of $5,000 per headstone that is disturbed. Even on private property, a cemetery is to be left alone, unless a permit is granted.</p><p>Since the cemetery is over 150 years old, Dodd thought the 24-inch tall tombstones could have sunk into the ground, making them unnoticeable.</p><p>"It doesn't appear to be a malicious job," he said.</p><p>In 2003, Ecila was one of 16 plantations targeted for setting out chicken eggs laced with the pesticide Furdan to kill foxes, possums, coyotes and other creatures that eat quail eggs. Each were required to pay fines of a few thousand dollars to the state Department of Agriculture.</p><p>The Ecila Plantation is owned by A.J. Clark of Bethesda, Md., who could not be reached for comment.</p>