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Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery

Cemeteries in KansasFort LeavenworthMilitary cemeteries in the United StatesProtected areas of Leavenworth County, KansasUse mdy dates from July 2013
Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery
Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery

Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery (also known as the United States Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery) is a cemetery maintained by the Fort Leavenworth Military Prison, Leavenworth County, Kansas. The purpose of this cemetery is for the burial of unclaimed bodies of soldiers who died in the United States Disciplinary Barracks. It is the final resting place for 298 soldiers who died in the prison, 58 of whom lie in unmarked graves. The majority of the soldiers who are buried in Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery died between 1898 and 1905. The last known burial in the cemetery was in 1957, ten years after the one preceding it. Since families are expected to claim the bodies, the U.S. military does not have any plan for future burials. Fourteen German prisoners of war who were executed in 1945 (for the murders of fellow-POWs Johannes Kunze, Horst Günther and Werner Drechsler) in the military prison are buried in the northwest corner of the cemetery.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery
Sheridan Drive, Leavenworth

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Latitude Longitude
N 39.370277777778 ° E -94.923333333333 °
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Sheridan Drive 1076
66027 Leavenworth
Kansas, United States
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Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery
Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery
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Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth

Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest permanent settlement in Kansas. Fort Leavenworth has been historically known as the "Intellectual Center of the Army."During the country's westward expansion, Fort Leavenworth was a forward destination for thousands of soldiers, surveyors, immigrants, American Indians, preachers and settlers who passed through. Today, the garrison supports the US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) by managing and maintaining the home of the US Army Combined Arms Center (CAC). CAC's mission involves leader development, collective training, and Army doctrine and battle command (current and future). Fort Leavenworth is also home to the Military Corrections Complex, consisting of the United States Disciplinary Barracks – the Department of Defense's only maximum security prison – and the Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility. In addition, the Fort Leavenworth Garrison supports numerous tenant organizations that directly and indirectly relate to the functions of the CAC, including the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the Foreign Military Studies Office. The fort occupies 5,600 acres (2,300 ha) and has 7,000,000 square feet (650,000 m2) of floor area in 1,000 buildings and 1,500 quarters. It is located on the Frontier Military Scenic Byway (U.S. Route 69 and K-7 corridor), which was originally a military road connecting to Fort Scott and Fort Gibson. Fort Leavenworth was also the base of African-American soldiers of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on 21 September 1866 at Fort Leavenworth. They became known as Buffalo Soldiers, nicknamed by the Native American tribes whom they fought. The term eventually was applied to all of the African-American regiments formed in 1866.

Fort Sully (Fort Leavenworth)
Fort Sully (Fort Leavenworth)

Fort Sully was an earthwork artillery battery built on the plateau of Hancock Hill, the highest hill west of Fort Leavenworth, in September and October 1864. Its purpose was to boost the defenses of Fort Leavenworth in case Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Sterling Price attempted to overrun the area. Price spent all of September and most of October in Missouri on an expedition to occupy that state (see Price's Raid). Since Fort Sully was part of an existing fort, it was technically termed a battery instead of a fort. It was named for Gen. Alfred Sully, who was stationed at Fort Leavenworth at the outbreak of the Civil War but transferred soon after.Gen. Thomas Alfred Davies was put in charge of defending Fort Leavenworth. Maj. Franklin E. Hunt was placed in command of the defense of the city of Leavenworth, Kansas. Several earthwork batteries were established overlooking the city of Leavenworth from along the southwestern edge of Fort Leavenworth, as well as in the city of Leavenworth along Michigan Avenue. Once completed, Fort Sully was a formidable battery. Its occupants and guns could concentrate on any location in the surrounding area. The battery had numerous fortified areas where men, cannons and mortars could be placed. These were not only on the plateau but also along the steep sides of Hancock Hill. The plateau was in the shape of a foot's sole, the widest part being the northern third, which was 100 feet across. The south two-thirds of the plateau ranged from 25 to 75 feet wide. The plateau was approximately 670 feet long from north to south. Many M1819, 24-pounder siege guns were dragged up the steep hill from the armory at Fort Leavenworth and became the main armament of Fort Sully. It is not known how many troops were stationed at Fort Sully, but it seems throughout its existence, at least some troops were always there. The threat to Fort Leavenworth was eliminated with Price's defeat at Westport, Missouri, on October 23, 1864.By June 1865 only four men were assigned to Fort Sully. The use of the battery had ended. That month plans were made to take everything from Fort Sully that could be put to use elsewhere at Fort Leavenworth. Since access to the site has always been restricted, the Fort Sully site has remained well preserved to this day.Today, all that remains of Fort Sully is the crater-like imprint of the earthwork construction. The ruins of the fort can be reached on foot or via horseback by accessing the powerline clearing located behind Stanley Avenue and Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. On the wooded side of the clearing, a sign indicating the direction of the Heritage Trail can be found. This trail leads to the ruins of the fort. Several historical markers dedicated to the memory of Fort Sully are located around Fort Leavenworth, including at the actual site of Fort Sully, in Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery just below Fort Sully, and at the entrance to the Frontier Military Museum along with two of the M1819, 24-pounder siege guns which were actually emplaced at Fort Sully.