Baton Rouge National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Baton Rouge National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
located in East Baton Rouge Parish
, in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
. It encompasses 7.7 acres (31,160.8 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 5,459 interments.
to bury soldiers who died in Baton Rouge and the surrounding battlefields, including Plaquemine
and Camden
. It became an official National Cemetery in 1867, and rewards were given to anyone who reported the grave of a Union
soldier, so that his remains could be reinterred in the cemetery.
In 1878 two men, Michael and Bernard Jodd, were hired to build a brick wall around the cemetery, but before it was completed, both men contracted yellow fever
and died. They were interred in the cemetery and the wall was completed by local laborers.
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 East Baton Rouge Parish
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...
, in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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...
. It encompasses 7.7 acres (31,160.8 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 5,459 interments.
History
Burials in the cemetery grounds took place as early as 1830, but the site was predominantly used during the 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...
to bury soldiers who died in Baton Rouge and the surrounding battlefields, including Plaquemine
Plaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine is a city in and the parish seat of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area....
and Camden
Camden, Arkansas
Camden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County in the southern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. Long an area of American Indians villages, the French also made a permanent settlement here because of its advantageous location above the Ouachita River. According to 2007 Census...
. It became an official National Cemetery in 1867, and rewards were given to anyone who reported the grave of a 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...
soldier, so that his remains could be reinterred in the cemetery.
In 1878 two men, Michael and Bernard Jodd, were hired to build a brick wall around the cemetery, but before it was completed, both men contracted yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
and died. They were interred in the cemetery and the wall was completed by local laborers.
Notable interments
- General Philemon ThomasPhilemon ThomasPhilemon Thomas was a member of the U. S. House of Representatives representing the state of Louisiana. He served two terms as a Democrat ....
. His remains were reinterred in the national cemetery in 1886. He was a veteran of both the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and the War of 1812War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, and he commanded the forces that captured the fort of Baton Rouge in 1810. He also served as a Congressional RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from the state of LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
in the 22nd and 23rd United States CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
es. - Lieutenant General Troy Houston MiddletonTroy H. MiddletonLieutenant General Troy Houston Middleton was a distinguished soldier-educator who served as a corps commander in Europe during World War II and later as President of Louisiana State University...
, 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 and president of Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
.
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