Pat Cleburne Camp No. 88, UCV
Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Cleburne Memorial Cemetery serves as the final resting place of many Civil War veterans with more than 400 confederate soldiers and seven union soldiers. These men represent the foundation of Cleburne’s thriving community and give insight into life in Cleburne after the war. Wishing to create a tribute in honor of their veterans, the Pat Cleburne Camp number 88, United Confederate Veterans (u.c.v.), erected a memorial arch in 1922 which leads visitors into Confederate Memorial Park. The U.C.V. was a national organization that assembled annually in general conventions and reunions. Many southerners considered the occasions major social events. The last reunion was held in 1950 when only one member, 98-year-old commander-in-chief James Moore of Selma, Alabama, could attend. The Pat Cleburne Camp number 88, U.C.V., was formed in January of 1890. Pillars of the Cleburne community were members, including doctors, lawyers, judges, teachers, Texas Rangers, businessmen and farmers. The successor of this organization, Terry’s Texas Rangers Camp no. 1937, Sons of Confederate Veterans, continue to participate in many projects in the community such as taking part in living history events for schoolchildren at area schools, pioneer days at the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum and the annual General Patrick Cleburne birthday celebration. Terry’s Texas Rangers Camp no. 1937 proudly maintains the headstones and park, often placing flags by the headstones of both confederate and union soldiers. (2015)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Cleburne Memorial Cemetery is the resting place of more than 400 Confederate and seven Union soldiers, the veterans whose lives shaped the postwar town. Formed in January 1890, the Pat Cleburne Camp No. 88 of the United Confederate Veterans drew doctors, lawyers, judges, Texas Rangers and businessmen, and in 1922 erected a memorial arch leading into Confederate Memorial Park. The UCV held national reunions until 1950, when only its 98-year-old commander could attend; its successor, a Sons of Confederate Veterans camp, still maintains the park and honors both Confederate and Union graves.
Why it matters
The camp illustrates how Civil War veterans and their descendants shaped Southern memory and civic identity long after the guns fell silent.
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Related people
- · Patrick Cleburne
- · James Moore
Related events
- · American Civil War
Themes & tags
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