Gravesites
of the 7th Cavalry -- South Dakota
Everyone's heard of General
George Armstrong Custer.
The Battle of the Little Bighorn or "Custer's Last Stand" is
one
of the most written about episodes in American history.
But what about the other members of the 7th US Cavalry? These
guys are not nearly as well known. But they each hold a place
in
the history of the 7th Cavalry and the Plains Indian Wars of the 19th
century. I have collected (and am still collecting)
information
on the members of the 7th Cavalry who are buried in South Dakota.
There are actually quite a number of them -- including some
Medal
of Honor winners.
I have visited the gravesites and photographed each one. I am
still working on this project and will be adding more information and
photos as time goes on. I would be interested in hearing from
anyone who has information on persons affiliated with the 7th
Cavalry who are buried in South Dakota. Please email me.
If a grave is not pictured, that means that I have not personally
visited the gravesite.....yet. Only photos that I have taken
myself are
shown. I have also included some who were associated with the
7th
Cavalry in one way or another but were not at the Little
Bighorn
battle.
I have posted links to all the photos on this page. I didn't
want
to show thumbnails or photos on this page to allow it to load faster.
Any comments? Any information on 7th Cavalry members buried
in
South Dakota? Please email
me.
Download a PDF file with the burial information I have at
this
time. I am very interested in getting the information
correct.
If you know of more 7th Cavalry soldiers' burial information
or
have updates to the information that I have, please let me know!!
Joseph Bates
-- We'll start
with the one grave that has caused me the most loss of sleep.
Joseph Bates was a private in Company M of the 7th Cavalry.
He took his own life by ingesting an insecticide known as
Paris
Green. He also had an alias - Joseph C. Murphy. Now
for the
weirdness... I went to Bear Butte Cemetery and found the
grave of
Joseph Bates. There were actually two stones here side by
side --
one for Bates and the other for Murphy. A metal plate on top
of
the Murphy stone indicated the alias. The stone with 'Bates'
lists his service with the 7th Massachusetts Cavalry. There
was
no 7th Mass. He was actually in the 1st Mass. After
taking
all the grave photos in Bear Butte Cemetery I drove across town to St.
Aloysius Cemetery. While there I found another grave for
Joseph
Bates! The dates of death listed on the two stones are only
one
day apart. What are the chances of there being two guys named
Joseph Bates who happen to die one day apart in Sturgis back in 1893?
The chances must be pretty slim. For Joseph Bates I
have
posted four grave photos -- Joseph
Murphy in
Bear Butte Cemetery, Murphy/Bates
Medal Plate at Bear Butte Cemetery, Joseph
Bates in
Bear Butte Cemetery, and finally the Joseph
Bates
grave at St. Aloysius.
-- Joseph
Bates bio
information available in PDF format -- click
here.
Abram Brant --
Brant was
awarded the Medal of Honor "for bringing water to the wounded under a
most galling fire in the Little Bighorn River Fight." He was
a
private in Company D. He died of an accidental gunshot wound
to
the abdomen just hours before he was to receive his Medal of Honor.
He is buried in the Post Cemetery at Fort Meade in an
unmarked
grave. In the book Custer's
Heroes by Douglas D. Scott,
there is
a photo of the suspected location of Brant's grave. Historian
Rocky Boyd has indicated that this spot is the most likely location of
Brant's grave. Using the photo in the Custer's Heroes book as
a
guide, I retook the photograph. It is
suspected that Brant is buried between the markers that are
in front of the two trees on the left of the photo. Abram
Brant Grave.
--
Abram
Brant bio information available in PDF format --
click here.
Alexander Brown
-- Brown
was a sergeant in Company G. He was with the pack train and
was
also in the hilltop fight. He was born Feb. 2, 1844 in
Scotland
and died April 7, 1884. He is buried in the Post Cemetery at
Fort
Meade. Alexander
Brown Grave.
Rose Courtney
-- Although
she was not with the 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Big Horn,
Rose Courtney was a part of it. According to the Fort Meade
Census of 1880, Rose was a servant for Lt. George D. Wallace who was at
the battle. Wallace was later killed at Wounded Knee in 1890.
She is buried in the Post Cemetery at Fort Meade. Rose
Courtney
Grave.
