The person buried here is known only as "Mrs. Sykes." She was interred on either September 1 or 21, 1866. The grave was originally numbered 14-0-6-D.
Mrs. Sykes died at Freedmen's Hospital in Washington, DC. According to Dennee, "The first hospital by this name was located for most of 1865 in barracks at the southwest side of Thomas Circle, between Vermont Avenue and M Street, NW. It was put under the control of the new Freedmen's Bureau in 1865 and relocated to the former Campbell Hospital, just north of Florida Avenue and east of Georgia Avenue, NW. Campbell was later demolished and in 1868 began to be replaced by permanent structures. Freedmen's Hospital became today's Howard University Hospital."
Section 27 contains many graves of African Americans buried during and after the Civil War. Civilians of all ages are numbered among these dead. Some graves in this section hold the remains of United States soldiers. Quite a few of the dead in section 27 were residents of Washington, DC, whereas others were from Virginia or Maryland. Some were free African Americans. Many were enslaved persons seeking freedom.
Why is so little information known about this person? In most cases, the full name of the person was known to those who witnessed or recorded the death. Many of these persons were originally buried in small graveyards at hospitals or camps where they died. They were reinterred at Arlington at a later date. Names were lost because of poor record keeping at camps, hospitals, or cemeteries; due to later loss of records; or as a result of deterioration of the whitewashed wooden boards that were used to mark graves in the 1860s and later, at Arlington and in other local cemeteries.
Sources: Arlington National Cemetery records and "African-American Civilians Interred in Section 27 of Arlington National Cemetery, 1864-1867," Tim Dennee, via the website of the Friends of Freedmen's Cemetery of Alexandria, Virginia.
Mrs. Sykes died at Freedmen's Hospital in Washington, DC. According to Dennee, "The first hospital by this name was located for most of 1865 in barracks at the southwest side of Thomas Circle, between Vermont Avenue and M Street, NW. It was put under the control of the new Freedmen's Bureau in 1865 and relocated to the former Campbell Hospital, just north of Florida Avenue and east of Georgia Avenue, NW. Campbell was later demolished and in 1868 began to be replaced by permanent structures. Freedmen's Hospital became today's Howard University Hospital."
Section 27 contains many graves of African Americans buried during and after the Civil War. Civilians of all ages are numbered among these dead. Some graves in this section hold the remains of United States soldiers. Quite a few of the dead in section 27 were residents of Washington, DC, whereas others were from Virginia or Maryland. Some were free African Americans. Many were enslaved persons seeking freedom.
Why is so little information known about this person? In most cases, the full name of the person was known to those who witnessed or recorded the death. Many of these persons were originally buried in small graveyards at hospitals or camps where they died. They were reinterred at Arlington at a later date. Names were lost because of poor record keeping at camps, hospitals, or cemeteries; due to later loss of records; or as a result of deterioration of the whitewashed wooden boards that were used to mark graves in the 1860s and later, at Arlington and in other local cemeteries.
Sources: Arlington National Cemetery records and "African-American Civilians Interred in Section 27 of Arlington National Cemetery, 1864-1867," Tim Dennee, via the website of the Friends of Freedmen's Cemetery of Alexandria, Virginia.
The person buried here is known only as "Mrs. Sykes." She was interred on either September 1 or 21, 1866. The grave was originally numbered 14-0-6-D.
Mrs. Sykes died at Freedmen's Hospital in Washington, DC. According to Dennee, "The first hospital by this name was located for most of 1865 in barracks at the southwest side of Thomas Circle, between Vermont Avenue and M Street, NW. It was put under the control of the new Freedmen's Bureau in 1865 and relocated to the former Campbell Hospital, just north of Florida Avenue and east of Georgia Avenue, NW. Campbell was later demolished and in 1868 began to be replaced by permanent structures. Freedmen's Hospital became today's Howard University Hospital."
Section 27 contains many graves of African Americans buried during and after the Civil War. Civilians of all ages are numbered among these dead. Some graves in this section hold the remains of United States soldiers. Quite a few of the dead in section 27 were residents of Washington, DC, whereas others were from Virginia or Maryland. Some were free African Americans. Many were enslaved persons seeking freedom.
Why is so little information known about this person? In most cases, the full name of the person was known to those who witnessed or recorded the death. Many of these persons were originally buried in small graveyards at hospitals or camps where they died. They were reinterred at Arlington at a later date. Names were lost because of poor record keeping at camps, hospitals, or cemeteries; due to later loss of records; or as a result of deterioration of the whitewashed wooden boards that were used to mark graves in the 1860s and later, at Arlington and in other local cemeteries.
Sources: Arlington National Cemetery records and "African-American Civilians Interred in Section 27 of Arlington National Cemetery, 1864-1867," Tim Dennee, via the website of the Friends of Freedmen's Cemetery of Alexandria, Virginia.
Mrs. Sykes died at Freedmen's Hospital in Washington, DC. According to Dennee, "The first hospital by this name was located for most of 1865 in barracks at the southwest side of Thomas Circle, between Vermont Avenue and M Street, NW. It was put under the control of the new Freedmen's Bureau in 1865 and relocated to the former Campbell Hospital, just north of Florida Avenue and east of Georgia Avenue, NW. Campbell was later demolished and in 1868 began to be replaced by permanent structures. Freedmen's Hospital became today's Howard University Hospital."
Section 27 contains many graves of African Americans buried during and after the Civil War. Civilians of all ages are numbered among these dead. Some graves in this section hold the remains of United States soldiers. Quite a few of the dead in section 27 were residents of Washington, DC, whereas others were from Virginia or Maryland. Some were free African Americans. Many were enslaved persons seeking freedom.
Why is so little information known about this person? In most cases, the full name of the person was known to those who witnessed or recorded the death. Many of these persons were originally buried in small graveyards at hospitals or camps where they died. They were reinterred at Arlington at a later date. Names were lost because of poor record keeping at camps, hospitals, or cemeteries; due to later loss of records; or as a result of deterioration of the whitewashed wooden boards that were used to mark graves in the 1860s and later, at Arlington and in other local cemeteries.
Sources: Arlington National Cemetery records and "African-American Civilians Interred in Section 27 of Arlington National Cemetery, 1864-1867," Tim Dennee, via the website of the Friends of Freedmen's Cemetery of Alexandria, Virginia.
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