A MOST SACRED SHRINE

FROM THE ALLEGHENY PLATEAU

by Joe Ewing

High HareMan of The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny

MEMBERS VISIT ANOTHER OF OUR NATION'S MOST SACRED SHRINES.

All pictures supplied by the author.

On a beautiful day in May four members of the Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny visited another of our nation's most sacred shrines, U. S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery in NW Washington, D.C.
and
President Lincoln's Cottage.

"Located just north of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, more commonly known as the Soldiers’ Home, in Washington, D.C., lies the United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery, one of the country’s oldest national cemeteries.  The cemetery’s rolling hills mark the final resting place for more than 14,000 veterans, including those that fought in the Civil War.  One of the most prominent people buried in the cemetery is Major General John A. Logan, who led the Army of the Tennessee and established the first Decoration Day observances. The cemetery is one of two national cemeteries maintained by the Department of the Army. The cemetery offers a final resting place for residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home - Washington."-National Park Service website

"During the Civil War, churches and other public buildings around Washington were commandeered for use as military hospitals to care for wounded troops or those stricken with illness on the front lines.  Just days after the Battle of Bull Run, the Commissioners of the United States Military Asylum offered six acres of land at the north end of the Home’s grounds as a burial ground for soldiers and officers.  This offer was accepted in late July 1861, and the first burials were made shortly thereafter on August 3." -National Park Service Website

"From 1861 to 1864, the cemetery accepted thousands of soldiers' remains from 17 of the 25 Union states, quickly filling the six-acre cemetery’s capacity.  An 1874 report on the condition of the cemetery noted more than 5,600 interments, including 278 unknown, 125 Confederate prisoners of war, and 117 civilian relatives of the deceased and employees of the Home.  In 1883, more than nine additional acres were added to the grounds, bringing the cemetery’s total size to nearly sixteen acres.  In 1900, all of the Confederate remains were reinterred in Section 16 of Arlington National Cemetery." National Park Service Website

Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery is the final resting place of 21 recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, given for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.” -National Park Service website

Soldiers' Home National Cemetery is the final resting place for Edwin Washburn Mallory whose final resting place is seen above and below.

E. W. Mallory, from Ischua, NY, a Private in Company K., 85th New York Infantry served 8 months, was taken sick and died of disease May 17th, 1862 in the hospital in Washington, D.C. He was 23 years old. He was one of the very first soldiers to be buried at the cemetery.

Edwin Washburn Mallory is a distant Uncle to several members of The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny.

United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery, one of the two national cemeteries maintained by the Department of the Army, is located at 21 Harewood Rd. NW, in Washington, D.C. The cemetery is open every day of the year from 8:00am to 5:00pm (Memorial Day until 7:00pm).  The office is open, subject to the Superintendent's schedule, Monday-Friday from 8:00am to 4:00 pm, except Federal holidays.  The office telephone number is 877-907-8585.  For more information, visit the United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery website. While visiting, please be mindful that our national cemeteries are hallowed ground.  Be respectful to all of our nation’s fallen soldiers and their families.  Additional cemetery policies may be posted on site.

Visitors to Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery may also be interested in President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldiers’ Home, on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home.  The cottage is also the subject of an online lesson plan, President Lincoln’s Cottage: A Retreat. The lesson plan has been produced by the National Park Service's Teaching with Historic Places program, which offers a series of online classroom-ready lesson plans on registered historic places. To learn more, visit the Teaching with Historic Places homepage.

The U.S. Soldier's and Airman's Home is also the site of President Lincoln's cottage.

"President Lincoln’s Cottage is an historic site and museum located in the Petworth neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C. President Lincoln’s Cottage first opened to the public in February 2008, after an eight-year capital restoration project under the auspices of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It is the only place the public can experience the history of Abraham Lincoln’s public and private life where he lived and worked for over a quarter of his presidency. While in residence at the Cottage, Lincoln visited with wounded soldiers, spent time with self-emancipated men, women and children, and developed the Emancipation Proclamation. The human cost of the Civil War surrounded him, undoubtedly impacted his thinking, and strengthened his resolve to challenge the status quo. Through innovative guided tours, exhibits and programs, we use Lincoln’s example to inspire visitors to take their own path to greatness, and preserve this place as an authentic, tangible connection to the past and a beacon of hope for all who take up Lincoln’s unfinished work."-National Trust for Historic Preservation website

Above and below, members of The Big Woods Hare Hunters of the Allegheny take time out in the Band Stand while visiting President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldier's Home located in Washington, D.C/ NW

On July 7, 2000, President William J. Clinton declared the Cottage and 2.3 acres of surrounding land the President Lincoln and Soldiers’ Home National Monument in honor of the site’s notable role in the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Despite the designation as a National Monument, the National Park Service plays no role in the stewardship or support of the site. President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldiers’ Home, by agreement with the Armed Forces Retirement Home and National Trust for Historic Preservation, is responsible for the operation and governance of the site and is an independent 501(c)(3).

THANK YOU FOR VISITING OUR SITE AND READING OUR STORY.

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