Capes – Little Bighorn History

This Week in Little Bighorn History

James Harrison Smith (left) was born on April 9, 1848, in Madison, Indiana. He was a Private in Company G and one of three James Smiths in the Seventh Cavalry at the time. He was the only one of the three who was not present at the battle because he enlisted in the Seventh on June 20 and was en route to join his comrades. The other two who shared his name were killed with Custer’s Column and are buried on Last Stand Hill.

Morris Mason Farrar died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 9, 1899, and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania. He was a Private in Company E who participated in the hilltop fight.

William Gavin Capes (left) died on April 10, 1900, in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and was buried in the Allegheny Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company M who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

Henry W. B. Mechlin (right) died on April 10, 1926, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home Cemetery there. He was a blacksmith in Company H who participated in the hilltop fight. He was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions there.

William E. Robinson was born on April 12, 1842, in County Down, Ireland. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights during the battle.

Andrew Knecht was born on April 12, 1853, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a Private in Company F who was killed with Custer’s Column.

Henry M. Brinkerhoff (left) was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on April 12, 1854. He was a Private in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Daniel Alexander Kanipe (right) married Missouri Ann Wycoff Bobo on April 12, 1877. She was the widow of Lemuel Edwin Bobo who was killed in the battle. Kanipe was a Sergeant in Company C who was with Custer’s Column and in the hilltop fight.

Edwin Butler Wight married Alia E. Roberts on April 12, 1906. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

John McShane died at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory, on April 13, 1877. He was originally buried in the Post Cemetery there and later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery in Montana. He was a Private in Company I who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Joseph H. Green died on April 13, 1922, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight.

Patrick Carey was born on April 14, 1828, in Tipperary, Ireland. He was a Sergeant in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

John Dolan (left), who was also known as Thomas Brown, was born in Dublin, Ireland, on April 14, 1843. He was a Private in Company M who was not present at the battle due to detached service on the steamer Far West.

John W. Sweeney died in Kentucky on April 14, 1884. He was a Private in Company F who participated in the hilltop fight.

Daniel Alexander Kanipe ( see photo above) was born on April 15, 1853, in Marion, North Carolina. He was a Sergeant in Company C who was with Custer’s Column and in the hilltop fight.

Robert George Rowland died near the Cannonball River, North Dakota, around April 15, 1879, of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in his head and was buried in the Keokuk National Cemetery in Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa. He was a Private in Company G who was not present at the battle due to detached service at the Powder River Depot.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

Alexander Brown (left) 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.

William Othniel Taylor (right) died in Orange, Massachusetts, on February 19, 1923, and was buried in the Central Cemetery there.

Ernest Garlington (left) was born on February 20, 1853, in Newberry, South Carolina. He was a Second Lieutenant assigned to the Seventh Cavalry, but he was not present at the battle because he was on leave after graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

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.

Charles Ackerman married Ephresina Peterson on February 21, 1881, at Fort Totten. He was a Private in Company K who was not present during the battle due to detached service at the Powder River Depot.

Michael Vincent Sheridan (left) died on February 21, 1918, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was a Captain in Company L who was not present due to detached service as the aide-de-camp for his brother, General Philip Henry Sheridan. In June 1877, Michael Sheridan was in charge of the detachment that exhumed the remains of the officers from the battlefield.

Dennis Lynch (left) 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 guarding Custer’s luggage aboard the steamer Far West.

William Gavin Capes (right) was born in Portland, Maine, on February 22, 1849. He was a Sergeant in Company M who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

John Francis Donohue (left) was born on February 22, 1853, in Tipperary, Ireland. He was a Private in Company K who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

William Millard Caldwell (right) was born on February 22, 1857, in Curwensville, Pennsylvania. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

Andrew Humes Nave (left) 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 Mollar, who was 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 a Private in Company H who was wounded in the hilltop fight. See also 7th Cavalry Troopers in South Dakota.

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

Charles Louis Haak died on February 24, 1902, at the Soldiers Home in Washington, D.C., and was buried in its National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company I who was not present at the battle due to illness.

Joseph Greene Tilford (left) died in Washington, D.C., on February 24, 1911, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was a Major who was not present at the battle; he was absent with leave in Europe.

John Joseph Hackett died on February 25, 1904, at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, of heart disease and was buried in the cemetery there. He was a Private in Company G who served as an orderly for Lt. George Wallace and was wounded in his left arm while participating in the valley and hilltop fights.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

William Gavin Capes (left) died on April 10, 1900, in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and was buried in the Allegheny Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company M who was not present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

William E. Robinson was born on April 12, 1842, in County Down, Ireland. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights during the battle.

Andrew Knecht was born on April 12, 1853, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a Private in Company F who was killed with Custer’s Column.

