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Post by Mulligan on Aug 27, 2014 20:28:52 GMT -6
It is understood that on June 25, 1876, six or seven of Custer's enlisted soldiers (and an NCO) were detailed from each of his twelve companies to manage company items, such as ammunition packs, that were kept with the pack mule train, which was at the rear of the horse columns. Does there exist an authenticated list of which soldiers were assigned to the pack train? This would be a very large contingent overall, perhaps as many as 70 men.
It may be unlikely, but I am wondering if Peter Thompson may have been one of these detached soldiers -- only to fabricate his Last Stand escape story years afterward. At the time, in the confusion of combat, he would be recognized as a soldier with Custer's command who appeared suddenly at the Reno-Benteen defense site, coincidentally about the time the pack train arrived there.
Years after the fact he may have figured any surviving pack train Teamsters wouldn't remember he had been assigned to them in the first place, and officers with Custer weren't around to dispute anything.
Mulligan
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Post by fred on Aug 27, 2014 21:02:26 GMT -6
Does there exist an authenticated list of which soldiers were assigned to the pack train? No. No such list exists. In fact, I do not know of anyone who has even attempted to put together such a list and based on everything I have read, it would be impossible to do so. In addition to the six privates and one NCO assigned to herd the mules, others stayed with the packs as cooks, orderlies, strikers, etc. Now, having said that, I have assembled a list of those I believe were with the pack train. It is incomplete, but as far as I know, more complete than anything else you will find anywhere: Thought to be assigned to the packs: A (2): Franklin and Ionson B (3): Campbell (?), Carey (?), and Stowers (?) C (8): SGT Hanley, Bennett, Fowler, Jordan, Mahoney, McGuire, Mullin, Whitaker D: None known E (9): SGT Riley, Miller, Spencer, Berwald, James, Kimm, Lange, Liddiard, and McKenna (?) F (10): SGT Curtiss, Gregg, Howard, Hunter , Lefler , Lyons, Myers, Pickard, Reiley, and Rooney G (3): SGT Brown, Campbell, and McEagan H (1): Adams I (9): SGT DeLacy, Braun, Jones, Kennedy, McNally, McShane, Owens, Ramsey, and Cooney K (4): SGT Rafter, Burkardt, Raichel, and Robers L (13): SGT Mullen, Abrams, Banks, Brown , Burkman, Etzler, Logue, Marshall, McHugh, Moore, Rose, Stoffel, and Sullivan M (1): SGT McGlone Nope. Peter Thompson was one trooper assigned to a set-of-four, all of whom conveniently "straggled": Thompson, Brennan, Fitzgerald, and Watson. Brennan and Fitzgerald were bald-faced malingerers; apparently Thompson and Watson fell aside legitimately, with Watson the only one gracious enough to keep his mouth shut. Brennan was eventually drummed out of the service, spending more than 500 days of the ensuing three years in confinement, finally being dishonorably booted from the service on December 4, 1879. Best wishes, Fred. |
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Post by quincannon on Aug 27, 2014 21:07:07 GMT -6
There was no shooter on the grassy knoll. Stanton did not conspire with Booth to kill Lincoln. Mary Suratt was guilty as homemade sin, and Peter Thompson was present for duty with his company, and not with the pack train, later brainfarts notwithstanding.
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Post by Mulligan on Aug 28, 2014 0:04:06 GMT -6
You guys are good.
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Post by tubman13 on Apr 25, 2015 15:46:53 GMT -6
Chuck, Fred's above list is a portion of your missing shooters on another thread.
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