Baxter Springs Civil War Monument - Baxter Springs, Ks.
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member iconions
N 37° 01.925 W 094° 46.252
15S E 342494 N 4099897
This monument is located in the Soldier's Lot - Baxter Springs Cemetery - 2 miles west of Baxter Springs on US-166.
Waymark Code: WMK3GG
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 02/07/2014
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member silverquill
Views: 5

From the Veteran's Affairs website:
(visit link)

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.

The dedication on the monument reads:
Erected by the United States to the Memory of the Officers and Soldiers Killed in the Battle of Baxter Springs October 8, 1863, and Other Engagements in this Vicinity who are Buried near this Monument, and Whose Names are Known, are Inscribed Hereon.

From SIRIS:
(visit link)

"Sculptor:
Unknown

Medium:
Sculpture: gray granite; Base: gray granite

Type:
Sculptures-Outdoor Sculpture
Sculptures

Owner/Location:
Coadministered by United States Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration 810 Vermont Avenue, N.W Washington District of Columbia 20420
Coadministered by Fort Scott National Cemetery P. O. Box 917 Fort Scott Kansas 66701
Coadministered by City of Baxter Springs Baxter Springs Kansas
Located Baxter Springs Cemetery National Cemetery Soldiers Lot Baxter Springs Kansas

Date:
Dedicated May 31, 1886

Topic:
History--United States--Civil War
Figure male--Full length
Occupation--Military--Soldier
Dress--Uniform--Military Uniform

Control number:
IAS KS000611

Notes:
Save Outdoor Sculpture, Kansas survey, 1995
National Cemetery Administration Memorials Inventory Project, 2002-2005

Summary:
A Civil War soldier, wearing a moustache and goatee, stands at parade rest holding the barrel of his rifle with his proper right hand and the muzzle with his proper left hand. The rifle is grounded to the front. The soldier wears a kepi and a greatcoat buttoned at the neck. The cape of the coat is thrown back over his proper right shoulder exposing his arm. He wears a belt from which hangs a bayonet in scabbard on the proper left side. A cartridge pouch hangs from the rear proper right. The sculpture is mounted atop a multitiered base. The uppermost portion features a bas-relief decoration consisting of cannonballs projecting from each of the four faces. A drape underneath each cannonball is held in place by a rosette on each side. The base is set upon a larger slab with upright projections at each corner and at the centers of each face. The projections are connected by a round brass railing. Each one is surmounted by a sphere representing a cannonball. The sculpture is centered in a square-shaped open area of grass marked at four corners by Civil War cannons held upright by granite surrounds. Soldiers listed on the sculpture are buried in individual, unmarked graves within the grassy plot.

Data Source:
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums"
TITLE: Baxter Springs Civil War Monument

ARTIST(S): unknown

DATE: Dedicated May 31, 1886

MEDIUM: Sculpture: gray granite; Base: gray granite

CONTROL NUMBER: IAS KS000611

Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link]

PHYSICAL LOCATION:
Baxter Springs City Cemetery US-166 Baxter Springs, KS 66713


DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH:
none seen


Visit Instructions:
Please give the date of your visit, your impressions of the sculpture, and at least ONE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH. Add any additional information you may have, particularly any personal observations about the condition of the sculpture.
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