Fort McPherson National Cemetery. |
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| Details | |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1863 |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Lincoln County, Nebraska |
| Type | United States National Cemetery |
| Size | 20 acres (8.1 ha) |
| Number of graves | 9,000 |
Fort McPherson National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery, located 4 miles (6 km) south of the village of Maxwell in Lincoln County, Nebraska. It encompasses 20 acres (8.1 ha), and as of the end of 2005, it had 8,355 interments.
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Fort McPherson was established in 1863 as an outpost to protect travellers along the Oregon and California Trails, and to keep the peace with the local Native Americans. It was named for Major General James B. McPherson, who was killed in action at the Battle of Atlanta. A cemetery was created along with the fort. In 1873, 20 acres (8.1 ha) were set aside to be a National Cemetery, and the remains interred in the original post cemetery were moved to it.
Twenty-three cemeteries were moved from abandoned frontier forts to Fort McPherson; the last of these was moved from Fort Robinson when it was closed in 1947.