Louis McLane Hamilton

[markland]

Was Capt. Louis McLane Hamilton who was killed at Washita married and have a son? The reason I am asking is that I found an article yesterday in the Journal of the Military Institutions of the United States written by First Lieutenant Louis McLane Hamilton entitled "Jungle Tactics" and dealing with lessons learned in the Phillippines (which I believe I am going to have to bear down and study some-absolutely fascinating stuff about it).

Just curious, no biggie.

Best of wishes,

Billy

[elisabeth]

Can't answer this for certain, but from this rather moving item it looks as if he wasn't married:

www.uscavalryschool.org/virtual_archive/documents/washita_death/washita_death_text.htm

There's no mention of a widow or child.

From this, he sounds a truly lovely man, so it wouldn't be surprising if his name was perpetuated in descendants of the family. It happened with Keogh, right down to the current generation of his family. Probably with many others.

[michigander]

This are the informations of the cemetery where he is interred, the POUGHKEEPSIE RURAL CEMETERY.


19. CAPTAIN LOUIS MCLANE HAMILTON (1844-1868)



Louis was the grandson of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the U.S. Treasury in the Cabinet of George Washington. As the text on his monument describes, Louis was a highly decorated member of the 7th U.S. Cavalry under General George Custer and was killed during the Battle of Washita. Generals Custer and Sherman were among the pallbearers at his funeral. The eulogy from his fellow officers stated: "Resolved, that the death in battle of our late comrade, Captain Louis M. Hamilton, has bereft us of a dear and valued friend, whom while living we cherished as a rare and gifted gentleman of unsullied honor and spotless fame; that we miss the genial face, the sparkling wit, the well-tried, war and trusty heart of him whose loss we mourn more deeply than words can tell."

Among the other members of the Hamilton family buried in this plot is Philip Hamilton (1802-1884), the youngest son of Alexander Hamilton and his wife, Elizabeth. Philip was named after an older brother who had been killed in a duel in 1801 at age 19. Philip's wife, Rebecca McLane, is interred next to him. Nearby are the graves of their other son, Alan McLane Hamilton and his wife, May Copeland.