Confederate Rest Marker

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Madison in Dane County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Confederate Rest

By William J. Toman, July 29, 2010

1. Confederate Rest Marker

Inscription. The valiant Confederate soldiers who lie buried here were members of the 1st Alabama Inf. Reg., Confederate States of America. They were captured in the spring of 1862 in the Civil War Battle of Island No. 10 in the Mississippi River south of Cairo, Illinois. Their task was to stop traffic carrying men and supplies to Northern forces further south.

After weeks of fighting under extremely difficult conditions, they were forced to surrender. Constant fire from river gunboats and land forces made their position untenable. After surrender, they were moved to Camp Randall and when they arrived many were suffering from wounds, malnutrition and various diseases.

Within a few weeks 140 graves were filled, the last resting places for these unsung heroes, far from their homes in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Here, also, is the grave of Alice Whiting Waterman, a gracious Southern lady who devoted more than 30 years of her life caring for the graves of "her boys."

Erected 1981 by Mr. and Mrs. William Austin Huggins.

Location. 43° 3.894′ N, 89° 25.751′ W. Marker is in Madison, Wisconsin, in Dane County. Marker is at the intersection of Speedway Road and Regent Street, on the left

By William J. Toman, July 29, 2010

2. Confederate Rest Marker

Back of marker.

when traveling west on Speedway Road. Click for map. The marker is located just to the southeast of the Mausoleum in section 22 of Forest Hill Cemetery. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Speedway Road, Madison WI 53705, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Site of Former Greenbush Cemetery Burials (approx. 0.2 miles away); In Memory of Our Beloved Sons (approx. 0.3 miles away); Aldo Leopold House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Bradley-Sigma Phi House (approx. half a mile away); Edgewood (approx. half a mile away); John M. Olin (approx. 0.6 miles away); Hoyt Park (approx. 0.6 miles away); Elliott House (approx. 0.7 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Madison.

More about this marker. The Madison Landmarks Commission designated Forest Hill Cemetery and Effigy Mound Group as a landmark (no. 33) in 1975 (revised 1990), stating that "Forest Hill Cemetery was developed from 1857-1862 as the new city cemetery, replacing the smaller cemetery where Orton Park is today. It is one of the most intact examples of the rural cemetery movement of the 19th century, in which burials were set in a park like grounds that also served as a place for strolling, picnics and quiet recreation. The popularity of the rural cemeteries signaled the need for recreational space and gave impetus to the city parks movement. Historic buildings within the cemetery boundaries include the chapel-like receiving vault of ca. 1865, the John Catlin Memorial Chapel of 1878 and the Mausoleum, built in 1916. The cemetery office was built in 1908 for that purpose and also served as a shelter for people waiting for the streetcar at what was then the end of the line. Interesting interments include sections for soldiers and orphans of the Civil War, a section for Confederate prisoners of war who died at Camp Randall, a section for other war veterans, and sections for some of Madison's earliest Jewish citizens."

By William J. Toman, July 29, 2010

3. Confederate Rest Marker

Also see . . .
1. Camp Randall. A related marker. (Submitted on July 30, 2010, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin.)

2. The Northernmost Confederate Cemetery in the United States: Madison, Wisconsin. An article on Confederate Rest by Mark Hudziak. (Submitted on November 2, 2010, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin.)

Base of Nearby Memorial Photo, Click for full size

By William J. Toman, July 29, 2010

4. Base of Nearby Memorial

"Erected in loving memory by United Daughters of Confederacy to Alice Whiting Waterman and her boys."

Part of Wall Around Confederate Rest Photo, Click for full size

By William J. Toman, July 29, 2010

5. Part of Wall Around Confederate Rest

Confederate States Soldiers?

Credits. This page originally submitted on July 30, 2010, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 972 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 30, 2010, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.