Fort Bayard National Cemetery

GPS Coordinates: 32.798927, -108.154587
County: Grant
Record count: 5,827

Ownership: National Cemetery Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Directions: Located north of Santa Clara, NM, within the Fort Bayard Historic District, along the west side of the district, take Calle De Viento to the end.

Background: The original Fort Bayard site was chosen in 1863 for its springs and commanding view of the Apache war trails surrounding the nearby mining camps. In 1866, a permanent post was established with the primary responsibility for protecting the Pinos Altos gold camp. The post was named Fort Bayard in honor of General G.D. Bayard, who died from wounds received during the Battle of Fredericksburg, and who had served in New Mexico and Arizona prior to the Civil War. The U.S. Army launched numerous attacks against the Apache from Fort Bayard during the 1870–1880s, which ended only with the surrender of the Apache Chief Geronimo.

The first known interment at Fort Bayard was Sergeant David H. Boyd of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry, buried October 10, 1866. In 1899, the Army deactivated Fort Bayard and established it as a tuberculosis hospital and research center. In 1922, the hospital was transferred to the Veterans Bureau, which became part of the new Veterans Administration in 1930. Fort Bayard Cemetery was established the same year, and became part of the National Cemetery System in 1973 when its administration was transferred from the Department of the Army to the Veterans Administration. In the 1990s, the state of New Mexico donated 3.95 acres to the cemetery.

Burial Records

• View All Transcriptions Combined, 5,827 records
  • Unidentified Burials, by Interment.net, April 17, 2025, (13 records)
  • Veterans Affairs Database, by Interment.net, April 17, 2025, (5,814 records)

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