Woodlawn National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Woodlawn National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Elmira
, in Chemung County, New York
. It encompasses 10.5 acres (42,492 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 8,693 interred remains.
. As the Union
troops who trained there were sent to their respective assignments, the facilities emptied and in 1864 it was turned into the Elmira Prison
prisoner of war camp. The facilities were not adequate to house the thousands of Confederate
prisoners, and many succumbed to exposure, malnutrition, and smallpox
and were subsequently interred at the cemetery.
Woodlawn National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2004.
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
, in Chemung County, New York
Chemung County, New York
Chemung County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Chemung County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 88,830. Its name is derived from the name of a Delaware Indian village . Its...
. It encompasses 10.5 acres (42,492 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 8,693 interred remains.
History
In 1861, Camp Rathbun, near the town of Elmira was established as a training camp at the beginning of 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...
. As 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...
troops who trained there were sent to their respective assignments, the facilities emptied and in 1864 it was turned into the Elmira Prison
Elmira Prison
Elmira Prison was a prisoner-of-war camp constructed by the Union Army in Elmira, New York, during the American Civil War to house captive Confederate soldiers....
prisoner of war camp. The facilities were not adequate to house the thousands of 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...
prisoners, and many succumbed to exposure, malnutrition, and smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
and were subsequently interred at the cemetery.
Woodlawn 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 2004.
Notable monuments
- The U.S. government erected the Shohola Monument in 1911 to commemorate a tragic railroad accidentShohola train wreckThe Great Shohola train wreck occurred on July 15, 1864 during the American Civil War on the broad gauge Erie Railroad 1½ miles west of Shohola, Pennsylvania and killed at least 60 people. Aboard the 18 car train were 833 Confederate prisoners of war and 128 Union guards from the Veteran Reserve...
that took the lives of both Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War in 1864. - In 1937, the United Daughters of the ConfederacyUnited Daughters of the ConfederacyThe United Daughters of the Confederacy is a women's heritage association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served in the military and died in service to the Confederate States of America . UDC began as the National Association of the Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 by...
erected a monument in memory of those Confederate prisoners of war who died while imprisoned in Elmira.
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