Few places in America have a more somber affect than the national cemeteries filled with those who put their lives on the line to protect our freedom and values. And North Carolina, in particular, has one of these national cemeteries that is heavily weighted with a dull ache that will never go away. That’s because the Salisbury National Cemetery contains a series of mass graves – trenches dug (and filled) side-by-side – containing the nameless bodies of thousands and thousands of Union soldiers who died in a Confederate prison that was located only steps away.

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In the beginning, the prison at Salisbury was said to have been more like a country club for captured Union soldiers, although there was a tall wall surrounding the camp and it was under constant security. But over time, the overcrowded conditions eroded the quality of life for the Union soldiers. Some historians argue there are only 3,800 or so buried in the 18 trenches. The official count of 11,700 is based on an early excavation of one of the trenches.

Have you ever visited the Salisbury National Cemetery? It’s located at 202 Government Rd., Salisbury, NC 28144.

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