WOUNDED Records for the military post at Springfield, Missouri indicate at least four hospitals in use by the government during the Civil War. The "Berry Mansion," home of Daniel Dorsey Berry was used beginning in at least 1862. Records indicate that Greene County invoiced the government for use of the Court House on the public square as a hospital for four years. Hospital records for General Herron's Brigade Hospital (prob at Berry Mansion) show that patients were transferred from "Campbell House Hospital" and "Red Top Hospital" in November, 1862. The location of Red Top Hospital is unknown. In addition, numerous churches and private homes were used in Springfield, and throughout Southwest Missouri, at various times during the war.
The first "General Hospital" (1861) was probably in the Court House. No burial records exist for the 42 deaths reported on the records, June-Sep 1861, from the General Hospital. Most of those deaths occurred on or after the Battle of Wilson's Creek, 10 Aug 1861. This was the second great battle of the Civil War. The Union forces were defeated and pulled back to Rolla. Since Southwest Missouri remained under Confederate control until February, 1862, I suspect these men were buried in unmarked graves in the "old cemetery 800 yards Northeast of the Courthouse." Exhumation and reinterment records for the National Cemetery at Springfield indicate that only seven of the 118 graves at that site were identified. Most of the unknowns from that cemetery were reinterred in sections 2, 3 and 4 at the National Cemetery. Register of Patients in General Hospital, Springfield Mo, 1861 In hospital at Sarcoxie, Missouri: Samuel Bumpus, 8th Indiana Volunteer Infantry |
As explanation of burials in Southwest Missouri I quote John and Mary Ellen Gifford: "Most of those [Union] who perished at Wilson's Creek were hastily buried in mass grave pits, an old well, a sinkhole, etc. The remains of Union soldiers were reinterred in the Springfield [National] Cemetery following its establishment in 1867. The remains of those who died in other battles and skirmishes were removed from original burial sites at Springfield, Lebanon, Cassville, Ozark, Forsyth, Vera Cruz, Hartville, Greenfield, Lamar, Carthage, Neosho, Newtonia and other places in several southwest Missouri counties. Some had been buried in local cemeteries; others in isolated graves on farms, creek banks and roadsides." I would add only that the Confederate dead from Wilson's Creek may have been buried a few blocks southeast of the public square. An 1863 map drawn by a Union soldier (Riddle Map), indicates "500 rebels buried" near Jefferson Street. The lists below are only four of the many locations from which soldiers were exhumed, but as these were burying grounds associated with military posts, they represent over half of the remains reinterred at the National Cemetery. For a complete listing of the interments see Reinterment Record of Union Soldiers, Springfield National Cemetery, transcribed from the original by J. D. and M. E. Gifford, at the Greene County Archives in Springfield, Mo. For a history of the establishment of the National Cemetery system visit Veterans' Affairs Union Soldiers buried in Curran (Stone County), Missouri 1862-1865 Union Soldiers buried in Lebanon, Missouri 1862-1865 Union Soldiers buried in Springfield, Missouri 1862-1865 |