Burial at North Alton Confederate Cemetery: A family guide

History of North Alton Confederate Cemetery

The prison building in Alton, Illinois, was constructed in 1833 to serve as the Illinois State Prison. Located in a low area close to the Mississippi River, the State of Illinois abandoned the prison in 1860 at the urging of social reformer Dorthea Dix, who complained about the unhealthy conditions there.

Soon after the outbreak of the Civil War, the federal government re-opened the facility as a Confederate prison. The maximum capacity of Alton prison was estimated at 800; in the last year of the war it held close to 1,900 Confederate prisoners.

As in many Confederate prisons, the inmate population was ravaged by disease, and over the course of the war smallpox claimed the lives of hundreds of prisoners. In an attempt to minimize the number of smallpox deaths, prison officials quarantined those stricken with the disease in a hospital on Tow Head Island, in the Mississippi River. Prisoners who died of smallpox were buried on the island itself. In the years after the Civil War, frequent flooding of the river eroded all of the grave markers. Today, the location of the smallpox hospital and the burials is unknown.

Confederates who died from causes other than smallpox were interred two miles north of Alton, in an area known as "Buck Inn." This became the official prison burial ground, and today is the location of the North Alton Confederate Cemetery.

Notable veterans buried at North Alton Confederate Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration documents the following veterans of note buried at North Alton Confederate Cemetery, listed by section and site as recorded in the cemetery's official register.

• Under Development.

Eligibility for burial at North Alton Confederate Cemetery

Planning ahead for a Veteran's or loved-one's final resting place can eliminate unnecessary delays and reduce stress on a family at a difficult time.

The Department of Veterans Affairs covers the grave plot, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government-furnished headstone or marker, and a U.S. burial flag at no cost to eligible families.

Visiting hours

Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

How to schedule a burial at North Alton Confederate Cemetery

1. The funeral home or family contacts the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117 (24/7 for active funeral arrangements).
2. Provide the veteran's full name, date of birth, social security number, dates of service, branch, and date of death.
3. Fax or email the DD-214 to the cemetery's interment office for verification.
4. Once eligibility is confirmed (typically 30–60 minutes for complete documentation), the cemetery assigns a date, time, and committal shelter.
5. The funeral home transports the deceased to North Alton Confederate Cemetery at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Where North Alton Confederate Cemetery sits in the Illinois cemetery system

North Alton Confederate Cemetery is one of the veteran cemeteries operating in Illinois. The cemetery is currently closed to new in-ground burials but may accept cremated remains in some cases. Families should verify status before planning.

For families considering alternatives, the nearest veteran cemeteries appear in our cemetery sidebar. If North Alton Confederate Cemetery is fully reserved, those alternatives are typically the next options.