Cedar Grove Cemetery entrance on Fort Street- 36.8396935, -76.3083194. Interred here are John Luke Porter, co-designer of the ironclad CSS Virginia, and many Confederate soldiers and sailors. 

CSS Virginia memorial stone in the Confederate section. The memorial was placed on Memorial Day in 1996. It is the only monument honoring all those associated with the construction and manning of the ironclad. The granite stone is in its original shape and size as it formed a part of the first Dry Dock built in America in 1832. It was in Dry Dock #1 of the Gosport Navy Yard that the CSS Virginia was constructed from the burned hull of the USS Merrimac.

John Porter’s grave- 36.8386167, -76.3077833. Confederate Naval Constructor John Luke Porter originally came up with an ironclad design in the late 1840’s but was turned down. When the war began in 1861, Porter found that Stephen R. Mallory, confederate Naval Secretary, was receptive to the idea. To save time and money, the frame for the CSS Virginia was made from the partially burned frigate USS Merrimack, one of the vessels damaged during the destruction of the Navy Yard by Federal Authorities when they evacuated in 1861. Porter became the Chief Naval Constructor for the Confederate States Navy and served in that position until the end of the war. He designed most of the ironclads built in the south.

James Wallace Cooke Grave- 36.8384411, -76.3078070. Henry Cooke, the Customs collector at the port of Beaufort, got his nephew James an appointment to the US Naval Academy at age 15. He rose to the rank of lieutenant in the US Navy but resigned his commission to join the Confederate Navy. The high point of his career was his involvement with the construction of the Ram Ironclad, CSS Abermarle. He was the ironclad’s first captain and played a successful role in the battles of Plymouth and Abermarle Sound. He was North Carolina’s highest ranking officer in the Confederate Navy. 

Captain John Julius Guthrie Sr- Captain Guthrie was born in Washington, North Carolina on April 15, 1815. He was one of the naval heroes who lost their lives in endeavoring to rescue the men from the USS Huron, which was lost off of the coast of North Carolina, November 25, 1877. He served in the US Navy prior to the Civil War but accepted a commission as captain in the Confederate States Navy where he served until the end of war.

Confederate section- 36.8388833, -76.3077833

Oak Grove Cemetery west entrance- 36.8379142, -76.3076422

Samuel Woods MOH 8th walk lot 347 (36.8384000, -76.3161000)- Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient. He served as a Seaman in the Union Navy. His citation reads “As captain of the gun, served temporarily on board the USS Mount Washington during the Nansemond River action on April 14, 1863. When one of his comrades was struck by a bullet and knocked overboard, Woods fearlessly jumped into the water and swam after him. Before he reached him, the man sank beneath the surface and Woods promptly swam back to the vessel, went to his gun, and fought it to the close of the action. At the the close of the battle, he tirelessly cared for the wounded.”

Links- Cedar Grove Cemetery