Fort Bayard National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Fort Bayard National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
in the Fort Bayard Historic District
, near Silver City, New Mexico
. It encompasses 18.8 acres (76,081 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 3,732 interments. It is one of only two National Cemeteries in New Mexico
(the other being Santa Fe National Cemetery
), and is administered by Fort Bliss National Cemetery
.
was established as a United States Army
installation in 1866 to protect miners and other settlers in the area along the Apache Trail
. The first interment in the cemetery was made the same year the post was founded. The fort was named for Brigadier General
George Dashiell Bayard
, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg
in 1862. Fifteen square miles of land were set aside as the Fort Bayard Military Reservation by presidential order in 1869. In 1886, then-Second Lieutenant
John Pershing arrived at Fort Bayard and oversaw the installation of a heliograph
, linking the fort to an Army communications network from Arizona
to Texas
.
Fort Bayard was one of many installations throughout the Southwest that was garrisoned by the so-called Buffalo Soldiers. Company B of the 25th United States Colored Infantry Regiment established the post, and they were joined by other black units, including troops from the 9th Cavalry Regiment. Corporal
Clinton Greaves, stationed at Fort Bayard with C Company, 9th Cavalry Regiment, received the Medal of Honor
for his actions against Apache raiders on January 24, 1877. A monument to the Buffalo Soldiers was erected on the old parade field of Fort Bayard in 1992.
Following the capture of Geronimo
in 1886, the Apache
were no longer considered a major threat. Fort Bayard's continued usefulness, like that many posts in the southwest, thus came under scrutiny. Due to its distance from the border with Mexico
, the fort was selected for deactivation. However, U.S. Army Surgeon General
George Miller Sternberg
, noting the excellent health record of the post, chose Fort Bayard as an Army tuberculosis
hospital and research center. The fort was transferred to the Surgeon General's Department in 1900. In 1922 the hospital became the part of the Veteran's Administration
, and the cemetery officially became Fort Bayard National Cemetery.
The fort was partially reactivated as a military installation during World War II
. A number of German prisoners of war were held at the fort from 1943 to 1945. The fort is now administered by the New Mexico Department of Health as Fort Bayard Medical Center, a long term care nursing facility that also contains a chemical dependency treatment center. A federal investigation of Fort Bayard Medical Center found significant human rights violations.
Fort Bayard Cemetery became part of the National Cemetery system in 1973. In the 1990s the state of New Mexico donated an additional 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) to the cemetery. Fort Bayard National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on July 7, 2002, as a part of the Fort Bayard Historic District
.
United States National Cemetery
"United States National Cemetery" is a designation for 146 nationally important cemeteries in the United States. A National Cemetery is generally a military cemetery containing the graves of U.S. military personnel, veterans and their spouses but not exclusively so...
in the Fort Bayard Historic District
Fort Bayard Historic District
Fort Bayard Historic District, also known as Fort Bayard Site, near Santa Clara , New Mexico, was the site of an 1866 post of the US Army "Buffalo Soldiers".-History:...
, near Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City is a town in Grant County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 10,545. It is the county seat of Grant County. The city is the home of Western New Mexico University.-History:...
. It encompasses 18.8 acres (76,081 m²), and as of the end of 2005, had 3,732 interments. It is one of only two National Cemeteries in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
(the other being Santa Fe National Cemetery
Santa Fe National Cemetery
Santa Fe National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of Santa Fe, in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 39,695 interments...
), and is administered by Fort Bliss National Cemetery
Fort Bliss National Cemetery
Fort Bliss National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the United States Army post of Fort Bliss, in El Paso County, Texas. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 42,141 interments.-History:...
.
History
Fort BayardFort Bayard Historic District
Fort Bayard Historic District, also known as Fort Bayard Site, near Santa Clara , New Mexico, was the site of an 1866 post of the US Army "Buffalo Soldiers".-History:...
was established as a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
installation in 1866 to protect miners and other settlers in the area along the Apache Trail
Apache Trail
The Apache Trail in Arizona was a stagecoach trail that ran through the Superstition Mountains. It was named the Apache Trail after the Apache Indians who originally used this trail to move through the Superstition Mountains....
