This Week in Little Bighorn History

John Fox was born in Buffalo, New York, on January 3, 1844. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Franklin Rankin, who was also known as Edward Clyde, was a Corporal in Company F who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head on January 3, 1895, at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, and was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus.

Carl August Bruns was on detached service at the time of the battle. He died in Mandan, North Dakota, on January 4, 1910, and was buried in the Mandan Union Cemetery.

William M. Smith, a corporal in Company B, was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight where he was wounded. He died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 4, 1921, and his ashes were buried in the Wenonah Cemetery in Wenonah, New Jersey.

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.

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. 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.

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

William Jackson (left) died at Cutbank Creek on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana on December 30, 1899, and was buried in St. Michael’s Cemetery in Browning, Montana. He was a scout who participated in the valley fight during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

David W. Lewis died on December 30, 1914, at the Government Hospital for the Insane in Washington, D.C., and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company B who was court-martialed as a deserter in the spring of 1876. He was confined at Fort Barrancas, Florida, at the time of the battle.

William Henry Miller died in San Antonio, Texas, on December 30, 1914, and was buried in the National Cemetery there. He was the Blacksmith for Company E who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Happy New Year!

George Kelley was born on January 1, 1847, in New York, New York. He was a Private in Company H who was not present at the battle due to being detailed to General Terry’s column.

Julius Gunther committed suicide on January 2, 1902, in Rock Island, Illinois, and was buried in the National Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company K who was not present at the battle due to illness.

John Fox was born in Buffalo, New York, on January 3, 1844. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight.

Franklin Rankin, who was also known as Edward Clyde, was a Corporal in Company F who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head on January 3, 1895, at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, and was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus.

Carl August Bruns was on detached service at the time of the battle. He died in Mandan, North Dakota, on January 4, 1910, and was buried in the Mandan Union Cemetery.

William M. Smith, a corporal in Company B, was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight where he was wounded. He died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 4, 1921.

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.

George Wilhelmus Mancius Yates (left) married Lucretia Beaumont Irwin on January 5, 1865.