Mt. Iser Cemetery
Mt. Iser Cemetery, located near Beverly in the Butcher Hill Historic District, has been claimed to be the only privately owned Confederate burial ground located within Federal entrenchments. Whether or not it is the only one, it is certainly an unusual and dramatic situation for the cemetery. Many of the Union troops camped in town and on Butcher Hill, also known as Mt. Iser. They dug trenches around the hill and constructed numerous cabins, using materials from buildings they had torn down in Beverly.
The main camp was in Beverly itself, near the cemetery and academy grounds. Cavalry often camped on Mt. Iser and the fortifications there were used whenever the forces came under attack. The earthworks are still visible today. At least 62 Confederate soldiers and one civilian, many of them killed at the Battle of Rich Mountain, are buried in this small cemetery surrounded by Union fortifications. The cemetery can now only be reached after a strenuous and circuitous walk over private property to the monument site. To visit Mt. Iser Cemetery, stop by the Beverly Heritage Center for directions.
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