Seventh Cavalry – Page 36 – Little Bighorn History

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Alexander Brown was born on February 19, 1844, in Aberdeen, Scotland. He was a Sergeant in Company G and was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight. He died of syphilis in 1884 in Sturgis, South Dakota. Other Seventh Cavalry members who died in Sturgis included Joseph Bates (1893), Edward Garlick (1931), John E. Hammon (1909), Max Hoehn (1911), and John J. Mahoney (1918). The photo (left) of ox teams in Sturgis was taken by John C. H. Grabill, probably between 1887 and 1892.

Other Seventh Cavalry milestones this week include:

Thomas Hughes, who was also known as Charlie Hughes, was born in County Mayo, Ireland, on February 21, 1845. He was a Private in Company H who was wounded in the hilltop fight. He died in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 12, 1911, and was buried in the National Cemetery there.

Charles Ackerman married Ephresina Peterson on February 21, 1881, at Fort Totten. He was not present during the battle due to detached service at the Power River Depot.

Michael Vincent Sheridan died on February 21, 1918, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was the brother of General Philip Henry Sheridan.

Dennis Lynch was born on February 22, 1848, in Cumberland, Maryland. He was a Private in Company F who was not at the battle due to detached service. He died in 1933 in Washington, D.C.

Andrew Humes Nave was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on February 23, 1846. He was a Second Lieutenant in Company I, but he was not present at the battle due to illness.

Jan Moller, also known as James Moller, died on February 23, 1928, in Deadwood, South Dakota, and was buried in the Mount Moriah Cemetery there. He was wounded in the hilltop fight.

George A. Rudolph was born in Meuterheim, Germany, on February 24, 1854. He was a Private in the Band. He was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

Charles Louis Haack died on February 24, 1902, at the U.S. Soldiers Home in Washington, D.C., and was buried in its National Cemetery. He was not present at the battle due to illness.

Joseph Greene Tilford died in Washington, D.C., on February 24, 1911, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was a Major who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

John Hackett died on February 25, 1904, at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, of heart disease and was buried in the cemetery there. He was in the valley and hilltop fights and was wounded in his left arm.

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On Valentine’s Day in 1882, Edwin Philip Eckerson married Sophie M. Bergsland in Hays, Kansas.

Other Seventh Cavalry anniversaries this week include:

♥ Michael Delaney died on February 12, 1884, in Olney, Illinois, and was buried in the St. Joseph’s Cemetery there.

♥ Jean Baptiste Desire Gallenne died in Washington, D.C., on February 12, 1911, and was buried in the Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

♥ Emil Taube died on February 12, 1917, in Eddy, Texas, and was buried in the Shiloh Cemetery in Bell County, Texas.

♥ John B. McGuire, Jr., died in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, on February 12, 1932, and was buried in the Livermore Cemetery in Derry, Pennsylvania.

♥ John Valentine Whisten was born on February 14, 1852 in New York, New York. He was a Private in Company M who fought in the valley and hilltop fights.

♥ Elijah T. Strode died on February 14, 1881, in Miller’s Saloon in Sturgis City, Dakota Territory. He was fatally shot by Private Thomas J. Whalen and buried in the Fort Meade National Cemetery.

♥ Charles Kavanaugh died in Washington, D.C., on February 14, 1886, and was buried in the U.S. Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there.

♥ Charles Henry Bischoff died on February 14, 1924, in Baltimore, Maryland, and was buried there in the Loudon Park Cemetery.

♥ John Muering died in Fort Wayne, Michigan, on February 15, 1902, and was buried in the Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit.

♥ George Edward Lord was born on February 17, 1846, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the Assistant Surgeon for the Seventh who was killed with Custer’s Column.

♥ John J. Rafter married Mary Madden on February 17, 1877. She was the widow of his friend, Pvt. Robert H. Hughes, who was killed in the battle.

♥ David W. Lewis was born on February 18, 1852, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was not present at the battle because he was confined.

♥ William Othniel Taylor was born in Canandaigua, Ontario County, New York, on February 18, 1855, and died in Orange, Massachusetts, on February 19, 1923. He was buried in the Central Cemetery there.

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Steve Alexander as George Armstrong Custer — Courtesy GeorgeCuster.com

In honor of an extraordinary Super Bowl, watch BIGHORN, a 15-minute, supernatural historical fantasy about General Custer’s real-life connection to the New England Patriots’ first Super Bowl win, starring Steve Alexander as Custer. See the link to Steve’s book below.

