Most People Don't Realize That There Is A Confederate Cemetery Hiding Near Cleveland
By Nikki Rhoades|Published December 10, 2019
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Nikki Rhoades
Author
Nikki is a lifelong Ohioan with a love for literature. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Akron and has enjoyed publishing her written work since 2007. She has a love of travel and does so frequently, though she believes that home is where the heart is — she continues to work in and around Cleveland as a digital content specialist to this day, working on everything from commercial scripts and social media posts to grassroots marketing initiatives.
Here in Cleveland, the evidence of the Civil War is as visible as it is in the postbellum South. From our incredible monument in Public Square to purported stops on the Underground Railroad, the victory of the Union was celebrated vividly here in Greater Cleveland. Amazingly, the influence of the Confederacy isn’t too far from home. Would you be surprised to learn that there is a Confederate cemetery near Cleveland? While this may sound like a local legend, there actually is a historic Confederate resting place located just off of Lake Erie’s coast. Buckle up, because this adventure will take you on a trip through time.
Once upon a time, thousands of Confederate prisoners were placed at a facility in Lake Erie’s Sandusky Bay.
More than 10,000 prisoners passed through this camp over the course of its existence, though its population remained fairly low due to both sides exchanging and trading prisoners of war. This eventually ceased as tensions grew and the population swelled to over 3,200 prisoners... more than three times the prison's capacity.
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The government was forced to establish a cemetery for the deceased, and they did so in a plain little cemetery just north of the prison.
The island's prison was, for the time, rather mild. While it may not have been as harsh, overcrowding, poor hygiene, and disease took a toll as the war raged on.
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Following the conclusion of the war, the remaining soldiers were given the option to swear allegiance to the United States or stay in custody.
Most prisoners naturally agreed to part ways with confederate ideals. A select few held steadfast to their beliefs and remained in custody. The prison operated until November of 1865, having transferred its remaining prisoners over the course of the previous few months. As the U.S. government withdrew from the island, the cemetery was left behind.
Leonard Johnson, however, was not interested in selling the land. The families of the fallen remained interested in it, and in 1890, a group from Georgia funded the replacement of wooden crosses with headstones and also initiated construction of a gate around the cemetery.
In 1904, the United Daughters of the Confederacy purchased the plot of land and cared for it before formally donating it to the U.S. federal government in 1932.
Today, 267 soldiers rest soundly in this once-again federally operated landscape. Though it is only one acre in size, it boasts four impressive monuments, some of which were placed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Today, the 206 graves in this cemetery continue to astonish visitors, as it is one of the only remaining reminders of the role that Lake Erie's islands played in the Civil War.
The islands were initially scouted as a location for a prison after existing facilities proved to be too small to host the large population of prisoners that would be moving through. Lake Erie provided a natural barrier between invading forces and the Union war camp, and the islands were considered fairly easy to defend.
Today, Johnson's Island is considered a National Historic Landmark. It can actually be accessed via car!
Unlike the other islands, this unique site can be visited via one quick drive. After you travel down the causeway, you'll be pleased to learn that the cemetery is open to the public to this day.
There’s much to discover on Lake Erie’s shore… and just off its coast. Did you know that there is a Confederate cemetery near Cleveland? What surprised you most about this historic site?
