Port Hudson National Cemetery

Port Hudson National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Zachary, Louisiana. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

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

History of Port Hudson National Cemetery

Port Hudson National Cemetery is located approximately seven miles west of Zachary, LA, and about 20 miles north of the capital Baton Rouge. During the Civil War, control of the Mississippi River was critical to both Union and Confederate forces. The North sought control of the river to split the Confederacy in two; the South wanted to ensure the flow of supplies back and forth across the river. When New Orleans fell to Union troops in April 1862, Confederate control of the Mississippi was in jeopardy. The Confederate army had already fortified the river bluffs at Vicksburg, MS, but it needed additional river batteries below the mouth of the Red River, which was the primary route for shipping supplies from Texas to the heartland of the Confederacy.

The bluffs near the small town of Port Hudson represented the perfect site for these batteries. They were the first high ground upstream from Baton Rouge and they overlooked a severe bend in the river, an additional obstacle for Union warships. Following their defeat at the Battle of Baton Rouge on August 5, 1862, Confederate soldiers marched to Port Hudson and occupied the area 10 days later. They constructed a series of batteries along the bluffs and, in the months that followed, a 4.5-mile line of earthworks to protect the land-approach to the batteries.

The siege of Port Hudson began May 23, 1863. Roughly 30,000 Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks were pitted against 6,800 Confederates under the command of Maj. Gen. Franklin Gardner.

On the morning of May 27, and again on June 14, the Union army launched ferocious assaults against the string of earthworks protecting Port Hudson. These actions constituted some of the bloodiest fighting in the Civil War. As the siege continued, the Confederates nearly exhausted their ammunition and were reduced to eating mules, horses and rats. When word reached Gardner that Vicksburg had surrendered, he realized that his situation was hopeless. Surrender terms were negotiated and, after 48 days and thousands of casualties, the Union army entered Port Hudson. This siege would become the longest in American military history.

Prior to the May 27 attack, Union leaders undertook a bold experiment. Two African-American regiments were chosen to participate in the battle. The 1st and 3rd Louisiana Native Guards proved their worth by pressing an attack against a well-fortified Confederate position. This action was applauded in northern newspapers and led to greater acceptance of African-American troops in the war effort. The garrison at Port Hudson became a recruiting center for black soldiers until it closed in summer 1866.

Port Hudson National Cemetery is located on the site where Union and Confederate forces were engaged in the siege of Port Hudson. Nearly 4,000 Union troops were killed and almost all were buried in the cemetery; only 600 were known. Approximately 500 Confederate soldiers died during the battle and were buried in the trenches where they fell. The present grounds were first used as a cemetery in 1863. In 1866, the federal government appropriated 8.4 acres and declared the site a national cemetery. Casualties of the siege of Port Hudson and soldiers who died in nearby military hospitals were interred here. In 1871, a cemetery inspector reported that the hostile adjacent-land owner would not permit a ditch to be run across his property to drain the cemetery.

The battlefield at Port Hudson is probably the only naturally preserved Civil War battleground extant. The breastworks, gun pits and trenches remain today almost as they were during the battle.

Port Hudson National Cemetery was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974 as part of the Port Hudson Historic Site.

Directions

The cemetery is located seven miles west of Zachary, two miles off of U.S. Highway 61. From Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, take Airbase Road (left) ½ mile to Interstate 110 north and travel six miles to U.S. Highway 61 north. Proceed eight miles to Junction 3113 west then two miles to the cemetery on your right.

Flowers and grounds rules

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.

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 Port Hudson National Cemetery.

A National Cemetery System Port Hudson National Cemetery

Who can be buried at Port Hudson National Cemetery?

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 Port Hudson National Cemetery?

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 Port Hudson National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Port Hudson National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Port Hudson National Cemetery 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 Port Hudson National Cemetery directly at 225-654-1988.

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 Louisiana law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Louisiana 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 Port Hudson National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Louisiana National Cemetery, Zachary, LA: 2 mi, open for burials
• Baton Rouge National Cemetery, Baton Rouge, LA: 16 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Natchez National Cemetery, Natchez, MS: 64 mi, open for burials