This Week in Little Bighorn History

Marcus Albert Reno (left) died on March 30, 1889, in Washington, D.C. He was originally buried there in Greenwood Cemetery but was later reinterred at Custer National Cemetery in Montana. He was a Major at the time of the Battle of the Little Bighorn and was in command of a battalion during the valley and hilltop fights.

William Henry Davenport died in Flushing, New York, on March 30, 1934. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Marcus Henry Kellogg (left) was born on March 31, 1833, in Brighton, Ontario, Canada. He was a civilian newspaper correspondent who was killed with Custer’s column during the Battle of the Little Bighorn and buried on Last Stand Hill.

John Dolan (right) died at Fort Myer, Virginia, on March 31, 1922, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

James W. Butler was born on April 1, 1844, in Limerick, Ireland. He stated he was born in Riverton, New Jersey, when he enlisted, but both his pension application and his death certificate listed Limerick, Ireland. He was a Private in Company F who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Philip McHugh died in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on April 1, 1910, and was buried in Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery there. His gravestone has March 31 as his date of death, but all references state April 1. He was a Private in Company L who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Edward Settle Godfrey (left) died in Cookstown, New Jersey, on April 1, 1932, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was an 1863 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point who was the First Lieutenant for Company K. He commanded that company during scouting and the hilltop fight.

Charles Clinton Barnett died in Anacortes, Skagit County, Washington, on April 3, 1935, and was buried there in Grand View Cemetery. He was a Private in Company G who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

John Pahl was born on January 5, 1850, in Bavaria, Germany. He was a Sergeant in Company H who was wounded in the hilltop fight during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

George Walter Yates (left) married Lucretia Beaumont Irwin on January 5, 1865. They divorced on January 31, 1867, in St. Louis, Missouri. Yates was the Captain in Company F who commanded a battalion and was killed with Custer’s Column.

Max Hoehn (right), a Private in Company L, stayed with the regimental papers at Powder River, so he did not participate in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. He died of heart problems on January 6, 1911, in Sturgis, South Dakota, and was buried in St. Aloysius Cemetery there.

Frederick William Benteen (left) was Captain of Company H and commanded a battalion during the battle. He performed scouting duty and participated in the hilltop fight, during which he was wounded. He married Catherine Louise Norman on January 7, 1862, in St. Louis, Missouri.

George Blunt (right) was born on January 9, 1846, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

Francis Johnson Kennedy (left) died on January 9, 1924, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery there. His obituary claimed he was prevented from participating in the battle because of a snake bite. That contradicts other accounts that have him in sick quarters prior to the battle, with the pack train in June, and fighting on Reno Hill during the battle. At some point, Kennedy apparently said he led Capt. Keogh’s horse Comanche.

John W. Burkman (right) was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on January 10, 1839. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

John Dolan (left) married Lena C. Eagan on January 10, 1876, at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory. He was a Private in Company M who was on detached service during the battle.

Ferdinand A. Culbertson died on January 10, 1889, in Detroit, Michigan, and was buried in the Woodmere Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company A who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Timothy Sullivan died on January 10, 1903, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Benjamin Franklin Burdick died on January 11, 1930, in Albany, New York, and was buried in the Beverwyck Cemetery in Rensselaer, New York. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

Patrick Carey was born on April 14, 1828, in Tipperary, Ireland. He was a Sergeant in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

John Dolan (left), who was also known as Thomas Brown, was born in Dublin, Ireland, on April 14, 1843. He was a Private in Company M who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

John W. Sweeney died in Kentucky on April 14, 1884. He was a Private in Company F who participated in the hilltop fight.

Daniel Kanipe (right) was born on April 15, 1853, in Marion, North Carolina. He was a Sergeant in Company C who was with Custer’s Column and in the hilltop fight.

Walter Scott Sterland was born on April 16, 1851, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. He was a Private in Company M who was not present at the battle because he was on detached service at Yellowstone Depot.

Roman Rutten died on April 16, 1925, in Leavenworth, Kansas, and was buried in the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights. He was wounded on Reno Hill.

Charles Stillman Ilsley died on April 17, 1899, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. He was a Captain in Company E who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

August Bockerman died on April 17, 1904, in St. Joseph, Missouri. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle because he was on detached service.

