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Danville National Cemetery (Kentucky)
Encyclopedia
Danville National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
located in the city of Danville
, in Boyle County, Kentucky
. It has 394 interments and is currently closed to new interments.
). A square limestone post, with the letters “U. S.” inscribed on the upper face, is situated at each corner of the national cemetery. A flagpole, 70 feet high, constructed in 1971, is located just south of the bronze plaque identifying the national cemetery. There are no buildings, walls, or fences within the national cemetery. Graves are marked with upright marble headstones.
started, the federal government appropriated 18 cemetery lots from what was then Danville City Cemetery. The small lot was designated a National Cemetery in 1862. It is divided into six sections, five of which are for the interment of soldiers, and the other for civilians. The original interments were Union
soldiers who died while under care in military hospitals in Danville. A Confederate
lot in the city cemetery with 66 interments is next to Danville National Cemetery.
During the early months of 1863, Confederate detachments infiltrated among the Union garrisons trying to protect Kentucky. On March 24, 1863, the city of Danville was captured by General John Pegram and his cavalry brigade, despite stout resistance from Colonel Frank Wolford, commander of the First Kentucky Union Cavalry.
Danville was also the site of several hospitals which cared for the Civil War wounded.
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 the city of Danville
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
, in Boyle County, Kentucky
Boyle County, Kentucky
Boyle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its county seat is Danville. In 2000, its population was 28,432. It was formed in 1842 and named for John Boyle , a U.S...
. It has 394 interments and is currently closed to new interments.
Description
The Danville National Cemetery is located within the Bellevue Cemetery in Danville. The national cemetery site is located in the north-west corner and containing 0.3 acres (1,214.1 m²). It consists of 18 cemetery lots laid off in the form of a rectangle. Near the center of the north side is a bronze plaque inscribed with "Danville National Cemetery" and the seal of the Veterans Administration (now the Department of Veterans AffairsUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs
The 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...
). A square limestone post, with the letters “U. S.” inscribed on the upper face, is situated at each corner of the national cemetery. A flagpole, 70 feet high, constructed in 1971, is located just south of the bronze plaque identifying the national cemetery. There are no buildings, walls, or fences within the national cemetery. Graves are marked with upright marble headstones.
History
When the American Civil WarAmerican 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...
started, the federal government appropriated 18 cemetery lots from what was then Danville City Cemetery. The small lot was designated a National Cemetery in 1862. It is divided into six sections, five of which are for the interment of soldiers, and the other for civilians. The original interments were Union
Union (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...
soldiers who died while under care in military hospitals in Danville. A 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...
lot in the city cemetery with 66 interments is next to Danville National Cemetery.
During the early months of 1863, Confederate detachments infiltrated among the Union garrisons trying to protect Kentucky. On March 24, 1863, the city of Danville was captured by General John Pegram and his cavalry brigade, despite stout resistance from Colonel Frank Wolford, commander of the First Kentucky Union Cavalry.
Danville was also the site of several hospitals which cared for the Civil War wounded.
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 CemeteryUnited 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...