Seventh Cavalry anniversaries this week include:

Otto Voit was born on February 5, 1845, in Baden, Germany. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the hilltop fight, during which he was wounded.

Otto Arndt died at The Presidio in San Francisco on February 6, 1917, and was buried in the National Cemetery there. He was on detached service at the Powder River Depot during the battle.

William Alexander died in Washington, D.C., on February 6, 1922, and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was with the pack track and in the hilltop fight.

John Duggan, who enlisted in the Seventh Cavalry as John L. Crowley, was born on February 7, 1849, in Fitchfield, Massachusetts. He was a Private in Company L who was killed with Custer’s column.

William A. Losee was born in Brewster Station, New York, on February 7, 1852. He was a Private in Company F who was killed with Custer’s column. He was buried on Last Stand Hill, but there is also a memorial marker for him in Brewster, New York.

John G. Kimm died on February 7, 1909, at the Soldiers Home in Johnson City, Tennessee. He was buried in the Mountain Home National Cemetery in that city. He was a Private in Company E who was with the pack track and in the hilltop fight.

John J. Keefe was born in County Kerry, Ireland, on February 8, 1855. He was a Private in Company B who was on detached service at the time of the battle.

John J. Keller died on February 8, 1913, in Butte, Montana. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight.

Benjamin C. Criswell was born in Marshall County, West Virginia, on February 9, 1849. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the hilltop fight, during which he was wounded. He died on October 17, 1921, and was buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Eldorado, Oklahoma.

Weston Harrington was born on February 9, 1855, in Alton, Ohio. He was a Private in Company L who was killed with Custer’s column. He was buried on Last Stand Hill.

James Frank Barsantee was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 10, 1853. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack track and in the hilltop fight. He died in Boston on July 8, 1941.Ja

William Sadler was born on February 10, 1855, in Frankfurt, Germany. He was a Private in Company D who was on detached service at the time of the battle. He died on November 12, 1921, in Linton, North Dakota, and was buried in the Linton City Cemetery in Bismarck.

Stanislas Roy died of cancer at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, on February 10, 1913. He was buried in the Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio.

Jeremiah Campbell was born on February 11, 1844, in Sangamon County, Illinois. He was a Sergeant in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight. He died on May 8, 1884, in Decatur, Illnois.

Richard B. Dorn was born on February 11, 1853. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and was killed in the hilltop fight. He was buried on Last Stand Hill.

Christian Schlafer died in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 11, 1905, of bronchial pneumonia. He was buried in the Walnut Hills Cemetery in Cincinnati.

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John Curtis Hall was born on January 29, 1852, in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight. On January 7, 1888, he was disabled by a gunshot wound in his left thigh and knee. He was married with one son and resided in Warsaw, Indiana, for the last ten years of his life. He died in Warsaw on April 6, 1908, and is said to be buried in a cemetery there.

Other Seventh Cavalry anniversaries this week include:

Michael Martin died at Bear Paw Mountain, Montana, on January 30, 1877, due to a shot in his chest and was buried in the Custer National Cemetery on Crow Agency, Montana.
Frederic Francis Girard, an interpreter for the cavalry, died on January 30, 1913, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He was buried in the Saint Benedict’s Parish Cemetery in Avon, Minnesota.
John C. Creighton, a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight, died in Tacoma, Washington, on January 30, 1935, and was buried in the Tacoma Mausoleum.
Garrett H. Van Allen was born on February 1, 1846, in Bethlehem, New York. He was a Private with Company C who was killed with Custer’s column and was buried on Last Stand Hill.
George Heid died at Fort Totten, Dakota Territory, on February 1, 1887. He was a Private in Company M who was in both the valley and hilltop fights. He was buried in Custer National Cemetery.
James Ezekiel Porter was born on February 2, 1847, in Strong, Maine. He was a First Lieutenant in Company I who was presumed killed and may have been buried on Last Stand Hill.
Dr. Henry Rinaldo Porter was born in New York Mills, New York, on February 3, 1848. He was the Acting Assistant Surgeon during the battle. He died in Agra, India, and was buried there.
Charles A. Campbell was born on February 3, 1850, in Boone County, Illinois. He was a Private in Company B who rode with the pack train and fought in the hilltop fight. He died in Bismarck.
Levi Madison Thornberry was born in Marietta, Ohio, on February 3, 1853. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights. He died in Palmer, Ohio, in 1902.
Thomas J. Finnegan died on February 4, 1923, in Leavenworth, Kansas. He was a Private in Company F who was on detached service at the time of the battle. His burial location is not known.
William E. Robinson died in Seattle, Washington, on February 4, 1928. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights. His burial location is not known.
Henry M. Brinkerhoff died on February 4, 1933, in Los Angeles, California, and was buried in the National Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

