The Soldiers
Information on many of the 350 Union soldiers buried as Rosehill is limited to what can be found on electronic databases or in regimental histories. Their monuments offer no symbols to be interpreted or detailed inscriptions to read. Their poignancy is a result of their quantity.
The four markers at right designate the final resting places of some of the first Union soldiers to be buried in Rosehill.
Brief biographical information, accessed in the Illinois State Archives: Civil War Detail Report, is included where available.
Before the war, Oliver C. Bardwell was a farrier in Geneseo, Illinois. He was 5’9, had brown hair, hazel eyes, and a dark complexion. He died of disease in Camp Douglas, Illinois. He was 34 years of age at enlistment.
Before the war, William Bird was a carpenter in Unity, Illinois. He was 6’4, had dark hair, blue eyes, and a light complexion. He was 42 years of age at enlistment.
Before the war, Wilson Nourse was a mill wright in Illinois City, Illinois. He was 5’8, had auburn hair, gray eyes, and a light complexion. He died of disease in Camp Douglas, Illinois. He was 34 years of age at enlistment.
