The Mound City National Cemetery Preservation Commission provides the region with extensive Civil War-era history in an effort to commemorate and maintain the memory of fallen soldiers and the fight for patriotism.
Nestled in the heart of Southern Illinois, the non-profit organization started operations in 1994. The Mound City National Cemetery Preservation Commission, or MCNCPC, works to preserve the history of the Civil War by maintaining its Mound City National Cemetery for American veterans.
Through charitable donations, the group strives to establish an environment to educate the community on the rich Civil War history through operating a museum and providing citizens with knowledge on important war facilities and landmarks of the area.
The Mound City National Cemetery, however, is under the offices of the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis and does receive tax dollars to help with its care and maintenance.
“We put on two events throughout the year to help keep history alive at the cemetery,” Tom Mueller, President of the MCNCPC said. “In May, we have a Memorial Day celebration and put an American flag out on every grave in the cemetery over the holiday weekend. We also participate in December’s Wreaths Across America program to put wreaths on every grave around Christmastime.”
The town of Mound City is rich with Civil War history, as many buildings in the region were once important stations for operations during the war. While the area never saw combat, the town was home to the repair facility of the Mississippi Squadron, a fleet of 80 vessels for the Union Army. The site of the cemetery also houses the historical superintendent’s lodge, built by Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs.
“Of the 2,700 unknown burials in the Mound City National Cemetery, many include those removed from camp and hospital burial grounds in Paducah,” said Rich Kuenneke, the producer of the Mound City National Cemetery documentary. “After the war, the Army exhumed dozens of burial sites along the river in Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois and moved them to the cemetery in Mound City.”
As the Mound City National Cemetery Preservation Commission prepares for the holiday season, the organization is currently gathering materials and sponsors for its participation in the National Wreaths Across America program in December.
The Wreaths Across America program is an event that commemorates United States soldiers through wreath-laying ceremonies at veterans’ graves across the country, including Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
A wreath-laying ceremony will be conducted at the Mound City National Cemetery during the nationwide Wreaths Across America ceremony on Dec. 18, 2021. The specific goal for this year’s ceremony is to ensure that a wreath is placed at each grave of an unmarked soldier.
Approximately 2,700 of the graves at the Mound City National Cemetery are unmarked and in need of a wreath for remembrance.
Vice president of the MCNCPC, Morrissa Clanahan, is the Wreaths Across America event coordinator and is strongly passionate about the historical value of the cemetery since she comes from a long line of veterans.
“I have about 13 family members buried in the cemetery, and I’ve always tried to help remember them each year during the holidays. So it’s a big part of my heart to see that we get as many graves covered as we can,” Clanahan said.
The MCNCPC asks for assistance from the community in covering these graves since a wreath is only able to be placed on a grave once it is paid for and sponsored by a gracious benefactor. In addition, individuals can purchase a wreath to place themselves on a veteran’s grave in any cemetery they would like.
Each year, the commission has wreaths sponsored by citizens from Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, and Southeast Missouri. Anyone from the community‒regardless of the purchase of a wreath‒ is welcome to the Dec. 18th ceremony to honor veterans.
For further information, contact the Mound City National Cemetery Preservation Commission to sponsor a wreath or learn more about the history of the Civil War from a passionate organization.
