This Week in Little Bighorn History

John Nolan died on July 17, 1893, in Newburgh, New York. He was a Corporal in Company K who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

Edward Gustave Mathey (left) died in Denver, Colorado, on July 17, 1915, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was the First Lieutenant of Company M who commanded the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Jonathan J. Callahan was born on July 18, 1853, in Salem, Massachusetts. He was a Corporal in Company K who was killed with Custer’s Column during the battle.

John B. McGuire, Jr.(left) was born in Livermore, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, on July 18, 1854. He was a Private in Company C who rode with the pack train and was wounded in his right arm during the hilltop fight.

Nickolas Klein died on July 18, 1904, in Cleveland, Ohio, and was buried in the West Park Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company F who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Fort Lincoln caring for the company’s property and garden.

Daniel Alexander Kanipe (left) died in Marion, North Carolina, on July 18, 1926, and was buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company C who was with Custer’s Column and in the hilltop fight.

John Weiss died on July 18, 1927, in Durango, Colorado, and was buried in the Greenmount Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle due to detached service, tending the company garden at Fort Lincoln, Dakota Territory.

Richard Winick Corwine was born in Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky, on July 19, 1844. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Fort Lincoln, Dakota Territory. He was later killed at Wounded Knee.

David Cooney died on July 20, 1876, at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory. He was originally buried in the Post Cemetery there and was later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery on the Crow Agency in Montana. He was a Private in Company I who rode with the pack train and was wounded in his right hip during the hilltop fight.

On July 20, 1881, Sitting Bull (left) surrendered to U.S. federal troops.

William August Marshall was born in Germany on July 21, 1851. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight during the battle.

The Minneapolis Tribune reported on July 21, 1882, that “. . . Francis J. Kennedy (right) and Mary E. Hogan . . . received legal permission yesterday to marry.” He was a Private with Company I who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

John A. Reed (left) died on July 21, 1897, at Fort Sisseton, South Dakota. He was originally buried in the Post Cemetery there and was later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery on the Crow Agency in Montana. He was a Private in Company G who was in the valley and hilltop fights.

John Eaton Tourtellotte (left) died on July 22, 1891, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. A cenotaph for him is at the Tourtellotte Cemetery in Thompson, Connecticut, but he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was a Captain in Company G who was not present at the battle due to detached service as an aide-de-camp to General Sherman.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

May 7, 1868 â€“ The Treaty of Fort Laramie with the Crow was concluded.

John Fitzgerald died in New York City on May 7, 1900, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, Queens County, New York. He was the Farrier for Company C who participated in the hilltop fight.

Soldier (left), an Arikara Scout, died on May 7, 1921, and was buried in the Indian Scout Cemetery in McLean County, North Dakota. His gravestone states, “Served his country as an Indian Scout.” He was with Reno’s Column, but he did not cross the river.

Good Elk (Wah-nee), an Arikara Scout who was also known as Red Bear, died in Nishu, North Dakota, on May 7, 1934, and was buried in the Indian Scout Cemetery in McLean County, North Dakota, where he is listed as Handsome Elk. He participated in the valley fight.

Charles Sanders was born on May 8, 1842, in Altenberg, Germany. He was a Private in Company D who served as the Orderly for Lt. Winfield Scott Edgerly and participated in the hilltop fight during the battle.

Edward Garlick (left) was born in Chertsey, England, on May 8, 1846. He was the First Sergeant for Company G who was on furlough at the time of the battle.

Jeremiah Campbell died on May 8, 1884, in Decatur, Illinois, and was buried in Westside Cemetery in Moweaqua, Shelby County, Illinois. He was a Sergeant in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

Thomas Wellesley Causby (left) was born on May 9, 1848, in Liverpool, England. He was the Staff Quartermaster Sergeant, but he was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

May 9, 1887 â€“ Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show opened in London.

Jasper Rudolph Marshall died in Pleasant Hill, Ohio, on May 9, 1920, and was buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

May 10, 1868 â€“ The Treaty of Fort Laramie with the Cheyenne and Arapahoe was concluded.

William Earl Smith died on May 10, 1918, in South Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, and was buried in the Brookside Cemetery there. He was a Corporal with Company B who was with the pack train and was wounded during the hilltop fight.

Charles Henry Bishop was born in Washington, D.C., on May 11, 1854. He was a Private with Company H who was wounded during the hilltop fight.

