Honor his ancestry. Keep the area presentable and gladly answer any questions pertaining to the history of the area or of those interred.

One Rowesville man says those humble goals are difficult to do when thieves stoop to stealing the ornaments around graves.

"The Confederate flag, which flies upon Col. Donald R. Barton's grave, was broken and stolen," Rowesville resident Jerry Snelgrove said. "We, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, take pride in our duties, heritage and always will." Snelgrove said that sometime during the late afternoon of Oct. 6, a Confederate battle flag that had flown over Barton's grave for nearly two years was stolen, its 8-foot staff broken off at the base.

On that day, Snelgrove had driven past the cemetery just prior to dark. Snelgrove said he made a mental note to return to Barton's grave site to unfurl the flag because it had become wrapped around the staff.

"And when I came back and drove up, the flag wasn't here," Snelgrove said. "Somebody probably grabbed it (the staff), and pulled it until it broke off."

The Oak Grove Plantation owner said he has seen a similar incident in recent years. A heritage sign posted on Snelgrove's property came up missing, but an acquaintance at a nearby business was able to provide the vehicle license plate number of the perpetrator.

It seems a juvenile simply wanted a sign to hang in his room.

"I called his mother, and she said, 'Yes, he has a sign like that,' " Snelgrove said. "She said she was going to cut his butt and make him pay for it. I told her "no," if he wants a sign that bad he can have it."

New Hope Cemetery, located just off U.S. 21 near the quiet Rowesville community, boasts many of the older, thinner grave markers typical of the 19th century.

Snelgrove said in recent years, those markers have been targeted for destruction, perhaps malicious youth kicking them to the point of breaking.

This most recent incident, however, is more despicable, Snelgrove said. While the broken grave markers can be repaired, the missing flag was placed to honor one who not only signed South Carolina's 1860 Ordinance of Secession, but served in the Senate as well as the Confederate armed forces.

Last week's incident was the first at New Hope involving the Confederate battle flag. Snelgrove said he believes the culprits to be "young whippersnappers" out to obtain a battle flag.

The flags are $35 each, paid for by the Col. Donald R. Barton SCV Camp Number 121 of Branchville. Snelgrove said the flags are replaced about every six months when they become faded and tattered. The missing Rowesville flag had just been replaced in recent weeks.

While he can understand a desire to have a battle flag, Snelgrove said he can't understand the underhandedness used to obtain the Barton battle flag.

SCV camp members hope to replace the flag in the future as the work continues cleaning the cemetery, re-painting a wrought-iron fence that dates back to 1859 and repairing several more broken monuments.

"It just ticks me off," he said. "If someone wants a flag, I'll just give them one."

http://www.timesanddemocrat.com/articles/2003/10/13/news/news3.txt