Chalmette National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Chalmette National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
located within Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
in Chalmette, Louisiana
. The cemetery is a 17.5 acres (7.1 ha) plot adjacent to the site that once was the battleground of the Battle of New Orleans
. Though now closed to new interments, it is the burial place to over 15,300 veterans of American
military campaigns from the Revolutionary War
to the Vietnam War
.
battle dead, of both the Confederate
and the Union
militaries. After the war, makeshift battlefield burial plots around the state had their interments moved to the more permanent National Cemeteries. Nearly 12,000 of which were brought to Chalmette.
As part of the Chalmette National Historical Park, it was transferred to the stewardship of National Park Service
in 1933. The cemetery and battlefield were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on October 15, 1966.
The cemetery suffered considerable damage due to Hurricane Katrina
, toppling headstones and much of the perimeter wall. The days and hours the cemetery and battleground are open to the public are still limited as of 2008.
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 within Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve protects significant examples of the rich natural and cultural resources of Louisiana's Mississippi River Delta region. The park, named after Jean Lafitte, seeks to illustrate the influence of environment and history on the development of a unique...
in Chalmette, Louisiana
Chalmette, Louisiana
Chalmette is a census-designated place in and the parish seat of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 32,069 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. The cemetery is a 17.5 acres (7.1 ha) plot adjacent to the site that once was the battleground of the Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
. Though now closed to new interments, it is the burial place to over 15,300 veterans of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military campaigns from the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The 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...
to 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...
.
History
Though used as a burial ground earlier, Chalmette was established as a National Cemetery in 1864 as a place to inter 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...
battle dead, of both 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...
and the 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...
militaries. After the war, makeshift battlefield burial plots around the state had their interments moved to the more permanent National Cemeteries. Nearly 12,000 of which were brought to Chalmette.
As part of the Chalmette National Historical Park, it was transferred to the stewardship of National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
in 1933. The cemetery and battlefield were 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...
on October 15, 1966.
The cemetery suffered considerable damage due to Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, toppling headstones and much of the perimeter wall. The days and hours the cemetery and battleground are open to the public are still limited as of 2008.
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