William G. Hardy (left) died in San Francisco, California, on April 17, 1919, and was buried in the National Cemetery there, the Presidio. He was a trumpeter in Company A who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Frank W. Sniffin died at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, on April 17, 1931, and was buried in the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Tennessee. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Jacob Horner married Kathryn Stewart at Fort Totten on April 18, 1880. He was a Private in Company K who was not present at the battle because he was on detached service.

Edward Hall was born on April 19, 1851, in Winfield, New York. He was a Private in Company G who was not present at the battle because he was on detached service.

Joseph Kretchmer died on April 19, 1928 in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company D who was wounded during the hilltop fight.

John Foley was born in Dublin, Ireland, on April 20, 1839. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

John E. Quinn, who was also known as John Gorham, was born on April 20, 1852, in Hartford, Connecticut. He was a Private in Company D who was not present at the battle because he was on detached service at the Powder River Depot.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

Marcus Henry Kellogg (left) was born on March 31, 1833, in Brighton, Ontario, Canada. He was a civilian newspaper correspondent who was killed with Custer’s column during the Battle of the Little Bighorn and buried on Last Stand Hill.

John Dolan (right) died at Fort Myer, Virginia, on March 31, 1922, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

James W. Butler was born on April 1, 1844, in Limerick, Ireland. He stated he was born in Riverton, New Jersey, when he enlisted, but both his pension application and his death certificate listed Limerick, Ireland. He was a Private in Company F who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Philip McHugh died in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on April 1, 1910, and was buried in Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery there. His gravestone has March 31 as his date of death, but all references state April 1. He was a Private in Company L who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Edward Settle Godfrey (left) died in Cookstown, New Jersey, on April 1, 1932, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was an 1863 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point who was the First Lieutenant for Company K. He commanded that company during scouting and the hilltop fight.

Charles Clinton Barnett died in Anacortes, Skagit County, Washington, on April 3, 1935, and was buried there in Grand View Cemetery. He was a Private in Company G who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

William Frank died on April 6, 1880, in Baltimore, Maryland. His burial location has yet to be discovered. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

John Curtis Hall died in Warsaw, Indiana, on April 6, 1908. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight.

Herbert H. Arnold died on April 6, 1929, in Meriden, Connecticut, and was buried there in Walnut Grove Cemetery. He was a Private in Company C who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory.

Charles Ackerman died at Fort Snelling Minnesota, on April 6, 1930. He was buried in the Forest Cemetery, which is now Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Maplewood, Ramsey County, Minnesota. He was a Private in Company K who was not present at the battle due to detached service at the Powder River Depot.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

Max Hoehn (left), a Private in Company L, stayed with the regimental papers at Powder River, so he did not participate in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. He died of heart problems on January 6, 1911, in Sturgis, South Dakota, and was buried in St. Aloysius Cemetery there.

Frederick William Benteen (right) was Captain of Company H and commanded a battalion during the battle. He performed scouting duty and participated in the hilltop fight, during which he was wounded. He married Catherine Louise Norman on January 7, 1862.

George Blunt was born on January 9, 1846, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

Francis Johnson Kennedy (left) died on January 9, 1924, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery there. His obituary claimed he was prevented from participating in the battle because of a snake bite. That contradicts all other accounts that have him in sick quarters prior to the battle, with the pack train in June, and fighting on Reno Hill during the battle. At some point, Kennedy apparently said he led Capt. Keogh’s horse Comanche. If his obituary is to be believed, he was perhaps the only “Reverse Sole Survivor;” i.e., someone who was at the battle but claimed not to have been.

John W. Burkman was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on January 10, 1839. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

John Dolan (left) married Lena C. Eagan on January 10, 1876. His second marriage to Josephine Fisher was in 1900. He was a Private in Company M who was on detached service during the battle.

Ferdinand A. Culbertson died on January 10, 1889, in Detroit, Michigan, and was buried in the Woodmere Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company A who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Timothy Sullivan died on January 10, 1903, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Benjamin Franklin Burdick died on January 11, 1930, in Albany, New York, and was buried in the Beverwyck Cemetery in Rensselaer, New York. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Bernard Lyons died on January 12, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, Cook County, Illinois. He was a Private with Company F who was in the hilltop fight.

John H. Jordan died in Hartford, Connecticut, on January 12, 1906, and was buried in Old North Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company C who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

William Alexander was born on April 8, 1838, in Armagh, Ireland. He was a packer with the Quartermaster who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

John R. Gray was born in Troy, New York, on April 8, 1855 and died on April 30, 1915, in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Stephen L. Ryan died on April 8, 1885, in Bismarck, Dakota Territory, and was buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

James Harrison Smith (left) was born on April 9, 1848, in Madison, Indiana. He was a Private in Company G and one of three James Smiths in the Seventh Cavalry at the time. He was the only one of the three who was not present at the battle because he enlisted in the Seventh on June 20 and was enroute to join his comrades. The other two who shared his name were killed with Custer’s Column and are buried on Last Stand Hill.

