Stone Gardens: Bentonville Cemetery holds the remains of the last documented enslaved person in Benton County
- Dennis McCaslin
- Sep 21
- 2 min read
In the tranquility of the Bentonville Cemetery, a simple limestone headstone marks the final resting place of Mary Ann Gilbert (1860–1957) and her husband, Clayton "General" Gilbert (1870–1956).
Their graves, etched with the inscription "Married 68 Years," tell a story of resilience, love, and pioneering spirit that shaped Benton County’s African American community during and after the Civil War and their legacy continues to captivate historians and locals alike.
Mary Ann Gilbert holds a unique place in local history as the last documented freed slave in Benton County. Born into slavery in Tennesse in the 1840s–1850s, she is now thought to have been enslaved by William C. Bryan, a merchant and landowner in Osage Township who owned 15 enslaved individuals, including field hands and domestics, while being involved in county politics.
Her early life, marked by the harsh realities of bondage, ended with emancipation in 1865.
Prior to the Civil War, Benton County’s enslaved population was relatively small, totaling 384 individuals according to the 1860 U.S. Census, representing just 4% of the county’s 9,289 residents.
This contrasts sharply with the state’s overall enslaved population of 25%, reflecting the county’s upland economy, which relied on small-scale farming and livestock rather than large cotton plantations. T
These 384 enslaved people were distributed across approximately 100–150 slaveholders, with most owning just 1–5 individuals to support household or modest farm needs.
Despite the low numbers, slavery played a critical role in the county’s early economic and social structure, with slaveholders comprising about one in four white households, shaping the pre-war landscape that Mary Ann Gilbert navigated before her freedom in 1865.
After emancipation, Mary settled in Bentonville, working as a domestic servant or washerwoman, and oral histories suggest she taught basic literacy to younger community members--a rare skill among newly freed individuals--reflecting her determination to uplift her family.
Clayton Gilbert, born in 1870, met Mary Ann around 1889, beginning a marriage that lasted nearly seven decades. Known locally as "General"--possibly a nod to his commanding community presence or leadership--he worked as a farmer and laborer, contributing to the county’s agricultural growth.
Together, they raised a family, integrating into Bentonville’s small Black community centered around churches like the First Baptist Church, established in 1866. Although very little documentation survived concerning their family, it is thought the couple had at least four children born before 1974.
Their long union, spanning from Reconstruction through the Jim Crow era, stands as a testament to their strength amid adversity.
. A 1920s interview, preserved at the University of Arkansas, mentions a "Mary Gilbert" as a respected elder, aligning with her status as the "last documented" freed slave by the 1910s.
layton’s death in 1956 at age 85–86 and Mary Ann’s in 1957 at around 97 mark the end of an era.
.As Benton County grows, the legacy of Mary Ann and Clayton Gilbert remains a bridge to its past, reminding residents of the diversity that built the community.
