Fort Crawford Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Fort Crawford Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is a VA national cemetery in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Fort Crawford Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Fort Crawford Cemetery is located on the former site of the Fort Crawford Military Reservation in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. There were two subsequent Fort Crawfords in Prairie du Chien during the 1800's. The original Fort Crawford, built in 1816, was situated adjacent to the Mississippi River. Repeated flooding led to its abandonment in 1826. Rebuilt on higher ground in 1830, the second incarnation of Fort Crawford operated until 1856.

In the spring and summer of 1832, Black Hawk, leader of a band of Sauk and Fox Indians, clashed with U.S. forces in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, in a conflict now known as the Black Hawk War. After the Battle of Bad Axe in 1832, Black Hawk surrendered to the forces of Colonel Zachary Taylor and was imprisoned at Fort Crawford.

The soldiers' lot is located in block 13 of the Fort Crawford Cemetery. The first burials here were of the members of the 1st and 5th Infantry regiments stationed at the fort. The soldiers' lot includes eight above-ground box-tombs that were likely erected by the regiments. The United States received the title for the lot in 1866. There are approximately 64 interments in the 0.59-acre soldiers' lot, including the remains of four soldiers removed from the Protestant cemetery at Prairie du Chien.

Monuments and Memorials The United Daughters of the Confederacy dedicated a bronze plaque to Jefferson Davis in August 1953 near the street entrance to the soldiers' lot. Lt. Jefferson Davis served briefly at Fort Crawford as a young man; later he became the president of the Confederate States of America. Fort Crawford is one of at least four sites that claim to be the setting of Davis' elopement with the daughter of Zachary Taylor.

Directions

Take Interstate 94 toward Madison, Wisconsin, to Interstate 90 South. Follow Interstate 90 South to exit 142A (SR 12 & 18 West). Take SR 12 & 18 to SR 18 West. Follow SR 18 West into the town of Prairie du Chien. Turn left on East Cass Street. Follow East Cass Street to South Beaumont Street. Turn left on South Beaumont Street. The cemetery will be on the right.

From Lacrosse Municipal Airport (65.2 miles from the cemetery): Turn left on Fanta Reed Road. Then turn right on Dawson Avenue/Fanta Reed Road. Turn right to take Interstate 90 East. Take US-53 South/Wisconsin-35 South, exit #3A. Continue on West George Street, Lang Drive, West Avenue North, bear left on Great River Road/South Avenue. Continue on US-18 then turn right on East Cass Street. Turn left on South Beaumont Road and the cemetery will be on the right.

Flowers and grounds rules

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.

Who can be buried at Fort Crawford Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Fort Crawford Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Fort Crawford Cemetery Soldiers' Lot and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Fort Crawford Cemetery Soldiers' Lot as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Fort Crawford Cemetery Soldiers' Lot burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Fort Crawford Cemetery Soldiers' Lot to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Fort Crawford Cemetery Soldiers' Lot directly at 414-382-5300.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Wisconsin law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Wisconsin and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Fort Crawford Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, by straight-line distance:

• Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery - Preston, Preston, MN: 64 mi, open for burials
• Forest Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Madison, WI: 87 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Portage, WI: 99 mi, closed to new in-ground burials