Tag: Hammon

This Week in Little Bighorn History

James Madison DeWolf (left) was born in Mehonpany, Pennsylvania, on January 14, 1843. He was the Acting Assistant Surgeon for the Seventh, and he was killed during the battle.

Thomas F. O’Neill (right) was born on January 14, 1846 (gravestone has 1847) in Dublin, Ireland.  He was a Private with Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Andrew Fredericks died on January 14, 1881, at Fort Totten, Dakota Territory, and was buried in the Custer National Cemetery on Crow Agency, Montana. He was a Sergeant in Company K who fought on the hilltop.

 

Charles Braden (left) died on January 15, 1919, in Highland Falls, New York, and was buried at the U.S. Military Academy Post Cemetery. He was an 1869 graduate of the Academy who married Jeanette Devin, the daughter of General Thomas Casimer Devin, who was said to be one of the best and most effective Union commanders in the Civil War. Braden was not present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn due to wounds suffered during an Indian attack on his camp on the Yellowstone River on August 11, 1873. He was granted a leave of absence on March 13, 1874, until he retired due to disability on June 28, 1878.

Fremont Kipp (right) died in Washington, D.C., on January 16, 1938, and was buried there in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight.

Young Hawk died on January 16, 1915, in Elbowoods, North Dakota, and was buried in the Indian Scout Cemetery in McLean County, North Dakota. He was an Arikara scout who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Francis Hegner died in Kenockee Township, Michigan, on January 17, 1891. He was a Private in Company F who was on detached service during the battle, so he was not present.

Francis Marion Gibson (left) died on January 17, 1919, in New York City and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He was the brother-in-law of Donald McIntosh. He was the First Lieutenant of Company H who was on scouting duty and participated in the hilltop fight.

Joseph Carroll was born in New York, New York, on January 19, 1847. He was a member of the band, so he was not present at the battle.

John E. Hammon (right) died on January 19, 1909, in Sturgis, South Dakota, and was buried there in the Bear Butte Cemetery. He was a Corporal in Company G and was in the hilltop and valley fights.

Henry Harrison Davis was born on January 20, 1846, in Bellvernon, Virginia. He was a Private in Company M and was in the hilltop and valley fights. He died around 1905.

John J. Rafter was born in Lansingburgh, New York, on January 20, 1851, and died on January 16, 1927, in Leavenworth, Kansas. He was buried in the Mount Calvary Cemetery in Leavenworth. He was the Sergeant in Company K who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

August B. Siefert died on January 20, 1921, in Highland Park, Illinois, and was buried in the Fort Sheridan Cemetery in Highwood, Illinois. He was a Private with Company K during the hilltop fight.


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


Charles Braden (left) died on January 15, 1919, in Highland Falls, New York, and was buried at the U.S. Military Academy Post Cemetery. He was an 1869 graduate of the Academy who married Jeanette Devin, the daughter of General Thomas Casimer Devin, who was said to be one of the best and most effective Union commanders in the Civil War. Braden was not present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn due to wounds suffered during an Indian attack on his camp on the Yellowstone River on August 11, 1873. He was granted a leave of absence on March 13, 1874, until he retired due to disability on June 28, 1878.

Other Seventh Cavalry anniversaries this week include:

Fremont Kipp died in Washington, D.C., on January 16, 1938, and was buried there in the U.S. Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery.

Young Hawk died on January 16, 1915, in Elbowoods, North Dakota, and was buried in the Indian Scout Cemetery in McLean County, North Dakota.

Francis Hegner died in Kenockee Township, Michigan, on January 17, 1891. He was on detached service during the battle, so he was not present.

Francis Marion Gibson died on January 17, 1919, in New York City and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He was the brother-in-law of Donald McIntosh.

Joseph Carroll was born in New York, New York, on January 19, 1847. He was a member of the band, so he was not present at the battle.

John E. Hammon died on January 19, 1909, in Sturgis, South Dakota, and was buried there in the Bear Butte Cemetery. He was a Corporal in Company G and was in the hilltop and valley fights.

Henry Harrison Davis was born on January 20, 1846, in Bellvernon, Virginia. He was a Private in Company M and was in the hilltop and valley fights. He died around 1905.

John J. Rafter was born in Lansingburgh, New York, on January 20, 1851, and died on January 16, 1927, in Leavenworth, Kansas. He was buried in the Mount Calvary Cemetery in Leavenworth.

August B. Siefert died on January 20, 1921, in Highland Park, Illinois, and was buried in the Fort Sheridan Cemetery in Highwood, Illinois. He was with Company K during the hilltop fight.

Stephen Cowley was married in County Mayo, Ireland, to Bridget Agnes Moore on January 21, 1871. He was on detached service at Yellowstone Depot, so he was not present at the battle.

Joseph Kneubuhler died on January 21, 1917, in San Diego, California.  He was a member of the band, so he was not present at the battle.

Christian C. Boisen died in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on January 21, 1923, and was buried at the National Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company K who was in the hilltop fight.


This Week in Little Bighorn History

George B. Herendeen was born on November 28, 1846, in Parkman Township, Geauga County, Ohio. He was a civilian scout who participated in the battle in the timber and on the hilltop. According to Gregory Michno (see “Misrepresented ‘Monster’ Major Marcus Reno“) Herendeen was largely responsible for assertions of Marcus Reno‘s cowardice:

Of all the witnesses called [at the Reno Court of Inquiry], only two were critical of Reno’s conduct in the valley. Civilian interpreter Frederic F. Girard, whom Reno had once fired, said he thought Reno could have held out in the timber as long as the ammunition lasted. (Left unsaid was that at the rate they had been firing, that would not likely have been more than another half-hour.) Civilian scout George Herendeen also disliked Reno. He said that when Bloody Knife was killed and another soldier hit, “Reno gave the order to dismount, and the soldiers had just struck the ground when he gave the order to mount, and then everything left the timber on a run.” Herendeen said the incident “demoralized him [Reno] a good deal,” but when pressed by court recorder Lieutenant Jesse M. Lee, Herendeen stated, “I am not saying that he is a coward at all.”

. . . An examination of the court record shows that 20 of the 23 eyewitnesses who testified to Reno’s conduct had neutral or favorable observations. Only three were unfavorable—and none of those damning. Yet scarcely mentioned is [Dr. Henry] Porter’s account of Reno’s statement, “We have got to get out of here—we have got to charge them!” Instead, Herendeen’s claim that Reno ordered a dismount and an immediate mount appears often in print. It seems incredible. One man claims Reno issued conflicting orders while extracting his command from a desperate situation, and it snowballs into an avalanche of cowardice and treachery.

For more of Greg Michno’s excellent research and writing, see the books listed at the end of this post.

Other milestones this week include: