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Fort Smith National Historic Site old photo of commissary when used as museum
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Fort Smith National Historic Site
Oak Cemetery Burials

If a man executed on the gallows at Fort Smith had family, his body was turned over to the family for burial. Prior to the mid-1880s, the federal court was burying the unclaimed on the former military reservation. Many of the later burials were in Fort Smith’s Oak Cemetery. 28 of the condemned men are buried in or near the potter's field section of the cemetery. The only marked grave is that of Sheppard Busby.

Name

Burial Date

Block

Range

Grave

Allen, Malachi

April 19, 1889

11

4

508

Arcine, James

June 26, 1885

13

4

137

Austin, Harris

January 16, 1890

11/13

 

571

Billy, John

January 16, 1890

11/13

 

572

Bogles, Gus

July 6, 1888

9

4

433

Busby, Sheppard

April 27, 1892

11/13

 

668

Crow, Jackson

April 27, 1888

11

4

407

Hampton, Silas

October 7, 1887

13

4

351

Hill, Owens D.

April 27, 1888

11

4

409

Ishtanubbe, Gibson

April 21, 1876

11

2

 

Issaacs, Webber

April 30, 1896

11/13

 

 

Jackson, Joseph L

April 23, 1886

11

4

202

James, Calvin

July 23, 1886

11

4

222

Jones, Jefferson

January 16, 1890

11/13

 

570

Lamb, James E

January 14, 1887

11

4

275

Massey, Robert C.

April 13, 1883

6

4

5

McGee, Orpheus

April 21, 1876

11

2

 

Moss, George

April 27, 1888

11

4

408

Parchmeal, William

June 26, 1885

13

4

138

Peters, Samuel

September 8, 1876

11

2

 

Seely, Isham

April 21, 1876

11

2

 

Stansberry, John

July 9, 1890

11/13

 

616

Stewart, Henri Dr.

August 29, 1879

10

4

1

Tobler, George

January 30, 1890

11/13

 

581

Valley, John

September 8, 1876

11

2

 

Walker, William

August 30, 1889

11/13

 

545

Wasson, James L.

April 23, 1886

11

4

203

Wilson, Sinker

September 8, 1876

11

2

 

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Park staff and volunteers demonstrating using lindstock and slowmatch to ignite the cannon's primer

Did You Know?
The soldiers who came to Fort Smith in 1817 were still using some 18th century technology and drill. The cannon was discharged using a lindstock and slowmatch to ignite the primer, which originally was loose powder or a turkey quill filled with powder.
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Last Updated: June 22, 2007 at 17:38 MST