Marietta National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Marietta National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
located in the city of Marietta
in Cobb County, Georgia
. It encompasses 23.3 acres (94,291.8 m²) or 9.4 hectares, and as of the end of 2006, had 18,742 interments. It is closed to new interments, and is now maintained by the new Georgia National Cemetery
.
as Marietta and Atlanta National Cemetery, it was intended to provide interment for nearly 10,000 Union
dead from General William Tecumseh Sherman
’s Atlanta Campaign
.
The land for the cemetery was donated by local resident Henry Cole, as a place to inter both Union and Confederate
soldiers. His idea was that by burying together those who had fallen together in battle, it could help foster a kind of peace. Both sides rejected his proposal, and the land was used primarily to inter Union soldiers, while the others were buried in the Marietta Confederate Cemetery
. As part of the land sale agreement, the Cole family has their own plot within the National Cemetery.
Marietta National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on September 18, 1998.
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 Marietta
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
in Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, which is located in the center of the county. The county was named for Thomas Willis Cobb, who in the early 19th century was a United States representative and senator from Georgia...
. It encompasses 23.3 acres (94,291.8 m²) or 9.4 hectares, and as of the end of 2006, had 18,742 interments. It is closed to new interments, and is now maintained by the new Georgia National Cemetery
Georgia National Cemetery
Georgia National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located near the city of Canton, in Cherokee County, Georgia. It encompasses , and is currently undergoing development with the intention of servicing the interment needs of United States military veterans and their families for the...
.
History
Originally established in 1866 by General George Henry ThomasGeorge Henry Thomas
George Henry Thomas was a career United States Army officer and a Union General during the American Civil War, one of the principal commanders in the Western Theater....
as Marietta and Atlanta National Cemetery, it was intended to provide interment for nearly 10,000 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...
dead from General William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
’s Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
.
The land for the cemetery was donated by local resident Henry Cole, as a place to inter both Union and 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...
soldiers. His idea was that by burying together those who had fallen together in battle, it could help foster a kind of peace. Both sides rejected his proposal, and the land was used primarily to inter Union soldiers, while the others were buried in the Marietta Confederate Cemetery
Marietta Confederate Cemetery
Marietta Confederate Cemetery is the largest Confederate cemetery South of Richmond and is located in Marietta GA.The Marietta Confederate Cemetery is one of the largest burial grounds for Confederate dead...
. As part of the land sale agreement, the Cole family has their own plot within the National Cemetery.
Marietta National Cemetery was placed 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 September 18, 1998.
Notable monuments
- A marble obelisk dedicated in honor of 20th Army Corps was erected in May 1870.
- The Wisconsin Monument, dedicated in 1925 to 405 men from Wisconsin who died during the Civil War and were interred at the cemetery.
- The Gold Star Mothers Monument, dedicated on April 24, 1960.
- The Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
Monument, erected on December 7, 1996.
Notable interments
- John ClarkJohn Clark (Georgia governor)John Clark was an American politician.-Career:Clark served in the Georgia House of Representatives prior to being elected to consecutive two-year terms as the 31st Governor from 1820 to 1824.Clark also served in the Georgia Militia during the American Revolution and achieved the rank of Major...
, 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...
veteran, US Congressman, Georgia governor. - General W.A. Cunningham, University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
Head Coach, Football. - Corporal Lee Hugh Phillips, 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 the Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.