Francis Johnson Kennedy (left), who was also known as Francis Johnson, was born on May 12, 1854, in Pacific, Missouri. He was a Private in Company I who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Strikes the Bear (right), an Arikara Scout who was also known as Red Star, died on May 12, 1929, in Ree, North Dakota, and was buried in the Indian Scout Cemetery in McLean County, North Dakota. His gravestone states he died on May 12, but other sources state he died on June 7, 1929.

Jacob Adams (left) died in Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana, on May 13, 1934, and was buried in Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company H who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

George Blunt (left) was born on January 9, 1846, in Baltimore, Maryland. Some family members consider January 11 his birthdate, but military records indicate January 9. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Francis Johnson Kennedy (right) died on January 9, 1924, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery there. His obituary claimed he was prevented from participating in the battle because of a snake bite. That contradicts 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.

John W. Burkman (left) was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on January 10, 1839. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight during the battle.

John Dolan (right) married Lena C. Eagan on January 10, 1876, at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory. He was a Private in Company M who was on detached service on the steamer Far West during the battle.

Ferdinand Augustus Culbertson (left) died on January 10, 1889, in Detroit, Michigan, and was buried in the Woodmere Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company A who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Timothy Sullivan died on January 10, 1903, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Benjamin Franklin Burdick died on January 11, 1930, in Albany, New York, and was buried in the Beverwyck Cemetery in Rensselaer, New York. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

William M. Harris was born on January 12, 1851, in Madison County, Kentucky. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight. He was award the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.

Bernard Lyons died on January 12, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, Cook County, Illinois. He was a Private with Company F who was in the hilltop fight during the battle.

John H. Jordan died in Hartford, Connecticut, on January 12, 1906, and was buried in Old North Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company C who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Lawrence Murphy died on January 13, 1888, at the Soldiers’ Home in Washington, D.C., and was buried in its National Cemetery. He was a Sergeant with Company E, but he was on detached service at Powder River, Montana, during the battle.

William Martin died at Fort McPherson, Georgia, on January 13, 1900. His burial location remains unknown. He was a Private with Company B who participated in the hilltop fight.

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

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

Andrew Fredericks died from pyemia of his kidneys on January 14, 1881, at Fort Totten, Dakota Territory, and was first buried in the Fort Totten Post Cemetery. He was later reinterred in Custer National Cemetery on Crow Agency, Montana. He was a Sergeant in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

John Nolan died on July 17, 1893, in Newburgh, New York. He was a Corporal in Company K who was not present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

Edward Gustave Mathey (left) died in Denver, Colorado, on July 17, 1915, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was the First Lieutenant of Company M who commanded the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Jonathan J. Callahan was born on July 18, 1853, in Salem, Massachusetts. He was a Corporal in Company K who was killed with Custer’s Column during the battle.

John B. McGuire, Jr.(left) was born in Livermore, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, on July 18, 1854. He was a Private in Company C who rode with the pack train and was wounded in his right arm during the hilltop fight.

Nickolas Klein died on July 18, 1904, in Cleveland, Ohio, and was buried in the West Park Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company F who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Fort Lincoln caring for the company’s property and garden.

Daniel Alexander Kanipe (left) died in Marion, North Carolina, on July 18, 1926, and was buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company C who was with Custer’s Column and in the hilltop fight.

John Weiss died on July 18, 1927, in Durango, Colorado, and was buried in the Greenmount Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle due to detached service, tending the company garden at Fort Lincoln, Dakota Territory.

 Richard Winick Corwine was born in Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky, on July 19, 1844. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Fort Lincoln, Dakota Territory. He was later killed at Wounded Knee.

David Cooney died on July 20, 1876, at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory. He was originally buried in the Post Cemetery there and was later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery on the Crow Agency in Montana. He was a Private in Company I who rode with the pack train and was wounded in his right hip during the hilltop fight.

On July 20, 1881, Sitting Bull (left) surrendered to U.S. federal troops.

William August Marshall was born in Germany on July 21, 1851. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight during the battle.

The Minneapolis Tribune reported on July 21, 1882, that “. . . Francis J. Kennedy (left) and Mary E. Hogan . . . received legal permission yesterday to marry.” He was a Private with Company I who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

John A. Reed (right) died on July 21, 1897, at Fort Sisseton, South Dakota. He was originally buried in the Post Cemetery there and was later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery on the Crow Agency in Montana. He was a Private in Company G who was in the valley and hilltop fights.