Henry M. Brinkerhoff (left) was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on April 12, 1854. He was a Private in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Daniel Kanipe (right) married Missouri Ann Wycoff Bobo on April 12, 1877. She was the widow of Lemuel Edwin Bobo who was killed in the battle. Kanipe was a Sergeant in Company C who was with Custer’s Column and in the hilltop fight.

Edwin Butler Wight married Alia E. Roberts on April 12, 1906. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

Joseph H. Green died on April 13, 1922, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight.

Patrick Carey was born on April 14, 1828, in Tipperary, Ireland. He was a Sergeant in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

John W. Sweeney died in Kentucky on April 14, 1884. He was a Private in Company F who participated in the hilltop fight.

Daniel Kanipe ( see photo above) was born on April 15, 1853, in Marion, North Carolina. He was a Sergeant in Company C who was with Custer’s Column and in the hilltop fight.

Robert Rowland died near the Cannonball River, North Dakota, around April 15, 1879, of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in his head and was buried in the Keokuk National Cemetery in Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa. He was a Private in Company G who was not present at the battle due to detached service at the Powder River Depot.

Walter Scott Sterland was born on April 16, 1851, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. He was a Private in Company M who was not present at the battle because he was on detached service at Yellowstone Depot.

Roman Rutten died on April 16, 1925, in Leavenworth, Kansas, and was buried in the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights. He was wounded on Reno Hill.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

Ernest Garlington (left) was born on February 20, 1853, in Newberry, South Carolina. He was a Second Lieutenant assigned to the Seventh Cavalry, but he was not present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn because he was on leave after graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

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.

Michael Vincent Sheridan (left) died on February 21, 1918, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was a Captain in Company L who was not present due to detached service as the aide-de-camp for his brother, General Philip Henry Sheridan. In June 1877, Michael Sheridan was in charge of the detachment that exhumed the remains of the officers from the battlefield.

William Gavin Capes (right) was born in Portland, Maine, on February 22, 1849. He was a Sergeant in Company M who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

John Francis Donohue (left) was born on February 22, 1853, in Tipperary, Ireland. He was a Private in Company K who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

William Millard Caldwell (right) was born on February 22, 1857, in Curwensville, Pennsylvania. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

Andrew Humes Nave (left) 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.

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

John Joseph Hackett died on February 25, 1904, at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, of heart disease and was buried in the cemetery there. He was a Private in Company G who served as an orderly for Lt. George Wallace and was wounded in his left arm while participating in the valley and hilltop fights.

George Walter Yates (left) was born on February 26, 1843, in Albany, New York. He was the Captain of Company F who was killed with Custer’s Column.

Andrew J. Moore was born in New Egypt, New Jersey, on February 26, 1854. He was a Private in Company G who fought in the valley and hilltop fights. While on Reno Hill, he received a gunshot wound in his spine and died the same day, June 26, 1876.

Joseph K. Ricketts died on February 26, 1909, in Dayton, Ohio, and was buried in the Green Castle Cemetery there. He was a wagoner in Company M, but he was on detached service at Powder River, Montana, during the battle.

Charles Albert Varnum (left) died on February 26, 1936, in San Francisco, California, and was buried in the National Cemetery there. He was the Second Lieutenant for Company A. He commanded the scouts during the battle, fought in the valley and hilltop fights, and was wounded in his leg.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

William Frank died on April 6, 1880, in Baltimore, Maryland. His burial location has yet to be discovered. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

John Curtis Hall died in Warsaw, Indiana, on April 6, 1908, and was buried under the name Peter Curtis Hall in the Oakwood Cemetery there. 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 (left) married Mary Elizabeth Kittinger on April 7, 1870, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and they had a son named Rudy who was born in 1874. William was a Corporal in Company L who died with Custer’s Column and was buried on Last Stand Hill.

Alexander Brown (right) 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 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 Aetna, Maine, on April 8, 1855. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

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.

William Gavin Capes (right) died on April 10, 1900, in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and was buried in the Allegheny Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company M who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Henry W. B. Mechlin (left) died on April 10, 1926, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home Cemetery there. He was a blacksmith in Company H who participated in the hilltop fight. He was later awarded the Me dal of Honor for his actions there.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

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.

Michael Vincent Sheridan died on February 21, 1918, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was a Captain in Company L who was not present due to detached service as the aide-de-camp for his brother, General Philip Henry Sheridan. In June 1877, Michael Sheridan was in charge of the detachment that exhumed the remains of the officers from the battlefield.

William Gavin Capes (right) was born in Portland, Maine, on February 22, 1849. He was a Sergeant in Company M who was not present due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

William Millard Caldwell was born on February 22, 1857, in Curwensville, Pennsylvania. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

Andrew Humes Nave (left) 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, who was 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 a Private in Company H who 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 who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

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.

