This Week in Little Bighorn History

Patrick McDonnell died in San Antonio, Texas, on September 9, 1922, and was buried in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company D who was wounded in the hilltop fight during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Samuel J. McCormick died of a heart attack on September 10, 1908, at Fort Meade, South Dakota, and was buried in the Bear Butte Cemetery in Sturgis, Meade County, South Dakota. He was a Private in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Winfield Scott Edgerly (left) died in Farmington, New Hampshire, on September 10, 1927, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was the Second Lieutenant for Company D who went on scouting duty and participated in the hilltop fight.

Lansing A. Moore was born on September 12, 1854, in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was a Private with Company F who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Frank W. Sniffin was born in New York City on September 12, 1857. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Peter Eixenberger died of a heart attack on September 12, 1917, in Sykes, Montana, and was buried in the St. Aloysius Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota. He was with the band, so he was on detached service at the time of the battle.

Jan Moller, who was also known as James Moller, was born in Orsle, Denmark, on September 13, 1849. He was a Private in Company H who was wounded during the hilltop fight.

Nathan T. Brown died on September 13, 1877, at Canyon Creek, Montana Territory, during a battle with the Nez Perce. He was originally buried at Fort Assinniboine, Montana Territory, and was reinterred on March 27, 1905, in the Custer National Cemetery on Crow Agency in Montana.

Joseph Bates committed suicide in Sturgis, South Dakota, on September 13, 1893, and was buried in the Bear Butte Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Richard P. Hanley (left) died on September 13, 1923, in Boston, Massachusetts, and was buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden, Massachusetts. He was a Sergeant with Company C who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.

Hobert Ryder died in Wheeling, West Virginia, sometime after September 14, 1893. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Isaac Fowler (right) was born on September 15, 1844, in Darke County, Ohio. He was a Private with Company C who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Thomas O’Brien died of typhoid fever at Fort Buford, Dakota Territory, on September 15, 1876. He was initially buried in the Post Cemetery there and was later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery, Crow Agency, Montana.

 


This Week in Little Bighorn History

John F. Donohue died in Butte, Montana, on December 3, 1924. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

William H. Baker was born on December 3, 1848 in Golconda, Illinois. He was a Private in Company E who was killed with Custer’s Column.

Thomas James Stowers, who claimed to be a Sole Survivor of the battle, was also born on December 3, 1848, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Frank Berwald was born on December 3, 1852, in Posen, Poland. He was a Private in Company E who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

John E. Hammon (left) was born in Lynchburg, Ohio, on December 4, 1857. He was a Corporal in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

John McCabe died on December 4, 1891, in Washington, D.C. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

John B. Ascough died in Columbus, Ohio, on December 4, 1903, and was buried in Old Greencastle Cemetery in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight.

George A. Rudolph died on December 4, 1924, in Eddyville, New York. He was a Private in the Band, so he was not present at the battle. He was on detached service at Powder River, Montana.

Charles Henry Bishop died in St. Louis, Missouri, on December 4, 1929, and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Fairview Heights, St. Clair County, Missouri. He was a Private in Company H who was wounded during the hilltop fight.

George Armstrong Custer (left) was born on December 5, 1839, in New Rumley, Ohio. The Custer Memorial Association will celebrate his birth in New Rumley, Ohio, on Saturday, December 9, 2017. See Facebook for information: https://www.facebook.com/Custer-Memorial-Association-151535381571759/.

Isaac Fowler (right) of Company C died on December 5, 1881, in Union City, Indiana, and was buried in the Union City Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company C who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Martin McCue died on December 6, 1923, at Barnes Hospital in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

Henry August Lange was born in Hanover, Germany, on December 7, 1851. He was a Private in Company E who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Andrew Humes Nave died on December 7, 1924, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was buried in Highland Memorial Cemetery there. He was a Second Lieutenant with Company I who was not present at the battle due to illness.

John Samuel Ragsdale died on December 4, 1942, in Dayton, Ohio, and was buried in the Dayton National Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Charles A. Windolph (left) was born on December 9, 1851 in Bergen, Germany. He was a Private in Company H who was wounded in the hilltop fight, and he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.

Thomas Gordon was born in Boston on December 9, 1853. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

Thomas Bell (Benton) Weir (right) died on Governors Island, New York, on December 9, 1876, less than six months after the battle. He was the Captain of Company D who participated in scouting and in the hilltop fight. He was originally buried on Governors Island but was moved to the Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.

