Port Hudson National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Port Hudson National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
located in Port Hudson
, 20 miles (32.2 km) north of the city of Baton Rouge
in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
. It encompasses 19.9 acres (80,532.5 m²), and as of the end of 2007, had 12,718 interments.
The Port Hudson Battlefield, including the cemetery, is a National Historic Landmark
. It is also a designated site on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
.
, during the American civil war
. Nearly 4,000 Union
troops fell during the fighting, and most were buried in the cemetery, many as unknowns. After the war another 8.4 acres (33,993.6 m²) was appropriated to inter those who died in the local veterans' facilities. The Confederate
soldiers who died were primarily buried in the trenches where they fell. There is however, a Confederate Cemetery in the Port Hudson area that is currently inaccessible to the public.
The battlefield at Port Hudson is one of the only naturally preserved Civil War battlegrounds. The breastworks, gun pits, and trenches remain today almost as they were during the battle. The area has never been developed.
Port Hudson National Cemetery was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1974 as part of the Port Hudson Historic Site.
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 Port Hudson
Port Hudson, Louisiana
Port Hudson is a small unincorporated community in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. Located about northwest of Baton Rouge, it is most famous for an American Civil War battle known as the Siege of Port Hudson.-Geography:...
, 20 miles (32.2 km) north of the city of Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
East Baton Rouge Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Baton Rouge, Louisiana's state capital. As of the 2010 census, the population was 440,171. The parish has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is the most populous parish in the state...
. It encompasses 19.9 acres (80,532.5 m²), and as of the end of 2007, had 12,718 interments.
The Port Hudson Battlefield, including the cemetery, is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. It is also a designated site on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
Louisiana African American Heritage Trail is a cultural heritage trail with 26 sites designated in 2008 by the state of Louisiana, from New Orleans along the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge and Shreveport, with sites in small towns and plantations also included. In New Orleans several sites are...
.
History
The cemetery is located on the site which was the main battleground of the Siege of Port HudsonSiege of Port Hudson
The Siege of Port Hudson occurred from May 22 to July 9, 1863, when Union Army troops assaulted and then surrounded the Mississippi River town of Port Hudson, Louisiana, during the American Civil War....
, 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...
. Nearly 4,000 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...
troops fell during the fighting, and most were buried in the cemetery, many as unknowns. After the war another 8.4 acres (33,993.6 m²) was appropriated to inter those who died in the local veterans' facilities. The 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 who died were primarily buried in the trenches where they fell. There is however, a Confederate Cemetery in the Port Hudson area that is currently inaccessible to the public.
The battlefield at Port Hudson is one of the only naturally preserved Civil War battlegrounds. The breastworks, gun pits, and trenches remain today almost as they were during the battle. The area has never been developed.
Port Hudson National Cemetery was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1974 as part of the Port Hudson Historic Site.
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...