My husband and I have passed this cemetery many, many times on the way to visit the lake house and I always wanted to stop, but never really had the chance until this last week. There are few headstones (only nine) and one footstone without a headstone. Two of the headstones are blank and there is an unmarked crypt (crypt? is that what it’s called? I dunno!).
The first of the unmarked headstones is really neat. At first I thought it had just slumped over or had at some point been leaned up against the tree, but then my husband pointed out how the tree had kind of grown up around it. 
Next to the first is the second unmarked grave. I sure wish I knew who they are! 
The next headstone is for Gladys Binford Stacey. Her headstone reads: JAN 22 1920, JAN 16 2006, OUR ANGEL. I looked her up, but was unable to find anyone matching her names and those dates. 
The next headstone is for Jacob Gumm. His headstone reads: Horton’s GA, Mil. War, 1812. He had fought in the Creek and Mexican wars. Jacob Gumm’s wife was Katherine Hightower. His father, also Jacob Gumm, was a Revolutionary War soldier. The local chapter of the DAR and the Baldwin County government ceremoniously donated his headstone and footstone in 1916. There is a lot of information about him and his father all over the internet. 
Nearly directly behind Jacob Gumm is a tiny headstone that is quite unreadable. I felt along the front and was able to make out what it reads: Carrie Burnette, Jan. 29, 1895, May 6, 1896, In heaven. No further information. 
Just beside Carrie is another grave, this one without a headstone, but there is a footstone. 
In front of the footstone is a headstone for Edith Long Binford. Her headstone reads: Mar 28 1899, Oct 17 1981. She was the daughter of Lena Long, no father listed. She had several siblings (according to census records). No further information. 
Next to Edith is the headstone for James M Gumm. His headstone reads: Born, Dec 14 1809, Died, June 2 1872, A Christian Gentleman. The first thing I found on James M Gumm was that he was a signing witness on the will of Martha Yates Babb. Robert Gumm was the executor of her will and is stated as her friend. James was a trustee of the Black Springs Academy in Baldwin County. No further information. 
The last grave is the unmarked crypt. I tried to brush off some of the leaves and “stuff” on it, but it was a lot of moss and fungi, so I left it. I didn’t want to ruin anything. 
I sure wish I knew who the unmarked are. I don’t think that the Binfords are related to the Gumms, though I can’t say for certain. According to the census records that Edith was on the area was called “105 District Gumm”. I can see Edith on the census records in that area from 1900 to 1920. In 1910 there is a Gladys Burnette living with the Long family.
I wonder how many others are buried in this cemetery? Does anyone out there have any further information on these families?
My husband and I are like you people having traveled this road so many times to our lake house decided to stop at this site where the graves are. My husband said he had known these graves were there but I never after all these years had seen the markers. After getting home I tried looking up info on the GUMM family and found your comments about the headstones and markers. I feel tat if the court house had not burned down this year I could go and check out more records but all records were destroyed and many have no copies or had not been registered on any computer or any other outside the court house. This makes me and my husband very curious about the history and would appreciate if you find any information concerning this, please forward to our email address. Thank you.
Hi Donna! I certainly will do more research and see what I can find! I gentleman named Jim on Flickr saw the photos I took and wrote that he had found information about the headstone of Jacob J Gumm, Sr. He posted the following:
“D.A.R. Magazine Vol 37 no 5, November 1910, p. 391
Work of the Chapters
Nancy Hart Chapter (Milledgeville, Georgia)
On August 18, the Nancy Hart Chapter took part in an interesting event, that of marking the grave of Major Jacob Gumm, a soldier and officer of the Revolution and the War of 1812. Something over a year ago the Regent of the Chapter made application to the War Department for a stone to mark the grave of this good man and brave soldier.
The stone is of pure white marble, about four feet high, set in a granite base, the latter a gift of the Chapter.
Major Gumm is buried on his old plantation, eight miles from Milledgeville, part of which is still owned by his descendants. The surroundings are picturesque.
The little burial inclosure, surrounded by grand old forest trees, is a lovely and peaceful spot.
The services were opened by Mrs. Scott. Following this, Miss Cora Gumm, a great-granddaughter, gave a sketch of the life and services of her ancestor. President M. M. Parks, of the Georgia Normal and Industrial College, made an interesting and inspiring address on patriotism; Mrs. Walter Charlton, of Savannah, talked to us on the duty of preserving our historic spots and buildings; Mrs. Scott read “Lest We Forget,” and the Vice-Regent, Mrs. Cook, closed the services with prayer. There were present ten descendants of Jacob Gumm. The only drawback to the pleasure of the occasion was that, on account of feebleness incidental to his great age, Jacob Gumm, Jr., son of the major, could not be with us.
It is gratifying to the Daughters of the Revolution of the State to see this long-neglected honor at last coming to these brave men who won liberty for their descendants. May time be not far distant when every grave of a Revolutionary soldier that can be located will be so marked.”
I will certainly see what further information I can find!
Gladys Burnette was my mother’s mother. She lived with her aunt Lena, who was married to William Taylor Long. They lived near the corner of Gumm Cemetery Road and Lake Laurel Road. The cemetery was originally on their property, which was about 35 acres. The house was still there in the 1980s but there is no trace of it now. The Binfords were related to aunt Lena, I think Lena’s granddaughter married a Binford. (I’m the Jim from Flickr you corresponded with)