Little Rock National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Little Rock National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
, located two miles (3 km) south of the city of Little Rock
, in Pulaski County, Arkansas. It encompasses 31.7 acres (128,285.5 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 25,172 interments. It is currently closed to new interments.
encampment. The cemetery itself was a plot within the Little Rock City Cemetery, purchased by the federal government in 1866 and was used to inter Union soldiers who died anywhere in Arkansas
. It was officially declared a National Cemetery on April 9, 1868 at which time 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) were added.
In 1884, an 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) Confederate
cemetery was established immediately adjacent to the National Cemetery. In 1938, the two cemeteries were combined, though the Union and Confederate burials continued to be in separate sections.
In 1990, additional land was purchased from the nearby Oakland Fraternal Cemetery, and in November 1999 the city of Little Rock donated 1 acres (4,046.9 m²), bringing the cemetery to its current size.
Little Rock National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1996.
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 two miles (3 km) south of the city of Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, in Pulaski County, Arkansas. It encompasses 31.7 acres (128,285.5 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 25,172 interments. It is currently closed to new interments.
History
The area around Little Rock National Cemetery was once a UnionUnion (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...
encampment. The cemetery itself was a plot within the Little Rock City Cemetery, purchased by the federal government in 1866 and was used to inter Union soldiers who died anywhere in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. It was officially declared a National Cemetery on April 9, 1868 at which time 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) were added.
In 1884, an 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) 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...
cemetery was established immediately adjacent to the National Cemetery. In 1938, the two cemeteries were combined, though the Union and Confederate burials continued to be in separate sections.
In 1990, additional land was purchased from the nearby Oakland Fraternal Cemetery, and in November 1999 the city of Little Rock donated 1 acres (4,046.9 m²), bringing the cemetery to its current size.
Little Rock 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 1996.
Notable monuments
- The Confederate Monument, erected in 1884.
- The Minnesota Monument, a granite and bronze monument erected in 1916.
Notable interments
- Lieutenant Maurice BrittMaurice BrittMaurice Lee "Footsie" Britt, Jr. , was an American professional football player, World War II hero received the Medal of Honor, businessman, and Republican politician from Arkansas...
, Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient for action in 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...
, Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas. - Simon Haley, father of Alex HaleyAlex HaleyAlexander Murray Palmer Haley was an African-American writer. He is best known as the author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family and the coauthor of The Autobiography of Malcolm X.-Early life:...
the author of Roots: The Saga of an American FamilyRoots: The Saga of an American FamilyRoots: The Saga of an American Family is a novel written by Alex Haley and first published in 1976. It tells the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African, captured as an adolescent and sold into slavery in the United States, and follows his life and the lives of his descendants in the U.S....
. - Earl Sutton Smith, major league baseball player.
- Leona TroxellLeona TroxellLeona Anderson Troxell Dodd, known politically as Leona Troxell , was a native New Yorker who was a pioneer in the development of the Republican Party in her adopted state of Arkansas...
, leader of the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in Arkansas, former national committeewoman
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...