GENERAL INFORMATION

The Natchez National Cemetery is located on the Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. It has several unique features, one being its gravel roads, the other being its wedding cake shape at the back of the cemetery, due to its five level terrace. The city of Natchez lies on the southwestern border of Mississippi and is the oldest city on the Mississippi River.
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HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Although there were two military engagements in the Natchez area in 1863 and 1864, the town surrendered early to Union troops and was spared extensive damage. Natchez National Cemetery was established during this period, north of town near the river bluff. The original 11-acre site was purchased in 1866 from local residents. Original interments were brought from locations in Louisiana and Mississippi within a 50-mile radius of Natchez in Adams County. One of the old Natchez homes, “The Gardens,” served as a military hospital for federal troops, and some of the earliest interments are the men who died there. In a report dated June 30, 1866, Quartermaster Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs informed the secretary of war that many bodies had been buried in the levees near the west shore of the Mississippi. Subsequently, the removal of these remains and their reinterment at Natchez National Cemetery began the following fall.

Natchez National Cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
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NOTABLE BURIALS

Medal of Honor Recipients
Landsman Wilson Brown, (Civil War) U.S. Navy. On board the USS Hartford, in Mobile Bay, August 1864 (Section G, Grave 3152).

Other Burials
There are seven Buffalo Soldiers of the 24th Infantry interred in the Natchez National Cemetery, they are:
Private First Class Sam Hall Section B, Grave 3538.
Private Samuel McCudden Section D, Grave 588.
Private John Moffet Section D, Grave 585.
Private Fredrick Muller Section D, Grave 589.
Private John Peterson Section D, Grave 587.
Private J.V. Snyder Section D, Grave 140.
Private Felix Matthews Section G, Grave 3222.

Roger J. Puckett, former Superintendent of Natchez National Cemetery, is buried in section D, Grave 3747.

58th U.S. Colored Troops, re-interred from below the bluffs and the forks of the roads and other sites in Adams County.

Union Navy soldiers re-interred in the Natchez National Cemetery. To cite a few:
William Preston, Quartermaster on the USS Hartford, Section D Grave 459.
John Keese, Seaman on the USS Osage, Section D Grave 423.
T.W. Roberts, Acting Ensign on the USS Osark, Section D Grave 421.
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FLORAL/GROUNDS REGULATIONS

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.

Artificial flowers and potted plants will be permitted on graves during periods when their presence will not interfere with grounds maintenance. As a general rule, artificial flowers and potted plants will be allowed on graves for a period extending 10 days before through 10 days after Easter Sunday and Memorial Day.

Christmas wreaths, grave blankets and other seasonal adornments may be placed on graves from Dec. 1 through Jan. 20. They may not be secured to headstones or markers.

Permanent plantings, statues, vigil lights, breakable objects and similar items are not permitted on the graves. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not permit adornments that are considered offensive, inconsistent with the dignity of the cemetery or considered hazardous to cemetery personnel. For example, items incorporating beads or wires may become entangled in mowers or other equipment and cause injury.

Permanent items removed from graves will be placed in an inconspicuous holding area for one month prior to disposal. Decorative items removed from graves remain the property of the donor but are under the custodianship of the cemetery. If not retrieved by the donor, they are then governed by the rules for disposal of federal property.
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