Mississippi Scouts/ W.T. Dugard « Thread Started on Apr 25, 2012, 10:13am »
Hi everybody,
I'm new to this message board - what an excellent place to be! I've been reading here for quite some time and now I finally registered.
I live in Germany and my great-great-grandfather came to the U.S. in the early 1870's, where he also enlisted in the army. Later, around 1889, he came back to Germany.
Now: From my grandmother I got his diary and many documents. There's a name which appears several times: William Theodore Dugard. What I found is, that he was one of the men, who claimed to be the "sole survivor" and that he was one of Custer's "Mississippi Scouts". I do know that many people doubt his story, but apart from that, could someone explain to me, what exactly a Mississippi Scout should have been?
I saw a picture of Mr. Dugard's grave on the net. On the stone it says he was born in 1864, which would of course make him only twelve years old at the time of the battle. My great-great grandfather, who was a friend of Dugard, wrote that he was born in 1860. The two of them obviously first met in a town called Atlantic City, when they where both trying to discover gold.
The name Dugard rings a bell, but I have been unable to find it in my notes. As for "Mississippi scouts," the only thing I can think of is that it refers to scouts the Seventh Cavalry used when some of its companies were engaged in Reconstruction duty in the South after the Civil War. In fact, one of the companies was recalled from Mississippi for the 1876 campaign.
As for your "bad" English, if my horrible German was 1/10th as good as your "bad" English, I would consider myself very lucky indeed.
If you do not mind telling me, young man, where do you live? I lived in Germany (with the U. S. Army) for more than three years: first in magnificent Wuerzburg, then in Schweinfurt, and then near Heidelberg. I lived outside of Mannheim, and was stationed at a NATO Kaserne in Mannheim-Seckenheim. As far as I can figure, my ancestors came to this country from somewhere in Prussia (Brandenburg) and Saxony.
I'm new to this message board - what an excellent place to be! I've been reading here for quite some time and now I finally registered.
I live in Germany and my great-great-grandfather came to the U.S. in the early 1870's, where he also enlisted in the army. Later, around 1889, he came back to Germany.
Now: From my grandmother I got his diary and many documents. There's a name which appears several times: William Theodore Dugard. What I found is, that he was one of the men, who claimed to be the "sole survivor" and that he was one of Custer's "Mississippi Scouts". I do know that many people doubt his story, but apart from that, could someone explain to me, what exactly a Mississippi Scout should have been?
I saw a picture of Mr. Dugard's grave on the net. On the stone it says he was born in 1864, which would of course make him only twelve years old at the time of the battle. My great-great grandfather, who was a friend of Dugard, wrote that he was born in 1860. The two of them obviously first met in a town called Atlantic City, when they where both trying to discover gold.
Since I went to college in Philly, I, too, spent a lot of time seaching for gold in Atlantic City. The New Jersy one.
Stab,
Several board members have served in the US military in Germany. I did two tours, one near Mainz, other at Stuttgart. Ich kann ein bischen Deutsch verstehen.
Dugard is a liar. He never served a single day in the Army, nor as a scout. Hundreds of folks claimed to have been sole survivors of LBH.
I do live in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, actually pretty close to Wuerzburg and Schweinfurt.
The funny thing is, that my g.g.grandfather claimed to have witnessed the same as Dugard. Don't get me wrong, I don't think he was there, but it still is interesting and fun to read. I wonder how he got the background information these days...he never made the papers over here with his story. He was planning to work on a book but died before it was finished.
So he was also one of the many men who was a "sole survivor" It actually seems to me that almost Custer's whole command survived, right? Finkel, Heath, Ryan.. But as I said, it still is a nice tale.
The funny thing is, that my g.g.grandfather claimed to have witnessed the same as Dugard. Don't get me wrong, I don't think he was there, but it still is interesting and fun to read. I wonder how he got the background information these days...he never made the papers over here with his story. He was planning to work on a book but died before it was finished.
