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A visit to Andersonville National Historic Site in Georgia isn’t complete without stopping by Andersonville National Cemetery. It’s open daily from 8am to 5pm.
The cemetery began as a burial place for the 12,920 Union soldiers who died in the prison camp. Nursing pioneer Clara Barton raised the first flag on August 17, 1865.
Identifying the Dead
The first thing I noticed was how the headstones were placed right next to each other. This is because there were so many deaths the men had to be buried shoulder to shoulder without coffins. Their graves were originally marked with numbered stakes until former prisoner Dorence Atwater, Barton, and a team of 34 others arrived to identify and mark the graves.
Each headstone contains a number which identifies the sequence in which the soldier died. The headstones were wooden until they were replaced with marble headstones in 1878. Of all the 12,920 soldiers who perished in the prison camp, only 460 were never identified and have graves marked “Unknown U.S. Soldier”.
Raiders
One section contains a group of six headstones separated from the rest of the soldiers. These are the Raiders, who were an organized group that stole from and even murdered other prisoners. At least 75 men were originally arrested, but these six were sentenced to death by hanging. They were buried separately from the other soldier to mark their dishonor.
Monuments
As in Andersonville National Historic Site, states and other groups erected monuments to honor the dead. There are 12 different monuments in the cemetery. Most of the monuments were erected between 1899 and 1916. More monuments were placed by the Women’s Relief Corps in the 1930s, and a few more were added in the 1970s and 1980s.
Andersonville National Cemetery
Established as a national cemetery on July 26, 1865, Andersonville is open to burial to all US service members. About 150 burials a year take place there, and funerals are held in the Rostrum.
Avenue of Flags
When we were there, the Avenue of Flags was on display. Several American flags are flown on the principal avenues within the cemetery. This only occurs about five times a year on days of special ceremonial significance.
