The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-07-18
20. Correspondence OF the Kenosha Telegraph
Tie National Cemetery at Jefferson Bar
racks, Mo.
DEAR SCHOFF =

DEAR SCHoFF =
/ want to write you four or five sticks full
about the new National Cemetery now being
at this Military Post.
The United States owns reservation here
of seventeen hundred acres of very fine land,
on the west bank of the Mississippi river, ten
miles below the city Of st. Louis,-it is well
wooded, swelling into picturesque knobs and
falling into deep glens. The seat chosen was
the old cemetery of the barracks, which al
ready contain the tombs of many officers kill
ed in the Florida and Mexican wars, and sol
diers who have died at this Post since 1927,
when it was established-it includes, of course,
those buried during the four years of the late
war, when this was U. s. General Hospital
So lovely is the spot that all who see it cor
daily agree that no better position could pos
sibly have been chosen for the hallowed rest !
ing place of our soldiers.
This National Cemetery, in which are being
gathered together the heroic dead of the ma
ton. is under the care of Major General Dor
aldson, of the O. NJ. Dept Working under
his orders are Mr.. F. A. Hooper, formerly of
his staff. and Mr.. A. z. Schneider, with one
hundred men, who have brought about won
derful changes in the aspect of the place.
The graves are laid out in symmetrical lines
and sections OF the utmost exactness, and
| broad walks have been made which are being
McAdamized, curbed and gravelled. The plan
adopted is succession of quadrangular plats,
and in the elevated centre is circle where
splendid cenotaph will be erected common
| IF tho
fict, the bravery of our men and the genius OF
our leaders. But it will be long before the
cemetery will be finished and ready for its
reception, for although there has been over
one hundred men at work all summer there
Iremains much, very much for them to do. Be-
sides the bodies which come from hospitals,
prison deus and battle-fields, there are at least
five thousand that found a temporary resting
place in the ST. Louis Wesleyan cemetery, but
which will be removed to the National one as
soon as this present hot weather has subsidized.
| In the northeast part are to be found the
tombs of many who were buried here in years
Hong gone by, many Of them being inscribed
with the name of children and ladies, the wives
of members of the garrison. One of recent
date bears the name of Brevet-Colonel Ros-
WELL NJ. SAwYER-a name well known IN
Wisconsin, and known and loved here, at the
time of his death CAST winter he was on the
staff of Lieut. Gen Sherman. Col. Sawyer, in
) the spring of 1861, was a resident Of Fond du
Lac, Wis, and Gas Gen. Sherman states in the
general order announcing his death) event tc
the wars in the well-known old First Wiscon
sin Infantry" A few weeks before his death
he was appointed Captain in the 18th u S
Unfit, but was to be retained on the Generals
staff.
In the opposite corner, the southeast, arc
the graves of the rebel soldiers who died from
wounds or disease, and not far from them liz
:. The faithful colored troops who persisted il
ell their devotion to the good cause. Apart from
n all are the unblessed mounds of those who
Is were executed as spies, and whose remains
10 have not been considered worthy to trespas
IS upon the spot allotted to those who fell hon
V orably fighting for a mistaken cause. Among
t the graves of our own boys are to be found
# flowers which have grown up INTENDED, an(
!. green leaf corn, and even peach tree, which
is fourishing famously, and this young tret
= has peaches on it, at least dozen.
= In the western part Of the ground there is
, fine pond fed by spring which rises in TIN
centre, and which can be plainly distinguished
as it bubbles up from the recesses of the earth
j. There is another spring in the eastern part o
1t the grounds which issues from curious cave
y and rushes noisily to the Big river, being il
r, the open air about one hundred feet only. TIL
he cave runs deep,under the cemetery, but is dill
lr fcult to penetrate on account of the water i
le it, which will among other things be remedie
lie by the workmen, and made easy of access
~ Large quantities of queer flint arrows and Gu
c. rious stone hatchets have been brought t
ne light from among the hidden mysteries of thi
c. "Indian Cave''
s. When the Cemetery is complete and tn
le dead gathered to IT,, there will be over fort
ID thousand graves in this "City of the Dead" O
which Wisconsin (as in all other Nationa
Cemeteries) will have her full quota 1 vii
of then be able to furnish you with some stats
IN tics to the friends of the dead of Wisconsin
e. who rest here.
u. The man who walks the walks of a "Unite
c. States National Cemetery and does not fee
pride in being an American citizen, should b
transported without benefit of clergy, to-
Walrussia-or the other extreme, if possible
No nation has displayed such tender regar
for the bodies of her soldiery as America. TIL
veterans who fell at Balaklava were buriet
|. where they fell, though they were the choices
>. of England; the French soldier of the legiol
; who lay dying in Algiers, was covered witt
J. the sand of the desert, and there was an ent
Us of him until poetry told his story. 1t was lef
for America to give an example to the worlt
how the dead who died for us should be re
I membered, and in our treatment Of our blue
> coated fallen braves, we have shown how tn
10 national heart was stirred by their fates, ant
d how earnest was her gratitude to the higl
, hearts who loved Columbia and were proud t.
Idle for her. Mournful pilgrimages--so
commissions have been undertaken to find GU
where lay the dead who persisted for tn
Union. Midst quiet glens and wild forests
.e whose trees bore terrible impress of shrapnel
! round shot and leaden bullet-throughout ev
/ cry battlefield and every scene OF skirmsh
Ii came eager eyed men, good and true lookin.
= for the good and true, to find the treasures o
q the nation, the half buried bones of hero
men. But not alone do they visit the BATH
,, fields. The Southern prison penS,-at who's
very mention the passions rise and the eve
n f1ash-held in their embrace more thousand
x than any battlefield. These thousands have
+ at last been rescued and will rest under pure
n skies.
q D. C. McVEAN
s We gather the following particulars from
8 Philadelphia contemporary in regard to the
o Riverside Institute, the advertisement of which
6 appears in our columns :
e This Institute promises to be one of the
lFFra fNGaf ggEnA ,1.1