Beaufort National Cemetery
Beaufort National Cemetery
Beaufort National Cemetery is located in South Carolina
Beaufort National Cemetery
Beaufort National Cemetery is located in the United States
Beaufort National Cemetery
Location1601 Boundary St., Beaufort, South Carolina
Coordinates32°26′29″N 80°40′47″W / 32.44139°N 80.67972°W / 32.44139; -80.67972
Area28.9 acres (11.7 ha)
Built1863
Architectural styleColonial, Dutch Colonial
MPSCivil War Era National Cemeteries MPS
NRHP reference No.97001208[1]
Added to NRHPOctober 10, 1997

Beaufort National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in Beaufort County, in the city of Beaufort, South Carolina.[2][3] Managed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses 33.1 acres (13.4 ha), and as of 2014, had over 19,000 interments.

History

The original interments in the cemetery were men who died in nearby Union hospitals during the occupation of the area early in the Civil War, mainly in 1861, following the Battle of Port Royal. Battlefield casualties from around the area were also reinterred in the cemetery, including over 100 Confederate soldiers. It became a National Cemetery with the National Cemetery Act by Abraham Lincoln in 1863.

Of the Civil War soldiers buried here, there are: 9,000 Union soldiers (4,400 unknown,) 2,800 POWs from the camp at Millen and 1,700 African-American union soldiers. There are also 177 confederate soldiers.[4] The remains of 27 Union prisoners of war were reinterred from Blackshear Prison following the war.[4]

Beaufort National Cemetery now has interments from every major American conflict, including the Spanish–American War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.[5]

In 1987, the remains of nineteen Union soldiers of the all black Massachusetts 55th Volunteer Infantry were discovered on Folly Island, South Carolina.[6] The Folly North Archaeological Project, 1990 did further excavations in the area after Hurricane Hugo revealed artifacts due to erosion of the soil and due to concerns of future erosion in the area. The Items discovered included leather shoes, rubberized canvas, wood staves and animal bone.[7]

The Massachusetts 55th had been stationed on Folly Island from late 1863 to early 1864 and was a sister unit to the better-known Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry, featured in the film Glory.

On May 29, 1989, the 54th soldiers along with the body of Robert Gould Shaw were reinterred in the Beaufort National Cemetery with full military honors. Cast members from the film served as the honor guard at the ceremony.[6]

Beaufort National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Notable interments

Twilight at Beaufort National Cemetery

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ Sammartino, Therese T. (May 27, 1997). "Beaufort National Cemetery" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places – Nomination and Inventory. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  3. ↑ "Beaufort National Cemetery, Beaufort County (1601 Boundary St., Beaufort)". National Register Properties in South Carolina. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Beaufort National Cemetery". American Battlefield Trust. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
  5. ↑ "SCDAH". www.nationalregister.sc.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
  6. 1 2 Harris, Art (1989-05-30). "SALUTE TO A FORGOTTEN BLACK REGIMENT". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  7. ↑ "The Charleston Museum | News and Events » The Folly North Archaeological Project, 1990". Retrieved 2022-12-04.
  8. ↑ Johnson, Kristina Dunn (2009-04-06). No Holier Spot of Ground: Confederate Monuments & Cemeteries of South Carolina. ISBN 9781614232827.
  9. ↑ Donahue, Patrick (2010-06-14). "Ex-Marine, S.C. resident on famous poster dies". The Beaufort Gazette. The State (newspaper). Archived from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  10. ↑ CWGC: Ian Ronald Atherton Adamson
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