Place:Mobile National Cemetery, Mobile, Mobile, Alabama, United States

History

Mobile National Cemetery was established in 1865 after the Port of Mobile fell into Union hands under the assault of Rear Admiral David Farragut during the Civil War.

When Union forces first took Mobile, they interred their casualties in portions of the city-owned Magnolia Cemetery, but following the Army’s request for additional burial space, Mobile provided the Union troops with three acres. The first interments were remains from surrounding military sites and forts. An inspector’s report of the cemetery, dated February 1871, states that of 841 burials only 124 were identified. In 1872, the Army ranked Mobile a first-class cemetery, a categorization probably based on size and activity; by 1876 it was reassessed as a second-class cemetery.

In addition to the number of Civil War dead, a number of Apache Indians are buried in Mobile National Cemetery. After Geronimo’s surrender, members of the Apache nation were first sent to Florida, then transferred to Vernon Barracks. During their time at the barracks, 13 fell ill and were subsequently buried here, including Chappo, the son of the great Apache leader Geronimo.

Mobile National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

(Source: Mobile National Cemetery website)

Location

1202 Virginia Street

Resources

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Mobile National Cemetery
• Find A Grave: Mobile National Cemetery
• Mobile National Cemetery Wikipedia article
• USGS GNIS Feature ID 152201 (search interface)