(2009) Enlarge The Infamous Bell marker: On May 23rd, 1856 there was a shootout on main street in Cahawba. The famous Bell shootout occurred when Mrs. Bird's brother, Mathew Troy, was physically attacked by the Bells, and her husband, Will E. Bird came to his aid. The Bells, consisting of J.R. Bell and his son J.A. Bell, were killed. Most of the town watched huddled behind their shutters. The survivors were exonerated in a court of law but, judging from the inscription, not in the eyes of the Bell family

(2009) Enlarge Anna Maria Crocheron grave: The Crocheron family was from Staten Island, N.Y. They built Alabama's first statehouse and ran a profitable mercantile business in Cahawba. In 1848 R.C. Crocheron brought his wife Ann Marie from Philadelphia after he built a mansion onto the read of this family's store (Crocheron's Row). The Columns to this mansion still stand. They returned north each summer to 'take the waters' in Saratoga, and after Ann's death, R.C. moved back to New York permanently

(2009) Enlarge Lizzie Gardner grave: Lizzie died of a painful illness that lasted three years. During the Civil War her mother and sister took pity on the Union soldiers imprisoned in Cahawba. Although poor themselves, they cut up carpets and drapes from their home for blankets, gave the guards food to pass on to the inmates to eat, and ran a book loan program from Mrs. Gardner's vast library of books covering all subjects. An inmate would request a book through a note passed on by a guard and the request would be filled. Many inmates were very thankful for this act of kindness as it made the long hours pass and took their minds off of their constant hunger. Mrs. Gardner hoped a Union mother would extend the same courtesy if her Confederate son were captured