Shrewsbury Cemetery, historically known as Camp Parapet Cemetery , is an old burial ground near

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, on the site of a

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

military camp during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. The cemetery is the burying ground of Ross Church and First Zion Church, both located nearby. It is also sometimes known as First Zion Cemetery.

History

What is now Causeway Boulevard marks the original line of fortifications of "Fort

John Hunt Morgan John Hunt Morgan (June 1, 1825 – September 4, 1864) was an American soldier who served as a Confederate general in the American Civil War of 1861–1865. In April 1862, Morgan raised the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment (CSA) and fought in ...

," a Confederate military camp named after the

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

war hero. The camp itself was at Causeway and the river. The Native Guards were among many valorous

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

s which trained at Camp Parapet and made their base there. In 1862, with the fall of New Orleans to the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

, the fort was occupied by Federal troops, who renamed it "

Camp Parapet Camp Parapet was a Civil War fortification at Shrewsbury, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, a bit more than a mile upriver from the current city limits of New Orleans. History The fortification consisted of a Confederate defensive line about a mile ...

." Camp Parapet was a large site with a blacksmith, grocery, and chapel. Soldiers who died of illness or injury at Camp Parapet were buried in the post's cemetery. Since the time of the Civil War, the cemetery has been used primarily by local residents. The current cemetery ground is smaller than it was originally, since some land north (lakewards) of the current plot was sold to the New Orleans Belt Railroad in the 1930s.Julia Street January 2008
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Camp Parapet

also was a very large contraband camp, where large numbers of former slaves sought refuge. They were hired on as laborers, assistants, and many joined the service. They were fed and housed in the camp. All the slaves of the nearby plantations journeyed to Camp Parapet. In 1867-68, the graves of Union troops were moved from civilian graveyards and those of various other camps (including Camp Parapet) to

Chalmette National Cemetery Chalmette National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located within Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Chalmette, Louisiana. The cemetery is a graveyard adjacent to the site that was once the battleground of the Ba ...

. Former slaves were buried in the camp‘s cemetery. After the war, the name Camp Parapet was applied to the neighborhood as well as Shrewsbury, Bath, and Harlem. Today all that survives of Camp Parapet is the magazine, where ammunition is stored. The magazine is located at the opposite end of the block from Ross Chapel.

Civilian burials

For years common practice has been to bury Methodists in front and Baptists in the rear although, as family members often attend both churches, the practice is not strictly enforced.

References

External links

* {{Coord, 29.96953, -90.15745, type:landmark_region:US-LA, display=title Cemeteries in Louisiana Louisiana in the American Civil War Protected areas of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana African-American cemeteries in Louisiana