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George H. Geiger was born in 1843 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a Sergeant in Company H who participated in the hilltop fight. He showed extraordinary bravery when, along with Private Charles Windolph, Blacksmith Henry Mechlin, and Saddler Otto Voit, he risked his life to obtain water from the river for the wounded men, an act for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He died on January 23, 1904, in Dayton, Ohio, and was buried in the National Cemetery there.

Other Seventh Cavalry anniversaries this week include:

Left Hand, an Arikara Scount, was born in the Dakota Territory in 1829 and died on January 23, 1931. He was buried in the Saint Charles Catholic Cemetery in Saint Francis, South Dakota.

James Garland Sturgis was born on January 24, 1854, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was killed with Custer’s Column and, unlike most officers, was likely buried in the mass grave on Last Stand Hill.

James McNamara, who was a Private in Company H and participated in the hilltop fight, died in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on January 24, 1932.

Otto Arndt was born on January 25, 1844, in Bavaria, Germany. He was not present at the battle due to detached service at the Power River Depot.

Edward Garlick, who was on furlough during the battle, died in Sturgis, South Dakota, on January 25, 1931, and was buried at the Bear Butte Cemetery there.

John H. Meier was born on January 26, 1846, in Hanover, Germany. He was a Private in Company M who was in the valley and hilltop fights, during which he was wounded.

Walter O. Taylor, a blacksmith with Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights, died in Rockland, Massachusetts, on January 26, 1931. He was buried in the Northville Cemetery in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

Edward H. Pickard was born on January 27, 1854, in Boston, Massachusetts, and died on January 30, 1928, in Portland, Oregon. He was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Jacob Katzenmaier, who was not present during the battle, died in Fort Meade, Dakota Territory, on January 27, 1880, and was buried in the Old Post Cemetery there.

Wilson McConnell was born on January 28, 1839, in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

William Thomas Craycroft was born in Springfield, Kentucky, on January 28, 1847. He was a First Lieutenant in Company B, but he was on detached service during the battle.

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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.

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Francis Johnson Kennedy (below, circa 1920) died on January 9, 1924, in St. Paul, Minnesota. His obituary claimed he was “prohibited from participating in General Custer’s famous and ill-fated expedition because of a snake-bite.” That contradicts all 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. If his obituary is to be believed, he was perhaps the only “Reverse Sole Survivor;” i.e., someone who was at the battle but claimed not to have been.

Other Seventh Cavalry anniversaries this week include:

John W. Burkman was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on January 10, 1839. “Old Nutriment” cared for the Custer horses.

John Dolan married Lena C. Eagan on January 10, 1876. His second marriage to Josephine Fisher was in 1900. He was on detached service during the battle.

Timothy Sullivan died on January 10, 1903. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

George Blunt was born on January 11, 1845, in Baltimore, Maryland. He died of gas asphyxiation at the Joyce Hotel in Baltimore on November 23, 1905.

Benjamin Franklin Burdick died on January 11, 1930, in Albany, New York, and was buried in the Beverwyck Cemetery in Rensselaer, New York.

Bernard Lyons died on January 12, 1901. He was a Private with Company F who was in the hilltop fight.

John Jordan died in Hartford, Connecticut, on January 12, 1906. He was a Private with Company C who participated in the hilltop fight.

Lawrence Murphy died on January 13, 1888, at the Soldiers’ Home in Washington, D.C. He was a Sergeant with Company E, but he was on detached service during the battle.

William Martin died in Knoxville, Tennessee, on January 13, 1900, and was buried there. He was a Private with Company B who participated in the hilltop fight.

James Madison DeWolf 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 was born on January 14, 1846, 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. He was buried in the Custer National Cemetery on Crow Agency, Montana.

