Also located in Gettsyburg is the National Cemetery. Approximately 3,500 Union soldiers are buried in this cemetery. What makes this burial ground unique is the grave of Private Henry Gooden - he is the only African-American interred in the Civil War section of the cemetery. Although his grave has no notable decoration or ornamentation, there lies a mystery within the cemetery.
As the summer months turned to fall, all the Union soldiers from the battle were interred, as well as men who would fall in later conflicts. One of those men was Private Henry Gooden, a Carlisle man who enlisted in 1864. Though Gooden saw little battle action, his service, like many other African-Americans, was just as important in the fight to bring the nation back together. Why did Gooden enlist in 1864 at the age of forty-three? Why did he choose this cemetery rather than one closer to his home in Carlisle? Now, as Gooden lies among his fellow Union soldiers, he speaks for all those who fought in the struggle for freedom, and the answer to our questions.
Other Information
* Gettysburg National Military Park Official Website
* An extremely informative website about the cemetery