Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

Military Burials in Milwaukee - Civil War Era Interments

Letter of the Secretary of War
Communicating
In obedience to law, the report of the inspector of the National Cemeteries of the United States for 1869

41st Congress, 2nd Session

This report made by the Secretary of War gives a report of the Union dead of the rebellion that were interred in National or civil cemeteries in 1869.

There is no national Cemetery in the State of Wisconsin, the Union dead being buried in civil cemeteries.

Forest Home Episcopal cemetery-Inspected September 6, 1868

This is an incorporated cemetery, situated four miles southwest of the city of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee.

The four lots owned by the general government is nearly a parallelogram, with a curve at one end. It is about equal to a square of twenty-four feet, and cost forty cents a square foot. Around the plot is a walk five feet wide. The bodies are buried in three parallel rolls, twenty-four (24) in all, and all known; leaving room in the ground for seven additional graves. The ground requires attention, there being no mounds over the graves, nor are they sodded. Headboards are also required.

The burials are from deaths in the general hospital in the city.

There are also forty-one (41) bodies buried in the cemetery in private lots, of whom thirteen (13) are officers. All their graves are sodded, but are without headboards, except that over a few, monuments have been erected. They are all known.

In the plot belongng to the Soldiers' Home, there are four (4) bodies, two (2) being Indians buried by ladies; all known.

In the Calvary Roman Catholic cemetery, there are nine (9) bodies, all buried in private lots, except one buried in a lot donated by the Bishop; all known.

In Green Haughton cemetery there are two (2) bodies, both known.

In St. John's cemetery, there are seven (7) bodies; all known.

Total number in the several cemeteries near Milwaukee, eighty-seven (87) of which thirteen (13) are officers, seventy-one (71) white soldiers, one (1) colored soldier, and two (2) Indians.

The ground in the Forest Home cemetery, costing five hundred and twenty-five dollars ($525) has not been paid for.

The expenditures in the Forest Home cemetery amount to $63. The expenditures were made by Brevet Brigadier General J.D. Bingham, quartermaster.