Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery is an American military cemetery located in St. Louis County, Missouri, on the west side of the Mississippi River, south of the city center of St. Louis. Strategically located along the Mississippi River at the eastern edge of the lands of the Louisiana Purchase territory, the U.S. Army initially established Jefferson Barracks in 1826 as both a supply center and a troop training and staging facility. Thomas Jefferson died shortly after the military selected the site and the post was named in his honor.

October 2017
St Louis, MO

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery by Paul Sager, on Flickr


The cemetery is administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs on the former site of Jefferson Barracks. The cemetery covers 331 acres and the number of interments as of 2014 is approximately 188,000.

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery


The Jefferson Barracks Military Post was an active U.S. Army installation from 1826 through 1946. It is the oldest operating U.S. military installation west of the Mississippi River, and it is now used as a base for the Army and Air National Guard.

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery


Among the burials at Jefferson Barracks are those from Fort Bellefontaine, which was active between 1806 to 1826. The remains of three Revolutionary War veterans are also interred in the cemetery.

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery


The Civil War initiated a formal network of United States military cemeteries. The first general U.S. cemetery legislation was an omnibus bill enacted July 17, 1862, authorizing President Lincoln "to purchase cemetery grounds, and cause them to be securely enclosed, to be used as a national cemetery for the soldiers who shall have died in the service of the country." By the end of the year, the first 14 national cemeteries were created.

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery


During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Jefferson Barracks served as a military hospital for both sides and a recruitment depot for the North.

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery


Untold thousands of Civil War soldiers killed in battle or lost to illness were buried in unmarked or mass graves. The chaotic nature of mid-19th century warfare, the appalling casualty figures, and poor record-keeping contributed to the high percentage of unidentified dead.

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery


The original portion of the cemetery was set aside for the burial of military and civilian personnel who died at the garrison. In 1869 the cemetery experienced enormous growth when more than 10,200 recovered remains of soldiers originally buried at other Missouri locations were removed to Jefferson Barracks. About 470 victims of smallpox at Arsenal Island, Illinois were also reinterred here.

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery


The old cemetery contains approximately 20,000 gravesites, including more than 1,000 Confederate dead. During this era, Union dead were interred in sections by state, as far as that could be determined from the remains.

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery


More than 4.1 million people, including Veterans of every war and conflict, from the Revolutionary War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are honored by burial in the 162 US national cemeteries.

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery


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Paul, thank you sharing these images. Each of these stones have a story to tell. For example in the sixth image, there is a marker for Earl Willie Price. Here is his story. Earl Willie was born 19, March 1912 in Pine Bluff Arkansas, the son of William Price who was born in Mississippi as were both of his parents. Earl Willie's mother was born Savannah Gilleyland in Mississippi but both her parents were born in Georgia. Savannah Price died in 1914 when Earl was only two years old. Earl Willie was educated in the grammar schools of St Louis, Missouri. He resided at 2221 Walnut St, St Louis when he enlisted. He was a Black man who stood 5' 8" tall and weighed 126 lbs. Earl was in the Navy serving on the USS Kalk. This is an interesting ship to google. It was in the thick of WWII. In 1969, it was used as a target and sank. I did not find what Earl's cause of death was, but he was married when he passed away. His wife was 12 years older than him. She lived until 1964. When Earl was interred, his marker came from the Columbus Marble Works of Columbus, Mississipp. At the time of his burial, grave site no. 680 was reserved for his wife, Sedalia. Your photograph shows her stone to right of that for Earl Willie Price. Thanks for sharing these images and thank you for allowing your love of photography lead you to adventures we all can share.