George Walter Yates (left) was born on February 26, 1843, in Albany, New York. He was the Captain of Company F who was killed with Custer’s Column.

John Gardner was born on February 27, 1845, in Brockville, Ontario, Canada. He was a Private in Company F who was killed with Custer’s Column.

Augustus Louis DeVoto was born in Genoa, Italy, on February 27, 1851. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Lewis Merrill (left) died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 27, 1896, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was an 1855 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, but Major Merrill was not present at the battle due to detached service at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Jacob Hetler (left) died on February 27, 1944, in Greenwich, Ohio, and was buried in the Adario Cemetery in Adario, Ohio. He was a Private with Company D who was wounded in the hilltop fight.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

John Curtis Hall died in Warsaw, Indiana, on April 6, 1908. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight.

William H. Gilbert (left) married Mary E. Hevener on April 7, 1870, and they had a son named Rudy who was born in 1874. William was a Corporal in Company L who died with Custer’s Column and was buried on Last Stand Hill.

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. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Robert Rowland died near the Cannonball River, North Dakota, around April 11, 1879, of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in his head and was buried in the Keokuk National Cemetery in Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa. He was a Private in Company G who was not present due to detached service at the Powder River Depot.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

Frank J. Geist was born on February 16, 1856, in Wurtzburg, Bavaria. He was a Private in Company G who was not present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn due to detached service.

George Edwin Lord (left) 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 A. Bailey divorced his first wife on February 17, 1869, and he did not remarry until 1894. He was a Saddler with Company B who rode with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

John J. Rafter married Mary Madden on February 17, 1877. She was the widow of his friend, Private Robert H. Hughes (right) who was killed in the Deep Ravine. Rafter was a Sergeant in Company K who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Thomas Eaton Graham died on February 17, 1907, in Columbus, Ohio, and was buried in the Dayton National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

David W. Lewis was born on February 18, 1852, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a Private in Company B who 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. He was a Private in Company A who participated in the valley and hilltop fights. He died the day after his 68th birthday (see below).

William Gibbs died on February 18, 1934, in Napa, California, and was buried in the Veterans Memorial Grove Cemetery in Yountville, California. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

Alexander Brown (left) 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.

William Othniel Taylor died in Orange, Massachusetts, on February 19, 1923, and was buried in the Central Cemetery there.

Ernest Garlington (right) was born on February 20, 1853, in Newberry, South Carolina. He was the Second Lieutenant for Company H, but he was not present due to detached service.

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.

Dennis Lynch (left) 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.

William Gavin Capes (right) was born in Portland, Maine, on February 22, 1849. He was a Sergeant in Company M who was not present due to detached service.

William Millard Caldwell was born on February 22, 1857, in Curwensville, Pennsylvania. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

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 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. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

James Harrison Smith (left) was born on April 9, 1848, in Madison, Indiana. He was a Private in Company G and one of three James Smiths in the Seventh Cavalry at the time. He was the only one of the three who was not present at the battle because he enlisted in the Seventh on June 20 and was enroute to join his comrades. The other two who shared his name were killed with Custer’s Column and are buried on Last Stand Hill.

William Gavin Capes died on April 10, 1900, in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and was buried in the Allegheny Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company M who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

William E. Robinson was born on April 12, 1842, in County Down, Ireland. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Andrew Knecht was born on April 12, 1853, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a Private in Company F who was killed with Custer’s Column.

Henry M. Brinkerhoff was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on April 12, 1854. He was a Private in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Daniel Kanipe married Missouri Ann Wycoff Bobo, the widow of L. Edwin Bobo who was killed in the battle, on April 12, 1877.

John McShane died at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory, on April 13, 1877, and was originally buried in the Post Cemetery there and later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery in Montana. He was a Private in Company I who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Joseph H. Green died on April 13, 1922, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

George Edward Lord (left) 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 Bailey divorced his first wife on February 17, 1869. He was a Saddler with Company B who rode with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

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 of the Little Bighorn. Rafter was a Sergeant in Company K who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Thomas Eaton Graham died on February 17, 1907, in Columbus, Ohio, and was buried in the Dayton National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

David W. Lewis was born on February 18, 1852, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn because he was confined.

Alexander Brown (left) 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.

Ernest Garlington (right) was born on February 20, 1853, in Newberry, South Carolina. He was the Second Lieutenant for Company H, but he was not present due to detached service.

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.

Dennis Lynch (left) 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.

William Gavin Capes (right) was born in Portland, Maine, on February 22, 1849. He was a Sergeant in Company M who was not present due to detached service.

William Millard Caldwell was born on February 22, 1857, in Curwensville, Pennsylvania. He was a Private in Company B who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

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.