Peter Eixenberger
--
Eixenberger was a private in the 7th Cavalry Band. He was not
present at the Battle of the Little Big Horn as the band was left at
the Yellowstone Depot. He is listed as Eisenberger,
Eisonberger,
Einenberger, and Eikenberger. He is buried at St. Aloysius
Cemetery in Sturgis, SD. Peter
Eixenberger Grave.
Edward Garlick
-- Garlick
was a First Sergeant in G Company. He was on furlough at the
time
of the Little Big Horn battle and was not present. He married
Anna Elizabeth on 11/22/1876 in Bismarck. Anna was the widow
of
Company G's Henry Dose was killed in the battle. He is buried
in
Bear Butte Cemetery. Edward
Garlick
Grave.
-- Edward
Garlick bio
information available in PDF format -- click
here.
John Hammon
-- He was a
Corporal in Company G. He was appointed Sergeant on June 25,
1876. He was born in Lynchburg, Ohio in 1857. The
date of
death on his headstone is listed as Jan 20, 1909. This is
actually the day he was buried. He is buried in Bear Butte
Cemetery in Sturgis. John
Hammon Grave.
Max Hoehn
-- Private,
Company L. He was on detached service at the Yellowstone
Depot.
He was also with Custer on the Black Hills Expedition of
1874.
He later became the first City Auditor for Sturgis.
He is
buried in St. Aloysius Cemetery. Max
Hoehn Grave.
Jacob Katzemeir
-- Private
in Company G. He was not present at the Little Big Horn as he
was
on detached service at the Yellowstone Depot. He is listed as
Jacob Katzenmaier, Jacob Katzmeir, and Jacob Katzenmis. He is
listed as Katzenmaier in the Returns of the 7th Cavalry, June 30, 1876.
His headstone is listed as Katzemeir which is what I am using
here. He is buried in the Post Cemetery at Fort Meade.
Jacob
Katzemeir Grave.
John Lattman
-- Private,
Company G. Was born in Switzerland in 1848. He was
in the
valley and hilltop fights at the Little Big Horn. He
homesteaded
northeast of Rapid City where he raised cattle. He died
October
7, 1913 in Rapid City, South Dakota. He is buried in the Elk
Vale
Cemetery. John
Lattman
Grave.
John Mahoney
-- He was a
private in Company C. He was with the pack train and in the
hilltop fight. Born in Ireland in May of 1835, he died in
Sturgis
on July 27, 1918. He is buried in the St. Aloysius Cemetery
in
Sturgis. John
Mahoney Grave.
-- John
Mahoney bio information available in PDF format -- click
here.
-- John
Mahoney obituary from Black Hills Press, August 1, 1918 --
click
here.
Samuel
McCormick
-- Private, Company G. He was born in Ireland in 1848 and
died at
Fort Meade on September 10, 1908. He was in the valley and
hilltop fights at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. It was
McCormick who gave his horse to Lt. Donald McIntosh at the beginning of
the retreat to the bluffs from the valley. McIntosh was
killed
soon after. McCormick later rejoined the troops on the hilltop with
George Herendeen. He is buried in Bear Butte Cemetery.
Samuel
McCormick Grave.
James McGee
-- A small
metal plate marks his grave. It lists him as Custer's Last
Wagon
Master. I have consulted all my sources and cannot find
anything
about him. He is buried in Bear Butte
Cemetery in
Sturgis. James
McGee Grave. New info obtained from the LBHA
message
board --
According to information
compiled by
Edward Luce from a report by Lieutenant H.J. Nowlan, McGee
was hired on May 20, 1876 as an assistant wagoanmaster at the pay rate
of $45.00 a month.
David
McWilliams
-- Private, Company H. He was a part of Custer's column
during
the Sioux Campaign of 1876 but was not present at the Little Bighorn
battle. He shot himself in the leg by accident and didn't
participate. He was transferred back to Fort Lincoln aboard
the
steamer Far West.
He is listed elsewhere as Daniel McWilliams. He is
buried at the Old Post Cemetery near Fort Meade. David
McWilliams Grave.
--
David
McWilliams bio information available in PDF format --
click
here.
Jan Mollar
-- Private,
Company H. He was wounded in the left thigh during the
hilltop
fight at the Little Big Horn battle. He was sent back to Fort
Lincoln near Bismarck on the steamer Far West. He was also
with
Custer on the Black Hills Expedition of 1874. He died on Feb.