Morris Mason Farrar died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 9, 1899, and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania. He was a Private in Company E who participated in the hilltop fight.

William Gavin Capes (right) died on April 10, 1900, in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and was buried in the Allegheny Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company M who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Henry W. B. Mechlin (left) died on April 10, 1926, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home Cemetery there. He was a blacksmith in Company H who participated in the hilltop fight. He was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions there.

Robert Rowland died near the Cannonball River, North Dakota, around April 11, 1879, of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in his head and was buried in the Keokuk National Cemetery in Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa. He was a Private in Company G who was not present due to detached service at the Powder River Depot.

William E. Robinson was born on April 12, 1842, in County Down, Ireland. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Henry M. Brinkerhoff was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on April 12, 1854. He was a Private in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Daniel Kanipe married Missouri Ann Wycoff Bobo, the widow of L. Edwin Bobo who was killed in the battle, on April 12, 1877.

John McShane died at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory, on April 13, 1877, and was originally buried in the Post Cemetery there and later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery in Montana. He was a Private in Company I who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Joseph H. Green died on April 13, 1922, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight.

Patrick Carey was born on April 14, 1828, in Tipperary, Ireland. He was a Sergeant in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

John Dolan (left), who was also known as Thomas Brown, was born in Dublin, Ireland, on April 14, 1843. He was a Private in Company M who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

John W. Sweeney died in Kentucky on April 14, 1884. He was a Private in Company F who participated in the hilltop fight.

 


This Week in Little Bighorn History

Myles Walter Keogh (left) was born on March 25, 1840, in County Carlow, Ireland. He was a Captain in command of Company I when he was killed with Custer’s Column during the Battle of the Little Bighorn. His horse Comanche became famous as the “Sole Survivor” of Custer’s Column. For more about Keogh and his life in Ireland, see the articles by Elisabeth Kimber.

Henry Allen Bailey (right) was born in Foster, Providence County, Rhode Island, on March 25, 1852. He was the blacksmith for Company I and was killed with Custer’s Column. He was buried at Last Stand Hill.

Ferdinand A. Culbertson was born on March 26, 1845, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was a Sergeant in Company A who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Aaron Lee Woods died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 26, 1902, and was buried there in Mount Moriah Cemetery. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Frederick Holmstead died on March 27, 1880, at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory, and was buried in the Custer National Cemetery in Crow Agency, Montana. He was a Private in Company A who participated in the valley and hilltop fights during which he was wounded.

George Anderson married Louisa Kiesel on March 27, 1911, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was a Private in Company K who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

William Carson Williams (left) was born on March 28, 1856, in Wheeling, West Virginia. He was a Private in Company H who was wounded during the hilltop fight.

Harvey Alexander Fox died in Warm Springs, Montana, on March 28, 1913. He was a Private in Company D who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Marcus Albert Reno (right) died on March 30, 1889, in Washington, D.C. He was originally buried there in Mount Olivet Cemetery but was later reinterred at Custer National Cemetery in Montana. He was a Major at the time of the battle in command of a battalion during the valley and hilltop fights.

William Henry Davenport died in Flushing, New York, on March 30, 1934. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Marcus Henry Kellogg (left) was born on March 31, 1833, in Brighton, Ontario, Canada. He was a civilian newspaper correspondent who was killed with Custer’s column and buried on Last Stand Hill.

John Dolan (right) died at Fort Myer, Virginia, on March 31, 1922, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

 

 


This Week in Little Bighorn History

Frederick William Benteen (left) married Catherine Louise Norman on January 7, 1862. He was Captain of Company H and commanded a battalion during the Battle of the Little Bighorn. He performed scouting duty and participated in the hilltop fight, during which he was wounded.

George Blunt was born on January 9, 1846, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

Francis Johnson Kennedy died on January 9, 1924, in St. Paul, Minnesota. His obituary claimed he was prevented from participating in the battle because of a snake bite. That contradicts all other accounts that have him in sick quarters prior to the battle, with the pack train in June, and fighting on Reno Hill during the battle. At some point, Kennedy apparently said he led Capt. Keogh’s horse Comanche. If his obituary is to be believed, he was perhaps the only “Reverse Sole Survivor;” i.e., someone who was at the battle but claimed not to have been.

