Tag: Gilbert

This Week in Little Bighorn History

William H. Gilbert (left) was born on November 11, 1851, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a Corporal in Company L who was killed with Custer’s Column during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Stanislas Roy (right) was born in France on November 12, 1846. He enlisted in the Seventh Cavalry in 1869 and served on both the Yellowstone and Black Hills expeditions. He later served as a Corporal in Company A in the valley and hilltop fights at Little Bighorn. He was awarded the Medal of Honor on October 5, 1878, for bringing water to the wounded during the battle. He made two trips to the river under heavy fire.

William Sadler died of diabetes on November 12, 1921, in Linton, North Dakota, and was buried in the Linton Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company D who was not present due to detached service at Powder River.

Patrick Coakley, (left) died at the Soldiers’ Home in Washington, D.C., on November 13, 1881, and was buried in the National Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company K who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Thomas H. Rush died on November 13, 1905, in Elmhurst, Alameda County, California. He was a Sergeant in Company D who was not present at the battle because he was hospitalized at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory.

William C. Slaper died on November 13, 1931, in Sawtelle, California, and was buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Frederic Francis Girard (right) was born on November 14, 1829, in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri. On November 15, 1877, he married his second wife, Ella Scarborough Waddell. He had previously been married to a Piegan Indian. He was an Interpreter on the Quartermaster staff who went missing during the valley fight on June 25, 1876. He rejoined the soldiers on Reno Hill on June 26.

Edward Rood (left) was born in Tioga County, New York, on November 14, 1847. He was a Private in Company E who was killed in the battle.

Marcus Albert Reno (right) was born on November 15, 1834, in Carrollton, Illinois. Entire books have been written about Major Reno because he played a significant and controversial role in the battle.

Frank Volkenstine was born on November 15, 1844, in Birmingham, Michigan. He was a Private in Company M who was not present at the battle. He had been dishonorably discharged on May 31, 1876, in Fort Wayne, Michigan.

Markus Weiss died on November 15, 1879, at Fort Meade in the Dakota Territory and was buried in the Fort Meade National Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota. He died of a compound fracture of his neck that resulted from a cave-in of a gravel bank. He was a Private in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

James J. Galvan, who was also known as Michael J. Miller, was born in Liverpool, England, on November 16, 1848. He was a Private in Company L who was killed in the battle.

Hugh McGonigle died on November 16, 1916, in Washington, D.C., and was buried at the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company G who fought in the valley and hilltop fights.


This Week in Little Bighorn History

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 Recommended References (see below) all 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 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.

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.

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.

William H. Gilbert married Mary E. Hevener on April 7, 1870, and they had a son named Rudy. William was a Corporal in Company L who died with Custer’s Column and was buried on Last Stand Hill.

Alexander Brown (left) died on April 7, 1884, at Fort Meade, Dakota Territory, and was buried in the National Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company G who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

William G. Hardy died in San Francisco, California, on April 7, 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.

 

 


This Week in Little Bighorn History

 

 

The Training School for Bakers and Cooks was established at Fort Riley in 1905 to teach soldiers about food preparation, including methods for preparing food in the field. Bakers were taught how to make ovens in the field in order to bake bread. Bromwell may be in this U.S. Army photograph.

Latrobe Bromwell was born about 1847 in Frederick County, Maryland, the son of Louisa E. Meriweather and Hosea J. Bromwell. He served in the 11th Maryland Infantry during the Civil War. While with the Seventh Cavalry, he was a Private in Company E who was not present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn because he became ill on Rosebud Creek and was sent back to the Powder River Depot. Those in his company who went to battle were killed. He was the instructor in cooking at the Training School for Cooks and Bakers at Fort Riley, Kansas, until he retired in 1909. Bromwell died on April 2, 1923, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery.

Other Seventh Cavalry milestones this week include:

  • 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. 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.
  • William H. Gilbert married Mary E. Hevener on April 7, 1870. He was a Corporal in Company L who died with Custer’s Column and was buried on Last Stand Hill.
  • Alexander Brown died on April 7, 1884, at Fort Meade, Dakota Territory, and was buried in the National Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company G who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.
  • William G. Hardy died in San Francisco, California, on April 7, 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.