Dover in Stewart County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Hallowed Ground

Photographed By Craig Swain, September 4, 2010

1. Hallowed Ground Marker

Inscription. Fort Donelson National Cemetery was established in 1867 as the final resting place for Union soldiers and sailors who died during the Civil War and were buried in this area. The cemetery occupies the site of the second Fort Donelson built in 1863 by Union soldiers and freedmen from the nearby freedmen's village. Initially 670 Union soldiers (512 of them unknown) were reinterred here from battlefield graves, local cemeteries, and nearby towns. Among the Civil War soldiers buried here are five known and nine unknown soldiers from the United States Colored Troops. No longer active, the national cemetery also contains the remains of veterans who served the United States in later wars.

The outer ring of headstones marks the graves of 62 soldiers from the 11th Illinois Infantry, killed resisting the Confederate breakout attempt of February 15, 1862.

Judge James E. Rice, prominent Dover citizen and civilian aide to Gen. Gideon Pillow during the Battle of Fort Donelson, visits the national cemetery about 1880. Note the cannon used as gate posts.

Erected by Fort Donelson National Battlefield - National Park Service - Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is February 15, 1940.

Location.

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36° 29.265′ N, 87° 50.815′ W. Marker is in Dover, Tennessee, in Stewart County. Marker is on Cemetery Road, on the right when traveling north. Located at stop 11, the National Cemetery, on the driving tour of Fort Donelson National Battlefield. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Dover TN 37058, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Cemetery Lodge (a few steps from this marker); Freedmen's Camp (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Brandon-Sykes Showboat House (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Battle of Dover/Confederate Mass Grave (approx. ¼ mile away); The Stewart County Iron Industry (approx. 0.4 miles away); History of the Stewart County Courthouse (approx. 0.4 miles away); To All Who Served (approx. 0.4 miles away); Dover Under Fire (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dover.

Also see . . . Fort Donelson. National Park Service site. (Submitted on December 7, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Photographed By Shane Oliver, February 7, 2021

2. Hallowed Ground Marker

Photographed By Craig Swain, September 4, 2010

3. Hallowed Ground Marker

Flagpole in the Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Swain, September 4, 2010

4. Flagpole in the Cemetery

Information and Utility Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Swain, September 4, 2010

5. Information and Utility Building

Fort Donelson National Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Swain, September 4, 2010

6. Fort Donelson National Cemetery

Photographed By Bradley Owen, October 14, 2019

7. Fort Donelson National Cemetery

Outer ring of headstones as noted on the marker.

National Cemetery Bronze Plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bradley Owen, October 14, 2019

8. National Cemetery Bronze Plaque

Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 7, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 681 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 7, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on May 10, 2021, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 7, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 7, 8. submitted on February 6, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.