The SGT found by himself

[Buggnkat]

I read several years ago about a lone NCO that was found at the LSH with rifle casings all around him.

I can not locate anything about this man or his story.

Can anyone help me?

Thanks

Greg Lee

[Rabble]

Greg
The NCO you are referring to was Sgt James Butler of L Company whose body was found on a hill some distance south of the Calhoun position. The marker is by itself on top of this hill, near Medicine Tail Coulee, but I believe that it has been moved from its original position.
There were apparently quite a number of cartridge cases found around and under his body.
Why he was there? Nobody knows for certain, though he may have been sent back to chase up Benteen and Reno, maybe he was a straggler or maybe he was just trying to escape. Whichever, he certainly died fighting
Rabble

[Buggnkat]

Thank you very much. I always found this to be very interesting. I would love to hear his story.

Wasnt he also one of the few not mutilated that day?

I would love to find some more information do you have any books or pamphlets I could reference his story from?

Thanks

Greg Lee

[Steve Wilk]

First Sgt. James Butler, Co. L, was born in Albany NY in 1842. He was one year into his second enlistment when he met his death. He first enlisted in 1870. He was also a relative newlywed, having married Mary Elizabeth C. Murray in July of 1875. Butler was appointed Commissary Sgt, USA; only to have this revoked in Oct. 1875 (no mention of reason why). His remains were discovered in May of 1905, and were interred in an unknown grave in Custer Battlefield National Cemetery. (from _Men With Custer_ by Ken Hammer)

It is surmised Butler was a sent as a final messenger to Terry or Reno. Lt. Godfrey would later recall:

"...It so happened, in advance, that the first body we came to was within my sector, the body of Sgt. Butler....He was not altogether stripped. He had several wounds, was scalped, and otherwise mutilated. Sgt. Butler had been a soldier in the British Army before coming to this country. He had served in the Civil War, and in his ten year's service in our regiment, we knew him to be a brave and good soldier. When we lifted his body to place it in the shallow grave, we found underneath it a large number of empty cartridge shells. This fact, and his several wounds, gave evidence that he had sold his life dearly." (from _March of the Columns_ by James Willert)

Godfrey also remarked that it was a mystery as to why the Indians did not collect the empty casings.

Godfrey is, if Hammer is correct, mistaken. If Butler was born in Albany, he would not have had to come to this country. Hammer makes no mention of Butler serving in the British army, nor any reference to any Civil War service. Butler would have had ample opportunity for military service with the Union Army if he was so inclined, being 19 yrs old at the outbreak of the Civil War. Why he would go to England to serve is a mystery.

Godfrey gave this account in 1892 to Century Magazine. He may have been thinking of another Sgt; at least in regard to British military service.

As for the Indians not collecting the casings, perhaps they had so many already they didn't need them, perhaps being underneath his body they were overlooked if the women and children were performing the gathering of cases, perhaps they were "soiled" by blood, guts and feces to where no one wanted to touch them.

I have some Indian accounts which I will add later....no time now, gotta get to work. The Spring issue of the LBHA Research Review (1974) contains an essay on Butler....I have NO clue on how to get a hold of it though.

[Rabble]

Thanks for the additions, Steve! A little bit more - the marker was possibly originally incorrectly placed , and was moved to its present location by Superintendent Luce in 1949. There is quite a lot on Butler's markers in "Custer Battle Casualties II by Hardoff". James Brust and Brian Pokanka did more work on them in the 1990s.
I think that that pretty well covers most of what is known of Butler
Regards

[Buggnkat]

Thanks very much for the information! I really appreciate it!

Greg Lee

[Steve Wilk]

A few last bits on Sgt. Butler: Lakota accounts tell of "....one company was chased along the ridge to the south, out of which a man got away. A mighty yell went up from the Indians as he cleared the attacking force, as if they were glad that he succeeded...." Gall told photographer David Barry: "..There was a soldier on a hill southeast of us still firing when the battle ended, and we had a hard time to kill him. He killed several of our braves. Finally some of the braves crawled up the hill on all four sides. While he was killing some in front of him, those behind him finally killed him."

This soldier Gall spoke of may very well have been Butler. At any rate he died like soldier; had the rest of the Seventh fought like him, perhaps there wouldn't have been a last stand.

Alabama artist Michael Schreck did a Sgt. Butler painting. His work was featured in the 1994 issue of Greasy Grass magazine. The painting has Butler crouching with carbine at ready, wearing campaign hat with the brims hooked up; warriors approaching him in the distance behind, and arrows in the ground near his boots.

[Diane Merkel]

"The Spring issue of the LBHA Research Review (1974) contains an essay on Butler....I have NO clue on how to get a hold of it though."

LBHA members may request free copies of out of print articles. Simply send your request to [e-mail]. The Spring 1973 issue of the Research Review has a cover drawing of Butler taking cover behind a horse by Lisle Reedstrom, "The Enigma of Sergeant Butler" by Greg Bence, "Sergeant Butler's 'Travelling' Marker" by R. L. "Pinky" Nelson, as well as a couple of other articles. Greg Bence was a young Army officer when he wrote that article. He died in a freak accident several months after the publication of his Butler article.

[Walt Cross]

Diane;
Any details on the freak accident?

Walt

[Diane Merkel]

I was a bit off on two parts of my timetable. The Bence article about Butler appeared in the Spring 1974 Research Review. That issue was mis-dated as 1973, so I picked up the wrong date. As you will soon read, Bence died the next year, 1975, at the age of 26.

From the November 1975 LBHA Newsletter:

"Greg Bence, Assistant Editor for the Little Big Horn Associates, was killed on Saturday, September 27, 1975, when a car crashed into his motel room. He was spending the night in Charleston, South Carolina, enroute to a new duty station with the U.S. Army in Panama. Bence was single and is survived by his parents. He was interred at the Custer Battlefield National Cemetry [sic] on October 6, 1975. It was where Greg wished to be buried. John Popovich represented the Associates at the funeral, and an appropriate floral wreath was provided (in the shape of crossed sabres)."