Honoring History: Local Group Leads Preservation Efforts

During the week, Riverview Cemetery is kept in top condition by the City of Arkansas City’s sexton. But one weekend a month, part of the quiet grounds becomes the work site of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War - Pvt. John N. Eckes Camp #10. Armed with brushes, buckets, and a deep sense of duty, members spend hours cleaning, polishing, and preserving the weathered headstones of veterans.

It’s hard, physical work—often done on hands and knees for hours—and it rarely comes with public recognition. Most of the families of the veterans they honor are long gone, which is exactly why the SUVCW members continue. For them, it’s about ensuring the memory of these men, and the ideals they fought for, are never lost.

Since September 2024, Pvt. John N. Eckes Camp #10 has focused its efforts on Riverview Cemetery. Before that, their work took them to Parker Cemetery, and over the past four years, they’ve visited more than a dozen burial grounds across Cowley, Chautauqua, and Sumner counties. Their primary mission is to clean and reset VA-issued marble headstones for Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I veterans.

“Our monthly cemetery workdays are primarily focused on VA-issued headstones because they’re often the most in need of care,” said Eric Crittenden, Secretary/Treasurer of Pvt. John N. Eckes Camp #10. “We use a biological cleaning solution approved by the Veterans Administration that safely removes moss and lichens without harming the stone. It’s not cheap, but thanks to donations, we can continue the work.”

The group’s quiet but steady contributions have not gone unnoticed. City Manager Randy Frazer said the city is grateful for the group’s commitment to honoring veterans.

“The work being done by Pvt. John N. Eckes Camp #10 at Riverview Cemetery is both meaningful and inspiring,” Frazer said. “Their dedication ensures that the service and sacrifice of these veterans are never forgotten. On behalf of the City of Arkansas City, I want to thank each member for the care and respect they bring to this important work.”

The SUVCW is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with six “camps” in Kansas. Pvt. John N. Eckes Camp #10, the youngest, was chartered in February 2021 and meets monthly at the Cowley County Historical Society and Museum in Winfield. Membership is open to men from Cowley, Sumner, and Chautauqua counties who share an interest in Civil War history and honoring veterans.

On October 4 at 10 a.m., the group will set aside their tools to hold a headstone dedication ceremony at Riverview Cemetery for Isaac H. Bonsall, a Civil War photographer and influential Arkansas City leader. Bonsall served as municipal judge, city clerk, city financier, justice of the peace for Creswell Township, census taker, and commissioner for Indians.

Although Bonsall achieved much in his lifetime, he was shunned by the Quaker community. When he died in 1909, his nephew arranged for him to be buried in an unmarked grave beside his first wife at Riverview Cemetery. More than a century later, local historian and Pvt. John N. Eckes Camp #10 Commander Terry Justice brought Bonsall’s story back to light. Thanks to the efforts of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and other local organizations, his legacy has now been honored with a permanent marker at his gravesite.

For Kent Melcher, Commander of the Department of Kansas SUVCW, the occasion underscores why the group’s mission matters—and why it resonates so strongly with him. His connection to the work is personal as well as historical. Years ago, Melcher received a typewritten transcription of his great-grandfather’s Civil War diary. That ancestor, a soldier in the 115th Illinois Volunteers, fought at Chickamauga as part of what became known as the “Iron Brigade of Chickamauga.” The diary’s vivid accounts of bayonet charges, desperate defenses, and staggering losses left Melcher with a deep respect for the sacrifices made.

“It brings tears to my eyes to think of those boys, on both sides, walking 50 men abreast into a hail of lead,” Melcher said. “If we lose the memory of our ancestors—what they did, what they stood for—we’ve lost our own history. Our work keeps that memory alive.”

For Pvt. John N. Eckes Camp #10, preserving these headstones is about more than marble and moss. It’s about protecting the stories, sacrifices, and ideals of the past—so they can inspire the future. They welcome the community’s help, whether through volunteering, donating, or attending events like the Bonsall dedication, to ensure those memories never fade.

For more information about Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War – Pvt. John N. Eckes Camp #10, visit the group’s website, https://suvcwks.org/john-n-eckes-camp-no-10/ or follow them on Facebook.