Martin Kilfoyle died on December 9, 1894, in Washington, D.C. He was a Private in Company G who was on detached service during the battle.

Henry Jackson died in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on December 9, 1908, and is buried in the National Cemetery there. He was a First Lieutenant in Company F who was not at the battle due to detached service.


This Week in Little Bighorn History

Samuel J. McCormick died of a heart attack on September 10, 1908, at Fort Meade, South Dakota, and was buried in the Bear Butte Cemetery in Sturgis, Meade County, South Dakota. He was a Private in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Winfield Scott Edgerly died in Farmington, New Hampshire, on September 10, 1927, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was the Second Lieutenant for Company D who went on scouting duty and participated in the hilltop fight.

Lansing A. Moore was born on September 12, 1854, in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was a Private with Company F who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Frank W. Sniffin was born in New York City on September 12, 1857. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Peter Eixenberger died of a heart attack on September 12, 1917, in Sykes, Montana, and was buried in the St. Aloysius Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota. He was with the band, so he was on detached service at the time of the battle.

Jan Moller, who was also known as James Moller, was born in Orsle, Denmark, on September 13, 1849. He was a Private in Company H who was wounded during the hilltop fight.

Nathan T. Brown died on September 13, 1877, at Canyon Creek, Montana Territory, during a battle with the Nez Perce. He was originally buried at Fort Assinniboine, Montana Territory, and was reinterred on March 27, 1905, in the Custer National Cemetery on Crow Agency in Montana.

Joseph Bates committed suicide in Sturgis, South Dakota, on September 13, 1893, and was buried in the Bear Butte Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Richard P. Hanley (left) died on September 13, 1923, in Boston, Massachusetts, and was buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden, Massachusetts. He was a Sergeant with Company C who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.

Hobert Ryder died in Wheeling, West Virginia, sometime after September 14, 1893. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Isaac Fowler was born on September 15, 1844, in Darke County, Ohio. He was a Private with Company C who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Thomas O’Brien died of typhoid fever at Fort Buford, Dakota Territory, on September 15, 1876. He was initially buried in the Post Cemetery there and was later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery, Crow Agency, Montana.

Henry Charles Weihe was born on September 16, 1847, in Saxony, Germany. He was a Sergeant in Company M who participated in the valley fight and was wounded during the hilltop fight.


This Week in Little Bighorn History

George Armstrong Custer was born on December 5, 1839, in New Rumley, Ohio. The Custer Memorial Association will celebrate his birth in New Rumley on Saturday, December 10, 2016. See https://www.facebook.com/Custer-Memorial-Association-151535381571759/.

Other milestones this week include:

  • Isaac Fowler of Company C died on December 5, 1881, in Union City, Indiana.
  • Martin McCue died on December 6, 1923, at Barnes Hospital in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the U.S. Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery.
  • Henry August Lange of Company E was born in Hanover, Germany, on December 7, 1851.
  • Andrew Humes Nave died on December 7, 1924, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was buried in Highland Memorial Cemetery.
  • John Samuel Ragsdale had several milestones in December. He was born in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, on December 9, 1850; he married Lois Durham on December 28, 1877; and he died on December 4, 1942, in Dayton, Ohio.
  • Charles A. Windolph was born on December 9, 1851 in Bergen, Germany. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.
  • Thomas Gordon was born in Boston on December 9, 1853, and died in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on December 21, 1935. He is buried in the Swandale Cemetery in Mendon, Massachusetts.
  • Thomas Bell (Benton) Weir died a sad death on Governors Island, New York, on December 9, 1876, less than six months after he survived the battle.
  • Martin Kilfoyle died on December 9, 1894, in Washington, D.C. He was on detached service during the battle.
  • Henry Jackson died in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on December 9, 1908, and is buried in the National Cemetery there.
  • John Sivertsen was born on December 10, 1841, in Jensen, Norway. He married Anna Olson in Douglas County, Wisconsin, on December 25, 1889.
  • Henry N. B. Witt was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 10, 1852. He was on detached service during the battle.
  • William J. Gregg died on December 10, 1913, in Hampton, Virginia, and is buried in the National Cemetery there.
  • Frederick Henry Gehrmann died on December 10, 1922, in Washington, D.C., and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
  • Gabriel Guessbacher died on the same day in the same city. His burial location is not known.