23,
1926. He is listed elsewhere as Jan Moller. His
headstone
is engraved Jan Mollar and that is what I am using here. He
is
buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood, South Dakota. Jan
Mollar Grave.
-- Jan
Mollar bio
information available in PDF format --
click
here.
Daniel Newell
-- Private,
Company M. He was wounded during the retreat from the valley.
He was also along with Custer on the 1874 expedition into the
Black Hills. On June 25, 1926, he attended the 50th
anniversary
of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. He is buried in Bear
Butte
Cemetery. Daniel
Newell Grave.
Olans Northeg
-- Sergeant,
Company G. He was in the valley and hilltop fights.
He died
on November 5, 1882. Listed elsewhere as Orlans Northeg.
He
is buried in the Post Cemetery at Fort Meade. Olans
Northeg
Grave.
John Pahl
-- Sergeant,
Company H. He was wounded in the right shoulder on June 26,
1876,
in the hilltop fight. Captain Benteen recommended him for a
medal
of distinguished gallantry on April 6, 1877, for his actions in the
Little Big Horn battle. Listed elsewhere as John Paul.
He
is buried in Bear Butte Cemetery. John
Pahl Grave.
--
John Pahl bio information available in PDF format
-- click
here.
Elijah Strode
-- He was a
private in Company A at the time of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
He was the orderly for Lt. Charles Varnum. He was
wounded
in the ankle during the valley fight. His name is listed as
Elija
T. Strode in the Register of Enlistments, US Army. He is
listed
elsewhere as Strand, Elijah Stroude, and Elijah T. Stroud.
His
headstone is marked Elijah Strode and that is what I am using here.
He is buried in the Post Cemetery at Fort Meade. Elijah
Strode
Grave.
-- Elijah Strode
bio information
available in PDF format -- click
here.
-- Newspaper
accounts concerning
the murder of Elijah Strode in PDF
format -- click
here.
Peter Thompson --
Private,
Company C. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his part in
obtaining water for the wounded. He was wounded in
the hand
on June 26th. He is buried in the West Lead Cemetery in Lead,
South Dakota. Peter
Thompson Grave. Peter
Thompson Grave #2.
George Weaver --
Private,
Company M. He was in both the valley and the hilltop fights
during the Little Big Horn battle. He was given the nickname
'Cully'. He died on October 14, 1886. He is buried
at Fort
Meade in the Post Cemetery. George
Weaver
Grave.
--
George
Weaver bio information available in PDF format --
click here.
Henry
Charles Weihe --
Sergeant, Company M. A.K.A. Charles White. He was
wounded
in the right arm during the valley fight on June 25, 1876.
His
horse was killed when the retreat from the valley began. He
was
left behind in the timber and rejoined the command later on the
hilltop. He is buried in the Post Cemetery at Fort Meade.
Henry
Charles
Weihe Grave.
-- Henry
Charles Weihe
bio information available in PDF format -- click
here.
Markus Weiss
-- Private,
Company G. He was with Reno when the 7th Cavalry charged the
Indian village on June 25, 1876. He was in both the valley
and
hilltop fights. He died November 15, 1879, while doing
construction to build a stable, guardhouse, and saddler shop at Fort
Meade. A gravel wall collapsed and killed him instantly.
He
is buried in the Post Cemetery at Fort Meade. Markus
Weiss Grave.
Charles Windolph
--
Private, Company H. With Custer on the Black Hills Expedition
of
1874. He was wounded in the hilltop fight at the Little Big
Horn.
He was awarded the Medal of Honor for acting as a
sharpshooter
protecting the water party as they obtained water for the wounded.
He attended the 50th and 60th anniversaries in 1926 and 1936
respectively. He was the last living survivor of the 7th
Cavalry
who had participated in the Little Big Horn battle. He died
on
March 11, 1950 at age 98. He is buried in the Black Hills
National Cemetery. Charles
Windolph Grave.
Cemetery Photos -- Post
Cemetery at
Fort Meade - Bear
Butte from Fort Meade Post Cemetery - Elk
Vale
Cemetery - Bear
Butte Cemetery
Information was used from Men With Custer by
Kenneth
Hammer edited by Ron Nichols, Custer's
Heroes by Douglas Scott, Jerry Bryant from the Adams Museum
and a huge thank you to Jack
McCulloh.
Comments and information is
appreciated
-- email here.