. The first interment in the cemetery was made the same year the post was founded. The fort was named for Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
George Dashiell Bayard
George Dashiell Bayard
George Dashiell Bayard was a career soldier in the United States Army and a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War...
, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
in 1862. Fifteen square miles of land were set aside as the Fort Bayard Military Reservation by presidential order in 1869. In 1886, then-Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
John Pershing arrived at Fort Bayard and oversaw the installation of a heliograph
Heliograph
A heliograph is a wireless solar telegraph that signals by flashes of sunlight reflected by a mirror. The flashes are produced by momentarily pivoting the mirror, or by interrupting the beam with a shutter...
, linking the fort to an Army communications network from Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Fort Bayard was one of many installations throughout the Southwest that was garrisoned by the so-called Buffalo Soldiers. Company B of the 25th United States Colored Infantry Regiment established the post, and they were joined by other black units, including troops from the 9th Cavalry Regiment. Corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
Clinton Greaves, stationed at Fort Bayard with C Company, 9th Cavalry Regiment, received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for his actions against Apache raiders on January 24, 1877. A monument to the Buffalo Soldiers was erected on the old parade field of Fort Bayard in 1992.
Following the capture of Geronimo
Geronimo
Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
in 1886, the Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
were no longer considered a major threat. Fort Bayard's continued usefulness, like that many posts in the southwest, thus came under scrutiny. Due to its distance from the border with Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the fort was selected for deactivation. However, U.S. Army Surgeon General
Surgeons General of the United States Army
The Surgeon General of the United States Army is the senior-most officer of the U.S. Army Medical Department . By policy, the Surgeon General serves as Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Command as well as head of the AMEDD...
George Miller Sternberg
George Miller Sternberg
Brigadier General George Miller Sternberg was a U.S. Army physician who is considered the first U.S. bacteriologist, having written Manual of Bacteriology...
, noting the excellent health record of the post, chose Fort Bayard as an Army tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
hospital and research center. The fort was transferred to the Surgeon General's Department in 1900. In 1922 the hospital became the part of the Veteran's Administration
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
, and the cemetery officially became Fort Bayard National Cemetery.
The fort was partially reactivated as a military installation during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A number of German prisoners of war were held at the fort from 1943 to 1945. The fort is now administered by the New Mexico Department of Health as Fort Bayard Medical Center, a long term care nursing facility that also contains a chemical dependency treatment center. A federal investigation of Fort Bayard Medical Center found significant human rights violations.
Fort Bayard Cemetery became part of the National Cemetery system in 1973. In the 1990s the state of New Mexico donated an additional 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) to the cemetery. Fort Bayard National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on July 7, 2002, as a part of the Fort Bayard Historic District
Fort Bayard Historic District
Fort Bayard Historic District, also known as Fort Bayard Site, near Santa Clara , New Mexico, was the site of an 1866 post of the US Army "Buffalo Soldiers".-History:...
.
Notable interments
- Sergeant Alonzo Bowman, Medal of Honor recipient for actions in Arizona TerritoryArizona TerritoryThe Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
during the Indian WarsIndian WarsAmerican Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
. - Wagoner John Schnitzer, Medal of Honor recipient for actions in New Mexico TerritoryNew Mexico Territorythumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...
during the Indian Wars.
See also
- Fort Bayard Historic DistrictFort Bayard Historic DistrictFort Bayard Historic District, also known as Fort Bayard Site, near Santa Clara , New Mexico, was the site of an 1866 post of the US Army "Buffalo Soldiers".-History:...
- United States Department of Veterans AffairsUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsThe United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
- United States National CemeteryUnited States National Cemetery"United States National Cemetery" is a designation for 146 nationally important cemeteries in the United States. A National Cemetery is generally a military cemetery containing the graves of U.S. military personnel, veterans and their spouses but not exclusively so...