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Post by Diane Merkel on Dec 6, 2005 22:29:42 GMT -6
The following is from a website visitor. I will send her the listing for Thompson from Men with Custer. Does anyone have additional information for her? I discovered your site and the name of my Great Grandfather, Morris H. Thompson. He entered the cavalry under age and with a false name, Frank Howard. I think he falsified his date of birth as well. I have the original document requesting his name change. It made several trips back and forth so it has the signatures of Reno, Townsend and Cooke (who signed by order of Custer). You have his correct name on your site and list him as not present for the battle but as "detached service". Is there anyway to know exactly what that detached service was? Do you have that information? I am trying to work on the family history and piece together fact with family stories. Any further information you have on Morris Thompson AKA Frank Howard would be appreciated. |
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Post by Diane Merkel on Dec 9, 2005 9:10:47 GMT -6
Here is some additional family lore. Please help if you can. According to my aunt, Morris Thompson, AKA Frank Howard, was left behind to guard the women and children because he was young. I guess we will never know for sure. The story also goes that he lent his saddle to Custer on that fateful day since he was working on Custer's saddle and it was not ready. Do you know if the saddle Custer used that day is on display anywhere? |
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Post by elisabeth on Dec 9, 2005 9:45:41 GMT -6
If he was "left behind to guard the women and children", it sounds as if his detached service was as part of the Fort Lincoln garrison, doesn't it? Which sadly scuppers the saddle story. Unless he lent Custer the saddle for the campaign, rather than on the day of the battle?
Some Santee Sioux may have the saddle now ...
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Post by Diane Merkel on Dec 9, 2005 10:26:18 GMT -6
I think most family stories start as speculation and turn into "fact" over the years. I'm not a horsewoman, but it seems to me that a saddle, especially on a long campaign, would be a very personal item. It would be similar to borrowing someone's broken-in old shoes; it just wouldn't feel right.
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Post by elisabeth on Dec 9, 2005 11:14:18 GMT -6
And especially not to the horse! Dandy and Vic are of very different builds, from the look of that John Burkman photo; hard to believe he wouldn't have had saddles custom-made to fit them.
On the other hand, though, we hear plenty about him having relays of fresh horses, so maybe he did just move one saddle from horse to horse.
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