In 1863, the Union Army abandoned the Confederate works and constructed a new fortification on this site. A freedmen's community developed around the new Union fort.  Four years later, this same site was selected for the establishment of the Fort Donelson National Cemetery and 670 Union soldiers were reinterred here.  These soldiers (which included 512 unknowns)

had been buried on the battlefield, in local cemeteries, in hospital cemeteries, and in nearby towns.  These totals include five known and nine unknown soldiers from the United States Colored Troops.  The high percentage of unknown soldiers can be attributed to the haste in cleaning up the battlefield and the fact that Civil War soldiers did not carry government-issued identification. 

Today the national cemetery contains both Civil War veterans and veterans who have served the United States since that time.  Many spouses and dependent children are also buried here. 

Civil War Cemetery Roster

STOP 10   Tour Map

CSA Order of Battle   USA Order of Battle