Camp Beauregard Memorial in Water Valley
Encyclopedia
The Camp Beauregard Memorial, outside Water Valley, Kentucky
on Kentucky state road 2422 northeast of town, marks the site of Camp Beauregard during the American Civil War
. It was named for Confederate general P. G. T. Beauregard
. It was situated to protect the right flank of the Confederate base at Columbus, Kentucky
.
While an active military installation, from September 1861 to March 1, 1862, it trained 5,000-6,000 soldiers for the Confederate States of America
. However, the place was disease-ridden, resulting in 1,000-1,500 deaths at the camp. The diseases ranged from cerebrospinal meningitis
, pneumonia
, and typhoid fever
with poor weather and lack of sufficient supplies for the troops contributing to the dire situation. In a single day 75 cases of typhoid and pneumonia were reported. Under the direction of the 27th Tennessee Regiment's Colonel Thomas Logwood, the camp was burned down. Union forces captured the site shortly after the abandonment.
In 1909 the United Daughters of the Confederacy
placed a small monument dedicated to the fallen soldiers at the site entrance, and then an eleven foot monument within the cemetery. It was increased in 1930 by the addition of a concrete base. There were plans for a larger memorial, but they never materialized.
The now-private cemetery is believed by some to be haunted.
On July 17, 1997, the Camp Beauregard Memorial in Water Valley was one of sixty different monuments related to the Civil War in Kentucky placed on the National Register of Historic Places
, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission. Two other monuments on the list are in Graves County, both in Mayfield
: the Confederate Memorial in Mayfield
and the Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield
.
Water Valley, Kentucky
Water Valley is a city in Graves County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 316 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:Water Valley is located at ....
on Kentucky state road 2422 northeast of town, marks the site of Camp Beauregard during the American 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...
. It was named for Confederate general P. G. T. Beauregard
P. G. T. Beauregard
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was a Louisiana-born American military officer, politician, inventor, writer, civil servant, and the first prominent general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Today he is commonly referred to as P. G. T. Beauregard, but he rarely used...
. It was situated to protect the right flank of the Confederate base at Columbus, Kentucky
Columbus, Kentucky
Columbus is a city in Hickman County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 229 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbus is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
.
While an active military installation, from September 1861 to March 1, 1862, it trained 5,000-6,000 soldiers for the Confederate States of America
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...
. However, the place was disease-ridden, resulting in 1,000-1,500 deaths at the camp. The diseases ranged from cerebrospinal meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
, pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, and typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
with poor weather and lack of sufficient supplies for the troops contributing to the dire situation. In a single day 75 cases of typhoid and pneumonia were reported. Under the direction of the 27th Tennessee Regiment's Colonel Thomas Logwood, the camp was burned down. Union forces captured the site shortly after the abandonment.
In 1909 the United Daughters of the Confederacy
United Daughters of the Confederacy
The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a women's heritage association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served in the military and died in service to the Confederate States of America . UDC began as the National Association of the Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 by...
placed a small monument dedicated to the fallen soldiers at the site entrance, and then an eleven foot monument within the cemetery. It was increased in 1930 by the addition of a concrete base. There were plans for a larger memorial, but they never materialized.
The now-private cemetery is believed by some to be haunted.
On July 17, 1997, the Camp Beauregard Memorial in Water Valley was one of sixty different monuments related to the Civil War in Kentucky placed 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...
, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission. Two other monuments on the list are in Graves County, both in Mayfield
Mayfield, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,349 people, 4,358 households, and 2,667 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.8 people per square mile . There were 4,907 housing units at an average density of 734.8 per square mile...
: the Confederate Memorial in Mayfield
Confederate Memorial in Mayfield
The Confederate Memorial in Mayfield is a commemorative monument and fountain located on the courthouse lawn in downtown Mayfield, Kentucky.Mayfield during the Civil War was very supportive of the Confederate States of America...
and the Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield
Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield
The Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield are historical monuments that represent the entrance to Maplewood Cemetery in Mayfield, Kentucky. The monuments were the second monument in Mayfield the United Daughters of the Confederacy established, the first being the Confederate Memorial in Mayfield...
.