John Eaton Tourtellotte (left) died on July 22, 1891, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. A cenotaph for him is at the Tourtellotte Cemetery in Thompson, Connecticut, but he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was a Captain in Company G who was not present at the battle due to detached service as an aide-de-camp to General Sherman.

 Owen Hale (left) was born on July 23, 1843, in Troy, New York. He was a Captain in Company K who was not present at the battle due to detached service on recruiting duty in Louisiana.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

Charles Sanders was born on May 8, 1842, in Altenberg, Germany. He was a Private in Company D who served as the Orderly for Lt. Winfield Scott Edgerly and participated in the hilltop fight during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Edward Garlick (left) was born in Chertsey, England, on May 8, 1846. He was the First Sergeant for Company G who was on furlough at the time of the battle.

Jeremiah Campbell died on May 8, 1884, in Decatur, Illinois, and was buried in Westside Cemetery in Moweaqua, Shelby County, Illinois. He was a Sergeant in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

Thomas Wellesley Causby (left) was born on May 9, 1848, in Liverpool, England. He was the Staff Quartermaster Sergeant, but he was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

May 9, 1887 â€“ Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show opened in London.

Jasper Rudolph Marshall died in Pleasant Hill, Ohio, on May 9, 1920, and was buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

May 10, 1868 â€“ The Treaty of Fort Laramie with the Cheyenne and Arapahoe was concluded.

William Earl Smith died on May 10, 1918, in South Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, and was buried in the Brookside Cemetery there. He was a Corporal with Company B who was with the pack train and was wounded during the hilltop fight.

Charles Henry Bishop was born in Washington, D.C., on May 11, 1854. He was a Private with Company H who was wounded during the hilltop fight.

Francis Johnson Kennedy (left), who was also known as Francis Johnson, was born on May 12, 1854, in Pacific, Missouri. He was a Private in Company I who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Strikes the Bear (right), an Arikara Scout who was also known as Red Star, died on May 12, 1929, in Ree, North Dakota, and was buried in the Indian Scout Cemetery in McLean County, North Dakota. His gravestone states he died on May 12, but other sources state he died on June 7, 1929.

Jacob Adams (left) died in Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana, on May 13, 1934, and was buried in Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company H who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Charles Banks died on May 14, 1901, in Highland Falls, New York, and was buried in the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery at West Point. He was a Private in Company L who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Andrew Connor died on May 14, 1911, at the Government Hospital for the Insane in Washington, D.C. and was buried at the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company A who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

George Blunt (left) was born on January 9, 1846, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Francis Johnson Kennedy (right) died on January 9, 1924, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery there. His obituary claimed he was prevented from participating in the battle because of a snake bite. That contradicts 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.

John W. Burkman (left) was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on January 10, 1839. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight during the battle.

John Dolan (right) married Lena C. Eagan on January 10, 1876, at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory. He was a Private in Company M who was on detached service on the steamer Far West during the battle.

Ferdinand Augustus Culbertson (left) died on January 10, 1889, in Detroit, Michigan, and was buried in the Woodmere Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company A who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Timothy Sullivan died on January 10, 1903, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Benjamin Franklin Burdick died on January 11, 1930, in Albany, New York, and was buried in the Beverwyck Cemetery in Rensselaer, New York. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

Bernard Lyons died on January 12, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, Cook County, Illinois. He was a Private with Company F who was in the hilltop fight during the battle.

John H. Jordan died in Hartford, Connecticut, on January 12, 1906, and was buried in Old North Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company C who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Lawrence Murphy died on January 13, 1888, at the Soldiers’ Home in Washington, D.C., and was buried in its National Cemetery. He was a Sergeant with Company E, but he was on detached service at Powder River, Montana, 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 (left) was born in Mehoopany, Pennsylvania, on January 14, 1843. He was the Acting Assistant Surgeon for the Seventh who was killed during the battle.

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

Andrew Fredericks died from pyemia of his kidneys on January 14, 1881, at Fort Totten, Dakota Territory, and was first buried in the Fort Totten Post Cemetery. He was later reinterred in Custer National Cemetery on Crow Agency, Montana. He was a Sergeant in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

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 not present at the battle 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.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

Jonathan J. Callahan was born on July 18, 1853, in Salem, Massachusetts. He was a Corporal in Company K who was killed with Custer’s Column during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

John B. McGuire, Jr.(left) was born in Livermore, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, on July 18, 1854. He was a Private in Company C who rode with the pack train and was wounded in his right arm during the hilltop fight.

