The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-04-06
FROM NEW ORLEANS.
Concerning Cemeteries Above
Oround-- Minnesota's Dead at
Chalmette.
SEN oaLEANs, March q.

NEW ORLEANS, March "a.
Among tine most noticeable things in
the Crescent city are the homes of the
dead. Built on what was originally
marsh, there are no gravesin the ground.
The city OF the living and the cities of
the dead are side by side, and both are
above ground. To my mind, II robs the
grave of much Of its responsiveness, to
place those near and dear to us, in beau
tiful tombs above mother earth. 1t af-
fords affection wide field In which to
enrich, with decorative art, the last de-
pository of those who proceed us in join
ing the silent majority. These monot-
onous marble habitations of the dead, as
those in life, mark the wealth of the oc
cupants There Is an aristocracy even
among the tombs. Some of those in the
new cemetery cost as high as thirty
thousand dollars. Flowers everywhere
greet you in these homes of the dead.
Flowers yield their beauty and perfume
as often to the bier as the bridal. The
finest of the cemeteries is the MetaIric,
a new one on ground which was once a
famous old race course Of that name. In
wandering through il | found that the
Confederate dead were well remember
ed. Here the Army of Northern Eir-
ginia and the Army of the Tennessee,
have each noble monuments, the former.
surmounted with the statue of Stonewall
jackson, and the latter with very fine
equestrian statute of Gen. Alfred Sidney
Johnston. observed also the tomb of
Gen. John b. Hood, of Confederate fame.
The epitaphs on all these exhibit the de-
votion of these people to their great
leaders in the war of the rebellion.
n
historic in character. Among these /
rates, who aided Gen. jackson in the
memorable battle, by serving one of the
great guns with killing precision / saw
also the grave Of Pierre Soule, orator
and statesman, from Louisiana, whom /
remember to have seen in the Senate of
the United States in my youth, noticea-
BILE then as the best dressed man in that
august body.
But none of these marble abodes of
the dead interested me like that of the
National Cemetery, at Chalmette, on the
left bank of the Mississippi, about two
miles below jackson Barracks, and in
part, on the famous old battle ground of
1872. This ground was donated by the
city of New Orleans in 1866. 1t has been
beautifully ornamented, and is well cared
for by United States officer, under the
direction of the Quartermaster-G General
There is good mansion on the grounds
where the records are kept. found by
the record, that there were II, 1872 graves
of Union soldiers, of whom 6,9l3 are
known" and 5,279 marked as Sun
known" What especially interested
me was the graves of the Minnesota
dead. These / carefully examined,
reading and copying every maidstone,
and as their names have never been
published at home, give them for the
benefit of those interested. / found
more of my own regiment (the 10TH,
than of any other. BY comparing my
copy with the record in the office, i
found the record defective, and accord
ingly corrected it. The dead from Min
nesota regiments there inferred found
as follows.
Fifth Reglment-Charles Cat, Louis
Chase, Peter Hellas, George s. Har-
BRONX.
Sixth Regiment-Joseph Curry, Geo.
E. Collins, Thee. Hoonan, VIM. H. Bush.
Seventh Regiment-Charles Peter
man.
Ninth Regiment-WillIam Fox.
Tenth Reglment-Co. X, Serg't Patrick
Heating; Co. G, E. II. Watterson, Flore
Core, VIM. Fox; Co. II, H. Miles Henry.
These all died of disease in the hospi-
tails here, except Core, who died OF
wounds. This Inst should be sent by
friends to regiments interested.
]. II. BAKER.