Burial at Baxter Springs City Soldiers' Lot: A family guide

History of Baxter Springs City Soldiers' Lot

Baxter Springs Soldiers' Lot is located in the north-central portion of the city cemetery in Baxter Springs, Kansas, approximately 60 miles south of Fort Scott. The cemetery may have been in use before the city of Baxter Springs was incorporated in 1868.

The city of Baxter Springs donated the 0.7-acre soldiers' lot to the United States incrementally after the Civil War in 1869, 1875, 1877, and 1887. The earliest burials in the plot include 132 Union soldiers and officers killed on October 6, 1863, during the Battle of Baxter Springs. The battle, often referred to as the Baxter Springs Massacre, was just one of many murderous attacks on Kansas free-state citizens by the independent force of Confederate guerillas led by the ruthless border ruffian, William Clarke Quantrill.

The federal government intended to remove the bodies of the men who died during the massacre to Springfield National Cemetery, but the citizens of Baxter Springs petitioned to keep them. As part of the arrangement to retain the burials, the city of Baxter Springs donated the tract of land to the government and agreed to keep the graves in good order.

Monuments and Memorials In 1886, the federal government erected a large marble and granite monument at the soldiers' lot in memory of the men killed in the Battle of Baxter Springs, as well as soldiers and officers killed in other nearby engagements. Funds were appropriated to build the monument after the local Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) post launched a petition drive in 1885, collecting signatures from more than 7,000 veterans. The monument was fabricated by Mitchell Granite Works of Quincy, Massachusetts, at a cost of $4,000. Dedicated on Decoration Day 1886, the monument is inscribed with the names of 163 soldiers and officers, including the names of the 132 soldiers killed during the Battle of Baxter Springs. The monument is over 20 feet high and is surmounted with a marble statue of a Union soldier at parade rest. Four 1853 24-pound siege-gun cannons, mounted in concrete bases, are located within the monument's perimeter, one at each corner.

Notable veterans buried at Baxter Springs City Soldiers' Lot

The National Cemetery Administration documents the following veterans of note buried at Baxter Springs City Soldiers' Lot, listed by section and site as recorded in the cemetery's official register.

• Johnny Fry (Pony Express). Fry was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky in 1840 and his family moved to Missouri in the late 1850s. Weighing less than 120 pounds, Fry was a skilled horseman, winning some races. In 1860 he was asked to become a rider in the newly created, and short-lived, Pony Express. It is believed that Fry was the first rider in the Express’s inaugural western route launched from St. Joseph, Missouri on April 3, 1860. His leg ended in Seneca, Kansas, with other riders continuing on in a relay that delivered mail to Sacramento, Calif., in just 10 days. Fry rode for the Pony Express until it ended following the completion of a transcontinental telegraph line in late 1861. He was employed as a messenger and scout for the Union Army during the Civil War. On October 6, 1863 he was killed by Confederate guerrillas led by William Quantrill in the Battle of Baxter Springs/Baxter Springs Massacre. Many of the dead of this massacre are buried and memorialized here.

Eligibility for burial at Baxter Springs City Soldiers' Lot

Planning ahead for a Veteran's or loved-one's final resting place can eliminate unnecessary delays and reduce stress on a family at a difficult time.

The Department of Veterans Affairs covers the grave plot, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government-furnished headstone or marker, and a U.S. burial flag at no cost to eligible families.

Visiting hours

Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset. Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day.

How to schedule a burial at Baxter Springs City Soldiers' Lot

1. The funeral home or family contacts the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117 (24/7 for active funeral arrangements).
2. Provide the veteran's full name, date of birth, social security number, dates of service, branch, and date of death.
3. Fax or email the DD-214 to the cemetery's interment office for verification.
4. Once eligibility is confirmed (typically 30–60 minutes for complete documentation), the cemetery assigns a date, time, and committal shelter.
5. The funeral home transports the deceased to Baxter Springs City Soldiers' Lot at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Where Baxter Springs City Soldiers' Lot sits in the Kansas cemetery system

Baxter Springs City Soldiers' Lot is one of the veteran cemeteries operating in Kansas. The cemetery is currently closed to new in-ground burials but may accept cremated remains in some cases. Families should verify status before planning.

For families considering alternatives, the nearest veteran cemeteries appear in our cemetery sidebar. If Baxter Springs City Soldiers' Lot is fully reserved, those alternatives are typically the next options.