Nicholas Klein died on July 18, 1904, in Cleveland, Ohio, and was buried in the West Park Cemetery there as Nickolas Klein. He was a Private in Company F who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Fort Lincoln caring for the company’s property and garden.

Daniel Alexander Kanipe (left) died in Marion, North Carolina, on July 18, 1926, and was buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery there. He was a Sergeant in Company C who was with Custer’s Column and in the hilltop fight.

John Weiss died on July 18, 1927, in Durango, Colorado, and was buried in the Greenmount Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle due to detached service, tending the company garden at Fort Lincoln, Dakota Territory.

 Richard Winick Corwine was born in Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky, on July 19, 1844. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Fort Lincoln, Dakota Territory. He was later killed at Wounded Knee.

David Cooney died on July 20, 1876, at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory. He was originally buried in the Post Cemetery there and was later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery on the Crow Agency in Montana. He was a Private in Company I who rode with the pack train and was wounded in his right hip during the hilltop fight.

William August Marshall was born in Germany on July 21, 1851. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight during the battle.

The Minneapolis Tribune reported on July 21, 1882, that “. . . Francis J. Kennedy (left) and Mary E. Hogan . . . received legal permission yesterday to marry.” He was a Private with Company I who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

John A. Reed (right) died on July 21, 1897, at Fort Sisseton, South Dakota. He was originally buried in the Post Cemetery there and was later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery on the Crow Agency in Montana. He was a Private in Company G who was in the valley and hilltop fights.

John Eaton Tourtellotte (left) died on July 22, 1891, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. A cenotaph for him is at the Tourtellotte Cemetery in Thompson, Connecticut, but he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was a Captain in Company G who was not present at the battle due to detached service as an aide-de-camp to General Sherman.

 Owen Hale (right) was born on July 23, 1843, in Troy, New York. He was a Captain in Company K who was not present at the battle due to detached service on recruiting duty in Louisiana.

Daniel Shea died on July 24, 1882, in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was buried in the Little Rock National Cemetery. He was a Private in Company B who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

Ernst Meineke died in at the Soldiers’ Home in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 1907, and was buried in the National Cemetery there. He was a Private in Company F who was not present due to detached service at Fort Lincoln, caring for the company property and garden.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

Thomas Wellesley Causby (left) was born on May 9, 1848, in Liverpool, England. He was the Staff Quartermaster Sergeant, but he was not present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn due to detached service at Powder River, Montana.

May 9, 1887 â€“ Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show opened in London.

Jasper R. Marshall died in Pleasant Hill, Ohio, on May 9, 1920, and was buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. He was a Private with Company L who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

May 10, 1868 â€“ The Treaty of Fort Laramie with the Cheyenne and Arapahoe was concluded.

William Earl Smith died on May 10, 1918, in South Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, and was buried in the Brookside Cemetery there. He was a Corporal with Company B who was with the pack train and was wounded during the hilltop fight.

Charles Henry Bishop was born in Washington, D.C., on May 11, 1854. He was a Private with Company H who was wounded during the hilltop fight.

Francis Johnson Kennedy (left), who was also known as Francis Johnson, was born on May 12, 1854, in Pacific, Missouri. He was a Private in Company I who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Strikes the Bear (right), an Arikara Scout who was also known as Red Star, died on May 12, 1929, in Ree, North Dakota, and was buried in the Indian Scout Cemetery in McLean County, North Dakota. His gravestone states he died on May 12, but other sources state he died on June 7, 1929.

Jacob Adams (left) died in Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana, on May 13, 1934, and was buried in Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery there. He was a Private with Company H who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Charles Banks died on May 14, 1901, in Highland Falls, New York, and was buried in the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery at West Point. He was a Private in Company L who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Andrew Connor died on May 14, 1911, at the Government Hospital for the Insane in Washington, D.C. He was a Private in Company A who participated in the valley and hilltop fights.

