Prior the Civil War, there were no national cemeteries. But the appalling number of fatalities in the conflict compelled Congress in 1862 to pass legislation authorizing cemeteries for the dead. The most famous of which is Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, which was created on the estate owned by Robert E. Lee.
The Lincoln Cemetery is relatively new--it was dedicated in 1999 on land that was once part of the Joliet Arsenal, which created ordnance for World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. It closed in 1975.
Each grave is decorated for a flag for Memorial Day. A volunteer told me that there are 55,000 people buried here--the capacity for the cemetery is 400,000.
There was controversy in naming the cemetery for Lincoln. Springfield civic leaders were concerned that it would confuse tourists into believing that the 16th president is buried here. Lincoln's resting place is at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Illinois' capital city.
One of the people who brought about Memorial Day was another Illinoisan, General John A. Logan. He later served in the US Senate. Lincoln, Logan, and Ulysses S. Grant are the only people named in Illinois' official state song.
"All gave some and some gave all."
Remember the sacrifice our military has made for our freedom today.
2 comments:
Black Jack Logan One of my favorites. Perhaps the best of the political generals of the war.
As southern Illinois, where Logan, was from, was settled mainly by people from slave states, there was concern as to the loyalty of these Illinoisans. Logan fixed that.
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