This Week in Little Bighorn History

George H. King died on July 2, 1876, in Pease Bottom, Montana Territory, where he was buried. In 1917, he was reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery on Crow Agency. He was a Corporal with Company A who who participated in the valley and hilltop fights. He was wounded in the left shoulder on the evening of June 25 and was later evacuated to the steamer Far West where he died.

Francis Johnson Kennedy (left) married Mary E. Hogan (1961-1913) on July 2, 1882. He was a Private with Company I who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

John Hackett and Esther Smith were married on July 2, 1902. He was a Private in Company G who was wounded in the left arm during the valley and hilltop fights.

William W. Lasley (right) died on July 2, 1924, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

John Eaton Tourtellotte was born on July 3, 1833, in Windham, Connecticut. He was the Captain of Company G who was not present during the battle due to detached service.

William Montell George, a Private in Company K, died aboard the Far West on July 3, 1876, of wounds he received during the hilltop fight. He was buried the following day beside the Yellowstone River in Montana Territory.

Peter Orlando Barry died on July 3, 1909, in Morgan, Maryland, and was buried in the Morgan Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery in Woodbine, Carroll County, Maryland. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Thomas Mower McDougall (left) died in Brandon, Vermont, on July 3, 1909, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was a Captain commanding Company B who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Michael John Walsh died on July 3, 1932, in Newark, New Jersey. He was a Private with Company H who was not present at the battle due to confinement.

William J. Logue was born on July 4, 1841, in New York, New York. He was a Private in Company L who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

George C. Morris was born in Georgetown, Delaware, on July 4, 1851. He was a Corporal with Company I who was killed with Custer’s Column.

Lansing A. Moore married Sarah Belcher on July 4, 1881, at Belcher Ranch, Custer County, Montana. He was a Private in Company F who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

William J. Gregg (left) was born on July 5, 1847, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a Private in Company F who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Walter O. Taylor was born in Scituate, Rhode Island, on July 5, 1854. He was a Blacksmith with Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

James C. Bennett died on July 5, 1876, aboard the Far West. He was a Private in Company C who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight. He was wounded in the chest during the second day of the battle.

John Shauer died in Seattle, Washington, on July 7, 1924, and was buried in the Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park there. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.


This Week in Little Bighorn History

John Sivertsen (right) was born on December 10, 1841, in Jensen, Norway. He was a Private in Company M who fought in the valley and hilltop fights. He married Anna Olson in Douglas County, Wisconsin, on December 25, 1889, and they had a son the next year who was born in Duluth, Minnesota.

Henry N. B. Witt was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 10, 1852. He was a Private in Company K who was not present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn due to detached service.

William J. Gregg (left) died on December 10, 1913, in Hampton, Virginia, and was buried in the National Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company F who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Frederick Henry Gehrmann died on December 10, 1922, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company B who was on detached service during the battle.

William Van Wyck Reily was born on December 12, 1853, in Washington D.C. He was a Second Lieutenant in Company F who was killed during the battle on June 25, 1876, and was buried on August 3, 1877, in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

John Godfried Tritten died in Dayton, Ohio, on December 12, 1918. He was Saddler Sergeant on detached service during the battle.

Frederick Deetline (right) died on December 13, 1910, in San Antonio, Texas, and was buried in the National Cemetery there. He was the Blacksmith for Company D who was in the hilltop fight. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.

Francis Marion Gibson (left) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 14, 1847. He was a First Lieutenant in Company H who performed scouting duty and participated in the hilltop fight. He survived the battle, but his brother-in-law, Donald McIntosh, did not.

Henry Holden served as a Private in Company D and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the hilltop fight. He died on December 14, 1905, in East Brighton, England, and was buried in the Brighton and Preston Cemetery there.

James P. Boyle was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, on December 15, 1983. He was a Private in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights. He was wounded in his back.

Matthew Maroney died on December 15, 1880, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company H who participated in the hilltop fight.

Felix Villiet Vinatieri, the Chief Musician of the Seventh Cavalry, died in Yankton, South Dakota, on December 15, 1891, and was buried in the Yankton City Cemetery. The band was not present at the battle.

John Donahoe died on December 15, 1905, in San Francisco, California, and was buried in the National Cemetery there. He was the Saddler for Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

William Braendle  (right) died in Santa Rosa, California, on December 15, 1932, and was buried in the San Francisco National Cemetery. He was a First Lieutenant with Company L who was not present at the battle due to illness.

John McKenna, who was also known as John Kenney, drowned in the Ohio River before December 16, 1888, when his body was found near Constance, Kentucky. He was a Private with Company E who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Edward D. Pigford (left) died in Lock Three, Pennsylvania, on December 16, 1932, and was buried in the Richland Cemetery in Dravosburg, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He was a Private with Company M who fought in the valley and hilltop fights and was wounded.

 

 


This Week in Little Bighorn History

Happy Fourth of July!

On July 4, 1876, news of the Battle of the Little Bighorn was reaching the east coast where Philadelphia was hosting the Centennial Exhibition.

Two members of the 1876 Seventh Cavalry were born on Independence Day (see the flag below). Other Seventh Cavalry milestones this week include:

George H. King died on July 2, 1876, in Pease Bottom, Montana Territory, where he was buried. In 1917, he was reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery on Crow Agency. He was a Corporal with Company A who was wounded during the valley and hilltop fights.

Thomas W. Stivers died in Kingston, Kentucky, on July 2, 1877, and was buried in the Richmond Cemetery in Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight.

Francis Johnson Kennedy (left) married Mary E. Hogan (1961-1913) on July 2, 1882. He was a Private with Company I who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

John Hackett and Esther Smith were married on July 2, 1902. He was a Private in Company G who was wounded in the left arm during the valley and hilltop fights.

William W. Lasley died on July 2, 1924, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

John Eaton Tourtellotte was born on July 3, 1933, in Windham, Connecticut. He died on July 22, 1891, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and was buried in the Tourtellotte Cemetery in Thompson, Connecticut. He was the Captain of Company G who was not present during the battle due to detached service.

William Montell George, a Private in Company K, died aboard the Far West on July 3, 1876, of wounds he received during the hilltop fight. He was buried the following day beside the Yellowstone River in Montana Territory.

Peter Orlando Barry died on July 3, 1907, in Morgan, Maryland, and was buried in the Morgan Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery in Woodbine, Carroll County, Maryland. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Thomas Mower McDougall died in Brandon, Vermont, on July 3, 1907, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was a Captain commanding Company B who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Michael John Walsh died on July 3, 1932, in Newark, New Jersey. He was a Private with Company H who was not present at the battle due to confinement.

William J. Logue was born on July 4, 1841, in New York, New York. He was a Private in Company L who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

George C. Morris was born in Georgetown, Delaware, on July 4, 1851. He was a Corporal with Company I who was killed with Custer’s Column.


William J. Gregg
was born on July 5, 1847, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a Private in Company F who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Walter O. Taylor was born in Scituate, Rhode Island, on July 5, 1854. He was a Blacksmith with Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

James C. Bennett died at 3:00 A.M. on July 5, 1876, aboard the Far West. He was a Private in Company C who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight. He was wounded in the chest during the second day of the battle.

John Shauer died in Seattle, Washington, on July 7, 1924, and was buried in the Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park there. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

James Franklin Barsantee died on July 8, 1941, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and in 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.