Charles Wiedman died on May 15, 1921, in Oatman, Arizona, and was buried five days later at the Mountain View Cemetery in Kingman, Arizona. He was a Private in Company M who participated in the valley fight and was wounded in the hilltop fight.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

John Fox was born in Buffalo, New York, on January 3, 1844. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Franklin Rankin, who was also known as Edward Clyde, was a Corporal in Company F who was not present at the battle due to detached service at Powder River. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head on January 3, 1895, at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, and was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus.

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, and his ashes were buried in the Wenonah Cemetery in Wenonah, New Jersey.

John Pahl was born on January 5, 1850, in Bavaria, Germany. He was a Sergeant in Company H who was wounded in the hilltop fight during the battle.

George Walter Yates (left) married Lucretia Beaumont Irwin on January 5, 1865. They divorced on January 31, 1867, in St. Louis, Missouri. Yates was the Captain in Company F who commanded a battalion and was killed with Custer’s Column.

Max Hoehn (right), a Private in Company L, stayed with the regimental papers at Powder River, so he did not participate in the battle. He died of heart problems on January 6, 1911, in Sturgis, South Dakota, and was buried in St. Aloysius Cemetery there.

Frederick William Benteen (left) was Captain of Company H and commanded a battalion during the battle. He performed scouting duty and participated in the hilltop fight, during which he was wounded. He married Catherine Louise Norman on January 7, 1862, in St. Louis, Missouri.

George Blunt (right) was born on January 9, 1846, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a Private in Company K who participated in the hilltop fight.

Francis Johnson Kennedy (left) died on January 9, 1924, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery there. His obituary claimed he was prevented from participating in the battle because of a snake bite. That contradicts 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.

This Week in Little Bighorn History

History Mystery: What are the chances there were two men named Ernst Meineke, both born in Germany about 1845 and both baptized at the same church in Prussia ten months apart? Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meineke was born on December 18, 1845, to Heinrich Friedrich Meineke and Sophie Charlotte Meineke and baptized on January 11, 1846. Ernst Friedrich Meineke was born on March 2, 1846, and baptized on March 9. His father was Georg Heinrich Barnstorf, and his mother was Dorothee Sophie Elisabeth Meineke. One of these boys likely served in the 7th Cavalry at the time of the Battle of the Little Bighorn (but was not present there). “Our” Ernst Meineke died at the Soldiers Home in Washington in 1907. If you have suggestions for how to decide which Ernst served in the 7th, please leave a comment or write to LBHA@cox.net.

Now for this week’s milestones . . . .


Richard Winick Corwine was born in Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky, on July 19, 1844. He was a Private in Company A who was not present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn due to detached service.

David Cooney died on July 20, 1876, at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory. He was originally buried in the Post Cemetery there and was later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery on the Crow Agency in Montana. He was a Private in Company I who rode with the pack train and was wounded in his right hip during the hilltop fight.

William August Marshall was born in Germany on July 21, 1851. He was a Private in Company D who participated in the hilltop fight during the battle.

The Minneapolis Tribune reported on July 21, 1882, that “. . . Francis J. Kennedy and Mary E. Hogan . . . received legal permission yesterday to marry.” He was a Private with Company I who was with the pack train and in the hilltop fight.

John A. Reed (left) died on July 21, 1897, at Fort Sisseton, South Dakota. He was originally buried in the Post Cemetery there and was later reinterred in the Custer National Cemetery on the Crow Agency in Montana. He was a Private in Company G who was in the valley and hilltop fights.

John Eaton Tourtellotte (right) died on July 22, 1891, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. A cenotaph for him is at the Tourtellotte Cemetery in Thompson, Connecticut, but he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was a Captain in Company G who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

 Owen Hale (left) was born on July 23, 1843, in Troy, New York. He was a Captain in Company K who was not present at the battle due to detached service.

Ernst Meineke died in Columbia Station, Virginia, on July 24, 1907, and was buried in the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. He was a Private in Company F who was not present due to detached service.

Richard A. Wallace drowned on July 25, 1876, near the mouth of the Bighorn River in Montana Territory while attempting to cross the river for picket duty. He was eventually interred in the mass grave on Last Stand Hill. He was a Private with Company B who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Thomas James Stowers (left) died in Baxter, Tennessee, on July 25, 1933, and was buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery near Baxter. He was a Private with Company B who was with the pack train and participated in the hilltop fight.

Theodore W. Goldin (right) was born on July 25, 1858, in Avon Township, Wisconsin. He was a Private with Company G who participated in the valley and hilltop fights. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the battle.