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Post by Hostler on Oct 23, 2006 16:13:50 GMT -6
Benteen's son, Frederick Wilson Benteen, was a retired U.S. Army Lt. Col., and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery near his father and mother. According to the Arlington website, Benteen's father was named Theodore but doesn't list where he is buried.
Regards, Hostler
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Post by Tricia on Oct 24, 2006 8:53:19 GMT -6
Love the son's middle name! Somehow or another, I had that feeling it just wouldn't be Custer ...
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Post by Hostler on Oct 24, 2006 10:56:49 GMT -6
Hi Leyton,
I wonder why you thought that? Ha. I think I read that he was named for an officer named Wilson that Fred Sr. served under during the C.W.. Could be wrong on that.
Regards, Hostler
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Post by Tricia on Oct 24, 2006 11:03:56 GMT -6
You're right!
I'm pretty sure it's James Wilson--the guy who *supposedly* received GAC's promotion to division commander and then was transferred to the Transmississippi theatre. Not only did the sun rise and set on Wilson from Benteen's POV, but that promotion really rankled Custer. He wasn't one to hold a grudge, but that one seemed to stay with him ... at least until he met ol' Fred.
Regards, LMC
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Post by elisabeth on Oct 24, 2006 11:56:43 GMT -6
A tiny sidelight on the Wilson/7th Cavalry connection: another officer who was friendly with Wilson was (you guessed it) Keogh. When he was in Tennessee on Reconstruction duty, on Stoneman's staff, Keogh shared quarters with his old comrade General Andrew Alexander and his wife, in a nice little house called Croquet Cottage. Frequent visitors to the house included the Stonemans, Emory Upton ... and James Wilson.
Wilson supposedly got GAC's Civil War promotion; Emory Upton got the West Point job Custer supposedly wanted. Small world, the 19th-century army.
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Post by rch on Oct 24, 2006 23:01:32 GMT -6
Wilson did not get Custer's promotion to division command. Wilson got Merritt's promotion to division command. Wilson's assignment to the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac as a division commander rankled because Wilson was junior in seniority as a Brig Gen to all three of the Cavalry Corps's Brig Gens. When he received the command of the 3rd Division, he was junior to both of his brigade commanders. To save these men for the Cavalry Corps, Gen Davies was transferred to the 2nd Division and Custer with his brigade was transferred to the 1st Division. Merritt, Custer, and Davies were all promoted to full rank Maj Gens of U. S. Vols before Wilson.
Wilson was an excellent organizer. The monthly returns of the division's strength made it into the "Official Records of the War of the Rebellion" for the period of his command. These returns disappear after Custer assumed command of the division to be replaced, except for Lacey's Springs, by battlefield success.
rch
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Post by nancycreel on Jan 9, 2007 18:43:48 GMT -6
Hi folks- I just wanted to let you know that Nina Cameron was my great grandmother. Legend has it that she was small and tough with beautiful hair that was coveted by the indians. Her personality was shaped from all the hard years as the daughter and wife of calvary men. Someone below wondered if she had an interesting life--she did. In our family, we have honored her memory by naming a girl in each generation Nina...so my daughter is Nina. I don't have a huge amount of information to share about her or Joseph Tilford (well-maybe more about him) but would be happy to share what I know.
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Post by elisabeth on Jan 14, 2007 7:22:17 GMT -6
Hi Nancy --
Great to hear from an actual descendant!
Someone earlier was wondering if she'd passed on any reminiscences -- e.g. about Weir, or Libbie, or any of the other remarkable people she met. It'd be fascinating to hear anything you've got about her, or about Major Tilford ...
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Post by rch on Jan 23, 2007 0:46:02 GMT -6
Nancy
I too would be glad for any information you might have.
Perhaps you can confirm something for me. There is often published photo of the Black Hills Expedition on the march, and I think I have identified your great great grandfather riding at the head of his wing of the 7th Cavalry. Can you help?
rch
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Post by mwkeogh on Apr 14, 2007 10:25:22 GMT -6
Re: Weir's boots Weir's boots reminded me of the 1873 group photo mainly of officers and their wives on and around the stoop of the first Custer House at Ft Lincoln (Katz K - 121 and 122). Capt Yates is the only officer wearing his trousers tucked into his boots. I went looking for photos of cavalry officers wearing full dress and trousers tucked into boots. All those that I found were mounted. This leads me to believe that on the days they were photographed Weir and Yates had some sort of mounted duty that they had to perform in full dress. I recall reading somewhere that Custer sometimes paraded his command without officers. I participated in one such review as a member of the 6th Armored Cavalry Regiment in 1968 or 69. Yates and Weir may have served as reviewing officers at such parades. rch Good job in pointing that out rch! I myself have always been of the opinion that both Weir and Yates were "Officers of the Day" when the photos were taken, thus explaining their pants tucked into their boots. This would have made sense, considering the dirt, dust and grime one would have picked up from performing this duty throughout the day. The parade ground itself must have been something of a dustbowl in those days, bare of any grass or vegetation.
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