Fort Caspar Honors Fallen Soldiers With New Headstones

Casper's military history runs deep, and on Saturday, June 14, Fort Caspar will broaden its history a little more. There will be a dedication ceremony to honor six soldiers who died during their time of service at Platte Bridge Station.

The six Calvary soldiers who served here in 1865 & 1866 with the 6th West Virginia Calvary and 7th Iowa Calvary lost their lives while they were here protecting the historic telegraph route they were sent here to protect.

Even though the soldiers were buried on the line after they were killed and their bodies were never recovered, six headstones will be dedicated in their honor as part of the second phase of the 'Lest We Forget Commemorative Cemetery' project.

The project was initiated in the 1970s as a way to honor those who served and died at Fort Caspar. Initially, eleven headstones from soldiers of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Calvary were dedicated, but the project stalled until it was resurrected in 2022.

The program will continue in the future with the dedication of headstones from the 6th Michigan Calvary, 6th U.S. Infantry, 18th U.S. Infantry, and more from the 11th Ohio Volunteer Calvary. By the time the program is completed, a total of 64 headstones will be dedicated.

The dedication ceremony on the 14th is free and open to the public. Expect to hear remarks from Vice President of the Fort Caspar Museum Association, Johanna Wickman, as well as Civil War historian and author James A. Hessler. The United Veterans Council and the American Legion will present a military tribute, military honors, and a bugle performance of taps.

To help the 'Lest We Forget' project be completed, donations or engraved bricks can be purchased online at FortCasper.org.