View toward Lookout Mountain from Chattanooga National Cemetery

Plaque about Chattanooga National Cemetery

Chattanooga National Cemetery is a

United States National Cemetery The United States National Cemetery System is a system of 164 cemeteries in the United States and its territories. The authority to create military burial places came during the American Civil War, in an act passed by the U.S. Congress o ...

located near the center of the city of Chattanooga in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Administered by the

United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...

, it encompasses , and as of 2014, had more than 50,000 interments.

History

The cemetery was established in 1863, by an order from Major General

George Henry Thomas George Henry Thomas (July 31, 1816March 28, 1870) was an American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and one of the principal commanders in the Western Theater. Thomas served in the Mexican–American War and later chose ...

after the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

Battles of Chattanooga, as a place to inter

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

soldiers who fell in combat. of land was initially appropriated from two local land owners, but later purchased. It became Chattanooga National Cemetery in 1867. By 1870 more than 12,000 interments had been made, most of whom were unknown. Many nearby battlefield burials were also reinterred in Chattanooga, including nearly 1,500 burials from the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between U.S. and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. I ...

Franklin Guest Smith Franklin Guest Smith (February 16, 1840 – October 7, 1912) was a career officer in the United States Army. A Union Army veteran of the American Civil War, Smith also served in the American Indian Wars and the Spanish–American War, and attained ...

, who served as secretary and member of the

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, located in northern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee, preserves the sites of two major battles of the American Civil War: the Battle of Chickamauga and the Siege of Chattanooga. A detailed h ...

Commission from 1893 until 1908, played an important role in preserving and expanding the cemetery, and a monument at the cemetery was dedicated in his honor. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

(78) and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

(108)

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

prisoners of war who died while in captivity were buried in Chattanooga National Cemetery. After the war, the German government paid to have other POWs disinterred from Hot Springs National Cemetery and moved to Chattanooga. Chattanooga National Cemetery was listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1996. Originally the site was expected to close for new burials in 2015. However, due to a recent expansion project that will add the capacity for more than 5,000 interments, the cemetery is now expected to be available for burials until 2045.

Notable monuments

* A 40' high memorial archway, constructed in 1868. * The Andrews Raiders Memorial, erected in 1890.Library of Congress
/ref> It includes a bronze replica of the locomotive known as ''The General'', stolen by Union partisan James J. Andrews and his men in the

Great Locomotive Chase The Great Locomotive Chase (also known as Andrews' Raid or the Mitchel Raid) was a military raid that occurred April 12, 1862, in northern Georgia during the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army, led by civilian scout James J. And ...

. * German World War I prisoner of war monument, erected by the German government in 1935.

Notable interments

* The Andrews Raiders **

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

recipients *** Private Samuel Robertson''Civil War Battlefields''
/ref> *** Sergeant Major Marion A. Ross *** Sergeant John M. Scott *** Private Samuel Slavens' ** Other Raiders *** James J. Andrews, leader of the raid (civilian) *** William H. Campbell, civilian member *** Private Philip G. Shadrack *** Private George D. Wilson *

recipients ** Master Sergeant

Ray E. Duke Ray Eugene Duke (May 9, 1923 – November 11, 1951) was a soldier in the United States Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 26, 1951. He was captured by the enemy, and died as a priso ...

, for action in the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. Also, recipient of Republic of Korea's version of the Medal of Honor (the Merit Taegug Medal) ** Corporal

Desmond Doss Desmond Thomas Doss (February 7, 1919 – March 23, 2006) was a United States Army corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company in World War II. He was twice awarded the Bronze Star Medal for actions on Guam and in the Phi ...

, for action in World War II, the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor. ** Private William F. Zion, USMC, for action in the Boxer Rebellion ** Technical Sergeant Charles Coolidge, US Army, last person to receive the award during

* Other notables ** Cal Ermer,

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player and

Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...

veteran. ** William P. Sanders, Civil War Union Army officer. ** Timothy R. Stanley,

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

during the Civil War. **

Sammy Strang Samuel Strang Nicklin (December 16, 1876 – March 13, 1932) was a professional baseball player for the Louisville Colonels (1896), Chicago Orphans (1900 and 1902), New York Giants (1901 and 1905–08), Chicago White Sox (1902) and Brooklyn ...

, Major League Baseball player and

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

coach. * Other noteworthy interments ** 186 foreign prisoners of war from World War I and

. ** One Canadian soldier of World War I.
CWGC Casualty Record.

References

External links

National Cemetery Administration

Chattanooga National Cemetery

National Cemetery at Chattanooga
* * *
CWGC: Chattanooga National Cemetery
{{Authority control American Civil War cemeteries Protected areas of Hamilton County, Tennessee United States national cemeteries Tennessee in the American Civil War Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee Historic American Landscapes Survey in Tennessee

National Cemetery The following is a partial list of prominent National Cemeteries: Africa Algeria * El Alia Cemetery, Algiers Burundi * Mausolée des Martyrs de la Démocratie, Bujumbura Ghana * Asomdwee Park, Accra * Burma Camp Military Cemetery, Accra L ...

Tourist attractions in Chattanooga, Tennessee 1863 establishments in Tennessee National Register of Historic Places in Chattanooga, Tennessee Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in the United States

History

Notable monuments

Notable interments

See also

References

External links