The cemetery has a greater than expected number of graves for young children under five. 25 percent of the graves are for young children. Life expectancy for children wasn't very great in this remote area. It was also the final resting place for a group of soldiers from the fort, who were sent to intervene in the Meeker affair in Colorado. The BIA agent Nathan Meeker there was having what he called issues with the Utes in the area. He was trying to force them to become farmers. He asked for help from the army and a unit under Major Thomas Tipton Thornburgh. The troops were warned not to enter the reservation, which they did anyway which lead to the Utes ambushing the soldiers in Bad Canyon. Thornburgh was killed as well as 13 of his command with 44 wounded. The survivors holed themselves in and were surrounded for seven days. They were finally rescued by the fifth calvary. 19 Ute warriors were killed. In addition the Utes did kill Nathan Meeker and seven others at his agency. The Utes were forced to abandon their reservation and were moved to Utah where they now live on the Uintah Ouray Reservation.
When the fort was later abandoned many of the soldiers were disinterred by family and moved elsewhere.
