The cemetery is located on the site which was the main battleground of the Siege of Port Hudson, during the American Civil War. Nearly 4,000 Union troops fell during the fighting, and most were buried in the cemetery, many as unknowns. After the war another 8.4 acres (3.4 ha) was appropriated to inter those who died in the local veterans' facilities. The battle was notable for valiant fighting by the 1st and 3rd Regiments of the Louisiana Native Guards, troops composed of free men of color from the New Orleans area and a majority of African Americans who had escaped from slavery to join the cause and gain freedom.[2][3][4]
The Confederate soldiers who died were primarily buried in the trenches where they fell.[3][4] A Confederate Cemetery was later established in the Port Hudson area; it is not accessible to the public.
The battlefield at Port Hudson is one of the few naturally preserved Civil War battlegrounds. The breastworks, gun pits, and trenches remain today almost as they were during the battle. The area has never been developed.[3][4]
