Gravesites of the 7th Cavalry -- South Dakota

-- latest update -- November 11, 2009 - WPA Graves registration information added for John Mahoney

Check out Montana Mayhem II -- my summer vacation with friends through Custer Country.

The Battle of the Little Big Horn, or Custer's Last Stand, is one of the most written about events in history.  Even today it still commands attention.  Everyone has heard of Custer. He wasn't the only soldier there. This website is dedicated to the 7th Cavalry troopers who are buried in South Dakota.  The lives of these troopers are sprinkled not only with determination, courage, and heroism, but also suicide, mystery, and murder. There are some very interesting stories attached to these otherwise normal individuals. From the tragic death of Abram Brant only hours before he was to receive his Medal of Honor to the murder of Elijah Strode, the lives of these 7th Cavalrymen was anything but mundane.  Together, their lives span from before the Civil War, through Wounded Knee and World Wars I and II, and up to the 1950s.  Even though their lives didn't grab the headlines like their famous lieutenant colonel their stories are worth exploring, even more so in my opinion.

It was my original intention to get a photo of every 7th Cavalry gravesite in South Dakota.  That simple endeavor has grown into a much larger monster.  In addition to the graves, I have visited and photographed the former residences of some of the soldiers.  I comb the Archives looking for obituaries, articles, and news stories relating to these men. I have also marked each grave location using a GPS device.  This project has definitely taken on a life of its own.

There are several documents on the website - newspaper articles, obituaries, etc.  Most of these are in the PDF format.  In order to view these you will need some software.  Chances are that you already have this on your computer.  If not, here's a great free reader.

This website is a work in progress.  I am always on the hunt for new information.  If you have any information on any 7th Cavalry trooper, please email me.  I would love to hear any information that you might have on this subject.  I also encourage you to write if you have any questions.  Not all the information I have is on this website.  I am particularly interested in any photos that may exist of these men.  In those days cameras were not as accessible as they are today.  Usually it was only the officers who appeared in photos.  Occasionally an enlisted man may be "caught" by the camera, but this was a much more rare occurance than you might think.  Those troopers who lived longer into the 20th century were far more likely to have been photographed than those who died much earlier.

DOWNLOAD 7th CAVALRY IN SOUTH DAKOTA GRAVE INFORMATION

SOUTH DAKOTA CEMETERY PHOTOS

Simply click on a name to get started:

Joseph Bates aka Joseph Murphy -- Abram Brant -- Alexander Brown -- Rose Courtney -- Peter Eixenberger -- Moses Flint -- Edward Garlick

Max Goetze -- John Hammon -- Max Hoehn -- Jacob Katzemeir -- James King -- John Lattman -- John Mahoney

Samuel McCormick -- James McGee -- David McWilliams -- Jan Mollar -- Daniel Newell -- Olans Northeg -- John Pahl

James Rooney -- Elijah Strode -- Peter Thompson -- George Weaver -- Henry Charles Weihe -- Markus Weiss -- Charles Windolph


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