John W. Burkman (left) was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on January 10, 1839. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

John Dolan (right) married Lena C. Eagan on January 10, 1876. His second marriage to Josephine Fisher was in 1900. He was a Private in Company M who was on detached service during the battle.

Ferdinand A. Culbertson died on January 10, 1889, in Detroit, Michigan, and was buried in the Woodmere Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company A who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Timothy Sullivan died on January 10, 1903, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Benjamin Franklin Burdick died on January 11, 1930, in Albany, New York, and was buried in the Beverwyck Cemetery in Rensselaer, New York. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Bernard Lyons died on January 12, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, Cook County, Illinois. He was a Private with Company F who was in the hilltop fight.

John H. Jordan died in Hartford, Connecticut, on January 12, 1906, and was buried in Old North Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company C who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Lawrence Murphy died on January 13, 1888, at the Soldiers’ Home in Washington, D.C. He was a Sergeant with Company E, but he was on detached service during the battle.

William Martin died in Knoxville, Tennessee, on January 13, 1900, and was buried there. He was a Private with Company B who participated in the hilltop fight.


This Week in Little Bighorn History

James Harrison Smith was born on April 9, 1848, in Madison, Indiana. He was a Private in Company G and one of three James Smiths in the Seventh Cavalry at the time. He was the only one of the three who was present at the battle. The other two who shared his name were killed with Custer’s Column and are buried on Last Stand Hill.

Morris Mason Farrar died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 9, 1899, and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania. He was a Private in Company E who participated in the hilltop fight.


Henry W. B. Mechlin died on April 10, 1926, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the U.S. Soldiers’ Home Cemetery there. He was a blacksmith in Company H who participated in the hilltop fight. He was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions there.

 

Robert Rowland died near the Cannonball River, North Dakota, around April 11, 1879, of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in his head. He was a Private in Company G who was not present due to detached service at the Powder River Depot.

William E. Robinson was born on April 12, 1842, in County Down, Ireland. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Henry M. Brinkerhoff was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on April 12, 1854. He was a Private in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

John McShane died at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory, on April 13, 1877, and was originally buried in the Post Cemetery there and later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery in Montana. He was a Private in Company I who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Joseph H. Green died on April 13, 1922, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight.

Patrick Carey was born on April 14, 1828, in Tipperary, Ireland. He was a Sergeant in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.


John Dolan (left), who was also known as Thomas Brown, was born in Dublin, Ireland, on April 14, 1843. He was a Private in Company M who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

John W. Sweeney died in Kentucky on April 14, 1884. He was a Private in Company F who particpated in the hilltop fight.

 


This Week in Little Bighorn History

Aaron Lee Woods died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 26, 1902, and was buried there in Mount Moriah Cemetery. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Frederick Holmstead died on March 27, 1880, at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory, and was buried in the Custer National Cemetery in Crow Agency, Montana. He was a Private in Company A who participated in the valley and hilltop fights during which he was wounded.

George Anderson married Louisa Kiesel on March 27, 1911, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was a Private in Company K who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

William C. Williams was born on March 28, 1856, in Wheeling, West Virginia. He was a Private in Company H who was wounded during the hilltop fight.

Harvey A. Fox died in Warm Springs, Montana, on March 28, 1913. He was a Private in Company D who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Marcus Albert Reno (left) died on March 30, 1889, in Washington, D.C. He was originally buried there in Mount Olivet Cemetery but was later reinterred at Custer National Cemetery in Montana.

William Henry Davenport died in Flushing, New York, on March 30, 1934. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Marcus Henry Kellogg was born on March 31, 1833, in Brighton, Ontario, Canada. He was a civilian newspaper correspondent who was killed with Custer’s column.

John Dolan, who was also known as Thomas Brown, died at Fort Myer, Virginia, on March 31, 1922, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was not present at the battle.

James W. Butler was born on April 1, 1844, in Riverton, New Jersey. He was a Private in Company F who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Philip McHugh died in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on April 1, 1910, and was buried in Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company L who participated in the hilltop fight.

Edward Settle Godfrey (left) died in Cookstown, New Jersey, on April 1, 1932, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was a graduate of the United States Military academy at West Point who was the First Lieutenant for Company K. He commanded that company during scouting and the hilltop fight.