6th Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery
The 6th Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery was mustered together at Camp Reynolds near Pittsburgh, PA, on September 15, 1864. As was usual for this time in the war, it was initially trained as an infantry unit, not heavy artillery. Here you’ll learn more about the history of this unit and access our soldier database.
St. Elizabeths Hospital Cemeteries
Opened in 1855, St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, DC was then known as the Government Hospital for the Insane. During the Civil War, the Army used the unfinished east wing of the main building as a general hospital for sick and wounded soldiers. The Army hospital took the name St. Elizabeths to differentiate it from the mental hospital in the west wing of the same building. About 300 Civil War soldiers who died while at St. Elizabeths, whether they were white or African American soldiers from the Union army, or soldiers of the Confederacy, are buried on the West Campus. Later, the John Howard Cemetery was created on the East Campus as the final resting place of both military and general patients. Soldiers buried here include general patients as well as Civil War veterans, veterans from World Wars I and II, the Spanish American War, a lone veteran of the War of 1812, and the grave of a Negro Scout from the Seminole War. Discover more about St. Elizabeths, these two cemeteries, and the stories of those buried there.
Disclaimer
The information shared on this websiste about those buried in the cemeteries was gathered through our own research using publicly available resources. We are not associated with St Elizabeths Hospital in any way and encourage those seeking more information or that may be researching their ancestry to contact St Elizabeths directly for specific information.
About us and our interest in the 6th PA and the cemeteries at St. Elizabeths:
It all started with a set of 22 photos that was brought to us by a friend. Passed down through his family, the photos were all from his great grandfather who served in the 6th PA Heavy Artillery. The photos were identified and he wanted to know more about them. Living in Washington, DC at the time, it was a short trip to the National Archives to discover their stories.
Equally as interesting are the St Elizabeths Hospital Cemeteries. The Civil War cemetery is located on a hillside of the West Campus overlooking the Potomac River and Washington, DC beyond. The tombstones may be seen from DC Route 295. Over on the East Campus is the John Howard Cemetery where soldiers from the War of 1812 all the way through to World War II, including a medal of honor recipient, are buried.
This webpage was created to share the histories of these places, the battles that were fought, and the soldiers who fought in them so that others may learn more about their ancestors. We do what we can to uncover the stories but there is much more information yet to be found. We are not associated with the St Elizabeths Hospital Cemeteries and encourage those researching their ancestors to contact them directly for specific information.
