Wilmington National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Wilmington National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
located in the city of Wilmington
, in New Hanover County, North Carolina
. It encompasses 5.1 acres (20,639 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 6,171 interred remains.
. By 1870 there were over 2,000 interments.
In 1918, there was an outbreak of influenza
on board a ship docked at the Cape Fear River
which was carrying a group of Puerto Rican
laborers to Fayetteville, North Carolina
to aid in the construction of Camp Bragg. Twenty-eight of the laborers died from the disease and were interred at Wilmington National Cemetery.
Wilmington National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1997.
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 Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, in New Hanover County, North Carolina
New Hanover County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 160,307 people, 68,183 households, and 41,591 families residing in the county. The population density was 806 people per square mile . There were 79,616 housing units at an average density of 400 per square mile...
. It encompasses 5.1 acres (20,639 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 6,171 interred remains.
History
In 1867, the land for Wilmington National Cemetery was purchased by the federal government. Most of the original interments were remains moved from Wilmington City Cemetery and nearby forts, such as Fort FisherFort Fisher
Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
. By 1870 there were over 2,000 interments.
In 1918, there was an outbreak of influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
on board a ship docked at the Cape Fear River
Cape Fear River
The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
which was carrying a group of Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
laborers to Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
to aid in the construction of Camp Bragg. Twenty-eight of the laborers died from the disease and were interred at Wilmington National Cemetery.
Wilmington National Cemetery was 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...
in 1997.
Notable interments
- George "Possum" Whitted, major league baseball player, World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veteran.
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...