Stone Gardens: Union captain who fought at the Battle of Prairie Grove has unique marker in the FS National Cemetery

Tucked among the rows of uniform white marble markers in Fort Smith National Cemetery stands one of the cemetery’s rarest treasures -- a striking, custom-carved headstone adorned with climbing roses.

It belongs to Captain Francis Marion Ward and his wife Nancy, one of fewer than two dozen non-standard stones in the entire cemetery.

Born on February 18, 1837, in Franklin County, Tennessee, Francis Marion Ward was the son of William and Letha Leah “Ake” Ward. He later moved to Arkansas, where he met and married Nancy Christina Campbell. The couple raised a large family in Sebastian County and would spend more than six decades together.

When the Civil War erupted, Francis chose the Union cause. He enlisted in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry and rose to the rank of Captain of Company G (later associated with Company I).

The regiment fought throughout northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri in a grueling campaign of skirmishes, scouts, and anti-guerrilla warfare.

Among the major actions Capt. Ward and his men saw were the Battle of Prairie Grove (December 1862), the defense of Fayetteville against Confederate attacks in April 1863, operations against Shelby’s Raid, and countless smaller engagements around Van Buren, Elm Springs, Cross Hollows, and the Arkansas River.

After the war, Francis returned to Sebastian County, where he and Nancy built a quiet life.

Together they raised at least twelve children: Joseph Napolean “Joe” Ward Sr., Sarah Alice Ward Morris, Leah Ward West, Lula Ward Harris, Amanda Ward Pennington, Francis Marion “Frank” Ward Jr., Edith Ward Stegall, and others including Fannie, Mitie, Linnie, and twins. Many of their descendants remained in the Fort Smith area.

Francis Marion Ward died on February 12, 1900, just six days short of his 63rd birthday.

Nancy followed him on March 17, 1925.

When the time came to mark their final resting place in Fort Smith National Cemetery, the family chose not the standard government-issue marker, but a beautiful, personalized granite monument featuring delicate rose vines --a lasting symbol of the love and life they shared.

Private, non-standard headstones like the Ward monument were allowed in Fort Smith National Cemetery during its early years after it was established as a national cemetery in 1867.

These rare exceptions, mostly from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, give the cemetery its unique historic character.

Today, that rose-covered stone stands as a quiet reminder that even in a national cemetery filled with uniformity and sacrifice, some stories are told in flowers instead of plain marble.

Captain Francis M. Ward’s headstone is more than a military record --it is a testament to a man who fought for his country, built a large family, and was laid to rest beside the wife he loved for over sixty years.