Huntington Library says: Soldiers’ Cemetery, Alexandria, Va., front view of headstones with readable names. One man wanders in back of cemetery, behind headstones and one man can be seen standing in doorway of a small structure, left-hand background of photo. A few houses (farms) rest in the distance. Title on mount: Soldier Burying Ground Alexandria Va. Handwritten in upper left corner: No. 21. May, 1863. Alexandria Nat’l Cemetery one of the original 14 nat’l cemeteries established in 1862 by the Quartermaster’s Department; established west of the civilian cemetery, at the north end of Wilkes Street in Alexandria. The standard bracket shaped grave markers were supplied by the Q. M. Department. First burials made were soldiers who died during training or from disease in the numerous hospitals around Alexandria. By 1864, cemetery nearly filled to capacity. Original cemetery consisted of approx. 4 acres; located near Old Town section of Alexandria. Based on the research of Susan E. Williams, Russell photographed the cemetery in May 1863.
