Wednesday, June 2, 2010

National Cemeteries: Los Angeles and San Francisco

I enjoy reading other Civil War blogs and recently noticed a posting by Kevin Levin on his Civil War Memory blog about the Los Angeles National Cemetery. The main feature of the posting was a short You Tube video about the cemetery by historian Joan Waugh. She notes that many Civil War veterans were buried in this cemetery that was established in 1889. Her comments led me to the web page for the cemetery, and it included some interesting facts. Fourteen Medal of Honor recipients are buried there and six of them received their citations as a result of the Civil War. The San Francisco National Cemetery, established in 1884, also has a number of Civil War veterans buried there. Thirty-six Medal of Honor recipients are buried in the San Francisco National Cemetery and four of those received their medals as a result of a Civil War action. I also learned, much to my surprise, that Union spy Pauline Cushman is buried in the San Francisco National Cemetery. If I ever make it out to Los Angeles or San Francisco, I’ll certainly pay a visit to these cemeteries.

2 comments:

  1. I've posted some blog entries on the Presidio National Cemetery, one of my favorite places. Here is one on Pauline Cushman from last December: take a look at that inscription!
    http://tinyurl.com/2a7hvyx

    Here's one from several years ago on Irvin McDowell, whose name was spelled wrong on his stone:
    http://tinyurl.com/29rb3xg

    Let me know when you're in the area and I'll drive you around for a "Civil War San Francisco" tour.

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  2. I have long enjoyed visiting cemeteries, and it was fun to see your photographs of the headstones--how sad that McDowell's name was misspelled. A final indignity, I suppose... you are correct that someone should write a biography of him. If I ever make it out to San Francisco, I will certainly take you up on your kind offer.

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