Beaufort National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Beaufort National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
located in Beaufort County
, in the city of Beaufort, South Carolina
. It encompasses 33.1 acres (133,951.1 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 18,511 interments.
hospitals during the occupation of the area early in the Civil War
, mainly in 1861, following the Battle of Port Royal
. Battlefield casualties from around the area were also reinterred in the cemetery, including over 100 Confederate
soldiers. It became a National Cemetery with the National Cemetery Act by Abraham Lincoln
in 1863. The remains of 27 Union
prisoners of war
were reinterred from Blackshear Prison
following the war.
Beaufort National Cemetery now has interments from every major American
conflict, including the Spanish-American War
, the Korean War
, the Vietnam War
, and the Gulf War
.
On May 29, 1989, nineteen Union soldiers of the all black Massachusetts
54th Infantry, whose remains were found on Folly Island, South Carolina in 1987, were buried in the cemetery with full military honors. Members of the cast of the film Glory served as honor guard.
Beaufort National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1997.
United States National Cemetery
"United States National Cemetery" is a designation for 146 nationally important cemeteries in the United States. A National Cemetery is generally a military cemetery containing the graves of U.S. military personnel, veterans and their spouses but not exclusively so...
located in Beaufort County
Beaufort County, South Carolina
-National protected areas:*Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge *Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 155,215 people, 45,532 households, and 33,056 families residing in the county. The population density was 206 people per...
, in the city of Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...
. It encompasses 33.1 acres (133,951.1 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 18,511 interments.
History
The original interments in the cemetery were men who died in nearby UnionUnion (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
hospitals during the occupation of the area early in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, mainly in 1861, following the Battle of Port Royal
Battle of Port Royal
The Battle of Port Royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War, in which a United States Navy fleet and United States Army expeditionary force captured Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, between Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, on November 7, 1861...
. Battlefield casualties from around the area were also reinterred in the cemetery, including over 100 Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
soldiers. It became a National Cemetery with the National Cemetery Act by Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in 1863. The remains of 27 Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
were reinterred from Blackshear Prison
Blackshear Prison
The Pierce County Jail was a temporary prisoner of war camp located in Blackshear, Georgia, during the American Civil War.During Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's 1864 "March to the Sea," Confederate officials hastily made plans to evacuate a number of existing POW camps and relocate their...
following the war.
Beaufort National Cemetery now has interments from every major American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
conflict, including the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
On May 29, 1989, nineteen Union soldiers of the all black Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
54th Infantry, whose remains were found on Folly Island, South Carolina in 1987, were buried in the cemetery with full military honors. Members of the cast of the film Glory served as honor guard.
Beaufort National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1997.
Notable interments
- Colonel Donald ConroyDonald ConroyDonald "The Great Santini" Conroy was a United States Marine Corps colonel and a member of the famed Black Sheep Squadron during the Korean War. He was also a veteran of World War II and of two tours of duty in Vietnam. He is best known as the being the inspiration for the character LtCol...
, known as The Great SantiniThe Great Santini (novel)The Great Santini is a novel written by Pat Conroy and published in 1976.-Plot summary:The Great Santini tells the story of hard-nosed Marine fighter pilot Lt. Col. Wilbur "Bull" Meecham, who calls himself "The Great Santini," and the family he runs with a strict hand. It follows the Meecham family...
. - Private First Class Ralph Henry Johnson, Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient for action in the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. - Master Sergeant Joseph Simmons, Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
recipient, Buffalo SoldierBuffalo SoldierBuffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas....
, World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran. - Chuck TalianoChuck TalianoCharles "Chuck" Taliano Jr. was an American Marine Sergeant and drill instructor. Tatiano was featured as a drill instructor in a well known Marine Corps recruitment poster using the slogan, "We don’t promise you a rose garden"...
, United States Marine drill instructorDrill instructorA drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
featured in the "We don’t promise you a rose garden" recruitment poster during the 1970s and 1980s.
See also
- United States Department of Veterans AffairsUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsThe United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
- United States National Cemetery