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Happy New Year!

George Kelley was born on January 1, 1847, in New York, New York. He was not present at the battle due to being detailed to General Terry’s column. He married Octavus Wooley in 1874 in New Orleans, Louisiana. She died on September 17, 1875. They had no children. George died of a cerebral hemorrhage on October 21, 1922, at the National Military Home in Leavenworth, Kansas, and was buried in the National Cemetery there.

Other Seventh Cavalry anniversaries this week include:

Julius Gunther died on January 2, 1902. He was not present at the battle due to illness.
John Fox was born in Buffalo, New York, on January 3, 1844. He died at the U.S. Soldiers Home in Washington, D.C. and was buried in the National Cemetery there.
Franklin Rankin, who was also known as Edward Clyde, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head on January 3, 1895, at Columbus Barracks, Ohio.
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, and died on January 28, 1924, in Hot Springs, South Dakota. He was buried in Bear Butte Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota.
George Wilhelmus Mancius Yates married Lucretia Beaumont Irwin on January 5, 1865. They divorced on January 31, 1867. He later married Annie Gibson Roberts and had three children.
Max Hoehn stayed with the regimental papers at Powder River. He died of heart problems on January 6, 1911, in Sturgis, South Dakota, and was buried in St. Aloysius Cemetery there.
Frederick William Benteen married Catherine Louise Norman on January 7, 1862. He was Captain of Company H and commanded a battalion during the battle.

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Max Hoehn was born in Berlin, Germany, on December 26, 1854. He stayed with the regimental papers at Powder River so he was not in the battle.
Timothy Haley was born on December 26, 1846, in Cork, Ireland, and died on December 31, 1913, in Washington, D.C., and was buried there.
John Meyers died on December 26, 1877, at Fort Abraham Lincoln in the Dakota Territory and was buried in the Custer National Cemetery in Montana.
John J. Fay and John Fox both died in Washington, D.C., on December 26, 1932, and both were buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there.
Wilson McConnell died on December 27, 1906, in King, Wisconsin, and was buried in the Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery there.
Peter Thompson was born in Markinch, County Fife, Scotland, on December 28, 1843. He died in Hot Springs, South Dakota, on December 3, 1928.
David McWilliams died at Fort Meade, South Dakota, on December 28, 1881, and was buried in the National Cemetery there.
Three of the men were killed at Battle of Wounded Knee in South Dakota, on December 29, 1890, and are buried at the Fort Riley Post Cemetery in Kansas.:
- Richard Winick Corwine who was on detached service during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
- Gustave Korn who became the caretaker of Comanche, the only horse that survived the Battle of the Little Bighorn. (See books below.)
- George Daniel Wallace who commanded Company G during the Battle of the Little Bighorn and fought in the valley and hilltop fights.
Frank Hunter died on December 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. He was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
William Jackson died at Cutbank Creek on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana on December 30, 1899. He was in the valley fight.
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.
William Henry Miller died in San Antonio, Texas, on December 30, 1914, and was buried in the National Cemetery there.

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William G. Hardy was born on December 20, 1849, on Staten Island, New York. He was a bugler for Company A and fought in both the valley and hilltop fights. He died on April 7, 1919, in San Francisco, California, and is buried in the San Francisco National Cemetery, The Presidio. See below for books and miniatures of buglers.

Other Seventh Cavalry anniversaries this week include:

Hiram Wallace Sager died in Spokane, Washington, on December 21, 1907. He was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.
Luther Rector Hare died on December 22, 1929, in Washington, D.C, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Johann Michael Vetter was born in Hessen, Germany, on December 23, 1853. He was killed during the battle.
Joseph Carroll died on December 23, 1904, in Danville, Illinois, and was buried in the National Cemetery there.
Martin Personeus died in Carlinsville, Illinois, on December 24, 1889. He was on detached service during the battle.
Giovanni Martini died on December 24, 1922, in Brooklyn, New York. He brought the famous “be quick” note to Benteen.
John James Carey died in Malone, Grays Harbor County, Washington, on December 24, 1929.
Thomas W. Coleman was born on December 25, 1849, in Troy, New York. He was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.
Edwin B. Wight was born in Casco, Maine, on December 25, 1851. He was on detached service during the battle.
Thomas Wilford Harrison died on December 25, 1917, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was buried in Yeadon, Pennsylvania.