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Confederate Mound burial schedule and eligibility

Chicago, Illinois · VA national cemetery

Address, hours, directions and contact details: Confederate Mound.

VeteranFunerals Editorial·3 min read·May 1, 2026·Facts checked

You can look up burials at Confederate Mound on VA's daily burial schedule, which lists the committal services families have agreed to publish. Veterans who were not dishonorably discharged can be buried here, and so can their spouses and some dependent children. To schedule a burial, you or the funeral director call VA's National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117. VA lists Confederate Mound as closed to new burials, so ask the scheduling office whether an existing family gravesite can be used.

History of Confederate Mound

Oak Woods Cemetery is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Established by the Oak Woods Cemetery Association in 1853, the cemetery is an early example of the Lawn-Park cemetery form. Reacting to criticism that rural cemeteries were "cluttered and crowded", cemetery designer Adolph Strauch introduced more formality to the layout of Oak Woods, while reducing the size of trees and shrubs, replacing the atmosphere of a natural garden with that of a park. In time Strauch became one of the most influential cemetery designers of his day, in part due to his work at Oak Woods. Many local politicians of note have been interred here, including two Governors of Illinois, two Mayors of Chicago, U.S. Congressman James Mann, and Walter Gresham, Secretary of State to President Grover Cleveland.

Confederate Mound is located in Section K, Divisions 1 and 2. The plot contains burials of Confederate dead originally interred in the city cemetery, and in grounds near the hospital at Camp Douglas, a prisoner-of-war camp located in Chicago.

The end of the Civil War led to the abandonment of Camp Douglas and the transfer of the Confederate dead to Oak Woods Cemetery in 1866. The following year, Oak Woods received the Confederate remains from the City Cemetery. According to contemporary military records, 3,384 bodies from City Cemetery were re-interred at Oak Woods. At the time, no individual headstones marked the location of the graves. As a result, in the late 19th century a number of Confederate associations began fundraising campaigns to erect a memorial to the dead in the cemetery. Their efforts were rewarded when President Grover Cleveland and his entire cabinet attended the dedication of the 40' tall bronze-and-granite monument on May 30, 1895.

An act of Congress in 1903 provided federal funds for the improvement of Confederate Mound, including the marking of Confederate graves and the raising of the monument and mound. These appropriations led to the placement of six bronze plaques on the monument, which list the names of 4,243 known Confederate soldiers interred here, along with an inscription regarding the funding of the monument.

Visiting hours at Confederate Mound

Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays, excluding Memorial Day.

Who can be buried at Confederate Mound?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

  • A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
  • Opening and closing of the grave
  • A government-provided burial liner
  • A government-provided headstone or marker
  • Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Confederate Mound?

  1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
  2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
  3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Confederate Mound and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Confederate Mound as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Confederate Mound burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Confederate Mound to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Confederate Mound directly at 815-423-9958.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

  • Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
  • Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
  • Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Illinois law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Illinois and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Funeral homes near Confederate Mound

A funeral director usually arranges the burial with the cemetery. These are the closest funeral homes by straight-line distance. Each one links to its full listing on FuneralUS, our funeral home directory.

  1. 0.8 mi from the cemetery
  2. 0.8 mi from the cemetery
  3. 1.6 mi from the cemetery
  4. 1.8 mi from the cemetery
  5. 1.8 mi from the cemetery
  6. 2.0 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS

FAQ

Questions about burial at Confederate Mound

  • Is burial at Confederate Mound free?

    Yes, for eligible veterans, spouses and dependent children. VA provides the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a burial liner, a headstone or marker, and perpetual care at no cost. The funeral home's services, such as transport and any service before the burial, are arranged and paid for separately.

  • Can I reserve a gravesite at Confederate Mound in advance?

    No. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision before a death, but VA says the decision letter doesn't name a cemetery or gravesite, because neither can be reserved in advance.

  • How do I schedule a burial at Confederate Mound?

    Fax the veteran's discharge papers to 866-900-6417 or email them to [email protected]. Then you or the funeral director call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET). National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

  • Where can I see the burial schedule for Confederate Mound?

    On VA's daily burial schedule at https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/dailyburialschedule/. It covers every national cemetery, but it only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them.

  • Are military funeral honors provided at Confederate Mound?

    Yes, if you ask for them. Your funeral director, a Veterans Service Organization or the cemetery staff can arrange them. At minimum, two uniformed service members fold and present the burial flag at the committal shelter, and Taps is played.

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