While Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery received its designation in 1934, it has been a burial ground since before 1847. In the early 1880s, it became the final resting place for the fallen in the Battle of San Pasqual, who were transported and eventually reinterred at the hillside cemetery.
In addition to an extensive list of those who have been honored with medals for their service, the cemetery is also known for commemorating the death of 62 sailors who died aboard the USS Bennington after a boiler explosion in July 1905.
According to officials, Fort Rosecrans is currently at capacity for casketed remains, though space is still available for cremated remains. The cemetery overlooks both the sea and the bay and is located on the Fort Rosecrans Military reservation in Point Loma/Ocean Beach.
All photos by Annie Lane.
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General William Stark Rosecrans was a distant cousin of mine. My Grandmother on my mother’s side was Alice Rosenkrans. The Rosenkrans family was so huge and well known that there were a number of different spellings of their surname. The General’s branch moved to Ohio and according to a biography I found in the UCSD library, “The Edge of Glory,” they changed the spelling so that people would think they were “less German.” I guess there was a lot of prejudice against Germans at the time. Rosecrans talked his way into West Point, and when the Civil War came along, he was promoted to General.
After the war he settled in California, where he had a 15,000 acre ranch in Redondo Beach. He was appointed Ambassador to Mexico and Secretary of the Treasury. He and Ulysses S Grant were bitter rivals. It was Grant that signed the letter demoting Rosecrans after Rosecrans lost the Battle of Chickamauga.
Ironic that both Civil War Generals have a prescence in San Diego. There’s also a Rosecrans Street in LA.
The link for Alice Rosenkrans is
http://willblogforfood.typepad.com/will_blog_for_food/2008/02/my-grandmother.html
How fascinating, John! Thank you for sharing.
My grandparents rest there, and I’m always pleasantly surprised to see the steady train of visitors on Memorial and Veterans Day, though, from what I understand, many vets believe the latter is a time of celebration.
On regular days you can always find fresh flowers or other offerings left by family members and friends. I’m rarely there when there are many people, but it’s apparent that it is a regularly frequented place.
Wow. Did not know that. My niece is also buried there – she died from a birth defect at the age of 2.
Thanks for the bit of history and the lovely photos, though it’s always sad and shocking to see the endless rows of graves.
I agree. It’s rather sobering.
Annie, I don’t know how to do a repost of a photo gallery, but I sure wish I did, as I’ve wanted to do so with your great photo galleries on numerous occasions. Calling Patty ….