THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
Mount Olivet's "Confederate Row," final resting place for over 700 Southern casualties of the American Civil War.
Frederick County was central to the military campaigns of 1862, 1863, and 1864. Frederick City was a major hospital center for soldiers of both armies. Unlike those relatives of the Union men who died here from injuries or disease, many Southern families lacked the financial or transportation means to bring loved ones home. Mount Olivet Cemetery's "Confederate Row" contains 311 of these soldiers, laying side by side.
The cemetery also contains a mass grave containing 408 unknown Confederate soldiers who died in the nearby battle of Monocacy on July 9th, 1864. Additional nameless bodies were re-interred here following the war after being moved from hastily dug graves located within the proximity of the Sharpsburg and South Mountain battlegrounds. Since Confederates could not be buried within Antietam National cemetery, the remains of hundreds were placed in Mount Olivet. Meanwhile, many Union soldiers (originally buried here) were exhumed and removed to Antietam.
The cemetery also contains a mass grave containing 408 unknown Confederate soldiers who died in the nearby battle of Monocacy on July 9th, 1864. Additional nameless bodies were re-interred here following the war after being moved from hastily dug graves located within the proximity of the Sharpsburg and South Mountain battlegrounds. Since Confederates could not be buried within Antietam National cemetery, the remains of hundreds were placed in Mount Olivet. Meanwhile, many Union soldiers (originally buried here) were exhumed and removed to Antietam.
Artist Richard Schlecht's depiction of burials within Mount Olivet Cemetery during the Civil War based on a September, 1862 diary passage by Frederick resident Jacob Engelbrecht.
In 1880, a statue was erected to honor the Confederates buried here. This followed the work perpetuated by the Ladies Monumental Association of Frederick County in re-interring and attempting to identify many of these men.
Several of Frederick's local veterans, who lived through the epic conflict, would choose Mount Olivet as their final resting place. The cemetery also contains the graves of countless civilians who experienced the horrors of war, something they didn't sign up for, but it came to their doorstep regardless.
Several of Frederick's local veterans, who lived through the epic conflict, would choose Mount Olivet as their final resting place. The cemetery also contains the graves of countless civilians who experienced the horrors of war, something they didn't sign up for, but it came to their doorstep regardless.