So he was also one of the many men who was a "sole survivor" It actually seems to me that almost Custer's whole command survived, right? Finkel, Heath, Ryan…. But as I said, it still is a nice tale.
Stab—
I think that is great! I knew Aschaffenburg very well, a long time ago. I lived in Germany from 1962 through 1965, and remember Aschaffenburg as a very nice little city, a beautiful place. I am delighted you are on these boards.
I had a friend named Mike Nunnally who died in December, 2010, but who I always considered the “expert” on the charlatans who claimed to be the “last” or “lone survivor” of the LBH. He wrote a book about them—I think—and several very good articles. One of those articles appeared in the LBHA’s Winter, 2007, journal, Greasy Grass, Vol. 21, No. 1, titled, “Sole Survivor: Frauds, Imposters and the Battle of the Little Bighorn.” He mentions Dugard in the article, and here is what he wrote:
”In 2001 the Department of Veteran’s Affairs of Mississippi dedicated a new military tombstone for William Theodore Dugard of Tupelo, Mississippi. Dugard had been one of Custer’s ‘Mississippi Scouts.’ His granddaughter, Lois Greer, of Bolivar, Tennessee, campaigned feverishly for the new tombstone more than sixty years after her grandfather’s death. She had heard his exciting tales growing up. The new tombstone was erected with military honors, and ‘Taps’ was played over the grave. But William Dugard was born May 17, 1864, and would have turned just twelve years old at the time of the battle on June 25, 1876. His story was complete fiction. The Mississippi Veteran’s Affairs offered no explanation on their obvious oversight. No military records exist of Custer’s twelve – year – old ‘Mississippi Scout.’”
His tombstone reads:
William Theo Dugard Custer’s Co Miss Scouts Indian Wars May 17, 1864 Nov 25, 1937 Battle of Little Bighorn June 25, 1876
In the article Nunnally lists as a footnoted reference, Bartholomew Sullivan, “Little Big Horn Survivor’s New Tombstone,” Memphis Commercial Appeal, December 2001. I assume the Commercial Appeal is or was the local Memphis, Tennessee, newspaper.
And by the way, if you want it, that issue of Greasy Grass is probably still available, and probably for only $10 (U. S.).
It is a nice tale, indeed, Stab, but I think you have it absolutely correct: only a tale.
isn't that great...Thousands of miles away and oceans apart - and then you meet somebody online who knows your city
Thanks a lot for your hint regarding the Greasy issue, I really have to obtain a copy of it.
"Custer's last stand" is pretty well known over here. Though, I have to admit, until I few years ago I had an absolutely wrong idea of the battle, as probably many people do have over here. In German history books Reno and Benteen are often not mentioned with one word, so that one could think it was only Custer - one attack and one fight at the Little Bighorn.
But luckily there are quite a few excellent english books around - and thanks to amazon, a couple of months ago I ordered some. Apart from the tale of my ancestor, by now, I'm so interested in it that I can't stop reading about it...
Btw, just like Dugard, my great great grandfather applied for a pension of the US Army in the late 1930's. I have his letters and also the answer, that he couldn't be found in the entlistment papers from 1876, and not at all in the 7th cavalry.
![[Home]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/home.gif "[Home]")
![[New Topics]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/topics.png "[New Topics]")
![[Help]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/help.gif "[Help]")
![[Search]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/search.gif "[Search]")
![[Calendar]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/calendar.gif "[Calendar]")
![[Login]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/login.gif "[Login]")
![[Register]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/register.gif "[Register]")
![[Search This Thread]](http://images.proboards.com/search2.gif "[Search This Thread]")
![[Share Topic]](http://images.proboards.com/new/buttons/share.png "[Share Topic]")
![[Print]](http://images.proboards.com/buttons/print.gif "[Print]")
Author
Logged
It actually seems to me that almost Custer's whole command survived, right? 
Finkel, Heath, Ryan..