James
King
Private
Company H
Born – 1849
Died – August 13, 1874
Grave location – private
land
west on Nemo Road from Rapid City, South Dakota
Private James King was a member of Captain Benteen’s Company
H.
During the Black Hills Expedition of 1874, King became ill on the
journey home to Fort Lincoln. Private Ewert wrote that “King
fainted twice in the sun but was still marked for duty”. He
died
the following afternoon. Ewert wrote: “In the grey twilight of
morning, the men with bowed heads, tears trickling down the
sun-burnt
cheeks, the dead body suspended over the grave, the Captain with his
grey hair reading the service, the silence, all are impressed on my
memory never to be erased.”
As part of an Eagle Scout project, King’s grave was fixed up and
fenced. It sits on private land west of Rapid City on Nemo
Road. The grave is easily visible from the road. If you
decide to walk out to the grave, please stop and get landowner's
permission first. When I stopped, I was warned of the
possibility
of snakes in the ditch. I grabbed a large stick and swatted
the
ground in front of me as I walked. Thankfully I didn't see any
snakes.
Private King's grave as seen from
the
road.
