Military Register of Custer's Last Command

[harryt]

Do any of you have opinions about this recently published book by author Roger L Williams?

I am specifically interested to know if there is any new information about (or any photo of!!) my distant relative Pvt Archibald McIlhargey, Co I, who died with Custer's battalion. I've been looking and hoping to find a photo for about 20 years now.

I don't want to fork over $76 (Amazon) if there is nothing more than I already know about McIlhargey.

Thanks

[stevewilk]

Depends on what you "already know". There isn't much on McIlhargey and only one footnote in his bio (citing Custer's book) regarding his getting lost in the Wichita mountains in 1869 while hunting stray cattle.

McIlhargey must have been skilled in the culinary arts as he was frequently detailed as company cook as well as on detached duty at Ft. Totten to tend the company garden. He was also detailed as Reno's cook on 25 June; he obviously didn't have to fix Reno's supper that night!


There are no photographs in the book.

[harryt]

Thanks very much for this information, steve. Sounds like the footnote is the only new thing (to me) from "Military Register". Do you mean that McIlhargey (or Custer) was lost in the Wichita mountains?

I would love to know where you found this information about culinary skills, which is also new to me. Did the "striker" role also normally entail cooking?

Here's what I do know, from about 20 years of research:

From "Men With Custer," and also "They Rode With Custer,":

McILHARGEY, ARCHIBALD, Private, Company I

"Killed with the Custer battalion on June 25, 1876. He carried the first message from Major Marcus Reno to Lt. Col. George Custer, which reported that the Indians were in front of Major Reno's command in strong force. Born in Antrim, Ireland. Discharged from his first enlistment on November 19, 1872; re-enlisted on the same day at age 27 in Shelbyville, Kentucky by Lieut. James Porter. He had brown eyes, black hair, dark complexion and was 5' 5" in height. Listed as Arch'd McIlhargey on the battle monument. He was survived by his widow and daughter (Rosalie McIlhargey Caddle Watson of Huff, North Dakota) and son (Archibald F. Caddell, Minneapolis, Minnesota) who was born five months after his father's death. His widow married Michael Caddle of Co. I, 7th Cavalry."

I have also found the following:

Archibald Floyd McIlhargey was born in 1845 in Country Antrim (probably near Portrush, probably to parents Archibald and Mary nee Kane).

He originally enlisted on 11/19/1867 in New York for a 5 year service, assigned immediately to 7th Cavalry, Co I.

After arriving by steamship in Louisville in late March 1871, I troop was sent to Bagdad, Kentucky, approximately 35 miles east of Louisville in Shelby County. While stationed in Bagdad, I troop was quartered in the Bagdad Christian Church built in 1860 (destroyed by fire in 1968). The Co remained there until September 25 1871, when it relocated to Shelbyville. On December 30, I troop was transferred to Lebanon, Kentucky where it remained until the end of 1872.

Archibald must have met his future wife in KT. He and Johanna Lee (she preferred Josephine) were married in Louisville KT at St. Michael's Church on Feb 19, 1873.

Reno, at the court of inquiry, referred to McIlhargey as his "Striker," which means personal orderly, or Officer's attendant.

At least one book says that McIlhargey had a "fast horse".

Archibald's son, born in Dec 1876, was Archibald Floyd Jr. It is not known if he ever had children. His daughter, Rosalie, married Nicholas Watson and had 4 children.

Josephine married Michael Christopher Caddell (sometimes Caddle, and even Cadler) in Dec 1877. They had 8 children together.

[stevewilk]

Harry,

McIlhargey was the one who was lost; Custer tells of a lost trooper in My Life on the Plains, p. 527-528; who went looking for a stray horse and became "bewildered" after losing sight of camp. The troops were compelled to move on; (Custer does not mention anyone detailed to go look for him) and the trooper wandered the Texas plain "nearly two months". He found his way to an army post below the Red River and ended up traveling clear down to Galveston and returning to Kansas via steamer up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

Was this lost soldier McIlhargey? Williams claims it was. His story apparently was true as he was not deemed a deserter.

As for his culinary skills; Williams' Register has McIlhargey detailed as company cook five times, with these stints lasting sometimes a year or more. For example he is detailed as company cook from Dec 1871 to his discharge in Nov 1872; then reenlisting that month and returning to cook duties until May 1873. A full year and a half as cook. I know the duty rotated; but for him to be the cook for that long of a stretch must have meant he liked it, was good at it, or both.

He also did extra duty in the Commissary Dept. in summer of 1870. His gig as gardener at Ft. Totten meant he missed duty with the Northern Boundary Survey in 1874 (Co. D and I did not take part in the Black Hills Expedition, being detailed as escort to the survey). Post or company gardeners were excused of all fatigue and guard duties so it was a sweet deal. He likely knew something about veggies. He likely didn't know he was riding to his death when Reno sent him as a messenger to Custer.

If you'd like me to send you the entire data listed in Register I can private message it to you.

[harryt]

VERY interesting. Steve, how can I contact you via private email?

[stevewilk]

Harry;

I just sent you the data on McIlhargey via PM. When you log on look at the top of the page; it will tell you if you have messages. Simply click on "messages" to open mailbox and read. To send a PM you need to be logged on also. Click the member's name you wish to contact (in yellow at upper left of person's post). This will open that member's bio; at top you will see "send private message"; just click on that and the rest is like a doing a normal post.

[patriciamcintyre]

Thanks to both of you as McIlhargey was my great great grandfather and my grandmother was the daughter of Rosalie and Nicholas Watson. There is another website that has 3 pictures and it states that one of them could possibly be Archibald McIlhargey. I see a quote above is from that website I saw.