Springfield National Cemetery
This cemetery was founded in 1867 by the city of Springfield, Missouri as a final resting place for the men who lost their lives in the nearby 1861 Battle of Wilson Creek during the Civil War. The bodies from the battle were exhumed and re-interred at the then-five-acres cemetery, initially consisting of both Union and Confederate troops. In 1911, the Confederate Cemetery Association donated an additional six acres, but added a provision that further burials would be limited to only men who served in the Confederate ranks. Further amendments to the provision in later years opened the door for burials of any eligible veteran to be buried in this new plot as well. Today, the cemetery contains veterans as far back as the Revolutionary War.

The Ghosts of the Cemetery
The Springfield National Cemetery is also host to more than a few lingering spirits as well, according to some people. Late-night visitors to the cemetery have reported seeing gravestones that appeared to glow in the dark. Yet others have reported finding strange anomalies in photographs they took while inside the cemetery grounds. On occasion, some photographs even show what appears to be an apparition or form of some long-dead solider standing amongst the tombstones.

The Cemetery Today
At the end of 2007, just fewer than 15,000 veterans were interred at the Springfield National Cemetery. It is open to the general public from dawn to dusk on most days of the year. For more information, please visit the site below.