Confederate Mound

Confederate Mound is a VA national cemetery in Chicago, Illinois. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

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.

Twelve unidentified Union guards who died at Camp Douglas are also interred in the plot. Their graves are marked by individual unknown headstones.

Monuments and Memorials The memorial consists of a bronze figure of a Confederate infantry soldier, arms folded across his chest, hat in hand, and kit hanging at his side, standing atop a square granite column. The figure is adapted from a painting entitled "Appomattox" by John A. Elder. Three bas-relief panels at the base depict "The Call to Arms" on the east side, "A Veteran's Return Home" on the west side, and "A Soldier's Death Dream" on the south side. The monument marks the trench burials of the Confederate dead from Camp Douglas. The Confederate Veterans Association, along with other Confederate veterans' organizations, raised funds to erect the monument. General John C. Underwood, head of the United Confederate Veterans division west of the Alleghenies, designed and solicited contributions for the monument. The bronze plaques listing the names of buried Confederate veterans were added around 1910-1911, and may have been part of a new base design.

In addition to the monument, four artillery monuments and a cannonball pyramid were erected in Confederate Mound in the 1860's.

Directions

From Chicago-O'Hare Airport: Take I-190 East which turns into I 90/94 (Kennedy Expressway) merge onto I-94 (Dan Ryan Expressway) East exit at 59B to S Yale Ave, travel south to Marquette Rd/67th Street and turn left and travel to Oak Woods Cemetery on the right. Confederate Mound is located on the grounds of Oak Woods Cemetery. There is no entrance here.

From the East or West: Take Interstate 90 to Interstate 94 South and exit at 67th Street. Take 67th Street east to Cottage Grove Avenue. Continue four more blocks on 67th Street to the entrance near South Greenwood Avenue.

Flowers and grounds rules

Contact the cemetery for information regarding the floral/grounds policy.

Education and visiting programs

More than half of VA's national cemeteries originated with the Civil War and many are closed to some burials. Other sites were established to serve World War veterans and they continue to expand. Historic themes related with NCA's cemeteries and soldiers' lots vary, but visitors should understand "Why is it here?" NCA began by installing interpretive signs, or waysides, at more than 100 properties to observe the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011–2015). Please follow the links below to see the interpretive signs for Confederate Mound.

A National Cemetery System Confederate Mound

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.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Confederate Mound, by straight-line distance:

• Fort Sheridan National Cemetery, Fort Sheridan, IL: 32 mi, status not listed
• Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Elwood, IL: 38 mi, open for burials
• Mound Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Racine, WI: 67 mi, closed to new in-ground burials