7th Cav. Regimental Returns

[markland]

7th Cav. wounded in action from the June, 1876 regimental returns (NARA film series M744 roll 72.)

F&S=0
Co. A=7
Co. B=2
Co. C=4
Co. D=2
Co. E=1
Co. F=0
Co. G=2
Co. H=11
Co. I=1
Co. K=3
Co. L=1
Co. M=10

Killed in action from the June, 1876 regimental return.

F&S=4 (2 EM & 2 Officers)
Co. A=10 (8 EM & 2 Officers)
Co. B=3 (2 EM & 1 Officer)
Co. C=39 (36 EM & 3 Officers)
Co. D=3 (3 EM)
Co. E=37 (37 EM)
Co. F=37 (36 EM & 1 Officer)
Co. G=14 (13 EM & 1 Officer)
Co. H=3 (3 EM)
Co. I=38 (36 EM & 2 Officers)
Co. K=5 (5 EM)
Co. L=44 (44 EM)
Co. M=13 (12 EM & 1 Officer)

Regimental Horses from the May, 1876 regimental return. Note, the format is: Horses Serviceable, Unserviceable, Lost in action or died.

F&S=22, 2, 0
Co. A=52, 0, 0
Co. B=52, 0, 0
Co. C=56, 0, 0
Co. D=53, 2, 0
Co. E=55, 0, 0
Co. F=57, 0, 0
Co. G=50, 0, 0
Co. H=50, 0, 0
Co. I=56, 3, 0
Co. K=41, 4, 0
Co. L=62, 0, 0
Co. M=64, 0, 1

Regimental horses from the June, 1876 regimental return. Same format as above.

F&S=18, 2, 4
Co. A=38, 0, 14
Co. B=40, 3, 9
Co. C=10, 2, 46
Co. D=47,2, 6
Co. E=11, 0, 44
Co. F=12, 3, 42
Co. G=25, 0, 25
Co. H=44, 0, 6
Co. I=15, 0, 44
Co. K=26, 7, 11
Co. L=13, 0, 49
Co. M=37, 8, 19

Aggregate of above is 336, 27, 319

I will get the sheets scanned and posted soon.

Billy

[harpskiddie]

Billy:

Thank you for the info on the horses!!! The men I already had, although I'll do a double check to ensure that all my numbers compare to the official. I'm pretty sure that I have more wounded; but maybe the returns include only those wounded excused, or unfit for, duty.

Gordie

[markland]

harpskiddie said:

Billy:

Thank you for the info on the horses!!! The men I already had, although I'll do a double check to ensure that all my numbers compare to the official. I'm pretty sure that I have more wounded; but maybe the returns include only those wounded excused, or unfit for, duty.

Gordie

Gordie, regarding the wounded, I initially believed that it accounts only for those not present for duty who otherwise would be present. For instance Co. A lists 7 men wounded and the "Absent Enlisted Men who are to be accounted for by name" does list 7 men at Yellowstone River as "Sick (wounded)." Those are 1 Sgt. Heyn, Corp. King, Pvts. Deihle, Foster, Holmsted, Reeves & Strode.

However Co. B is credited with 2 men WIA. However they are not listed as such in the "Absent Enlisted Men" section. Co. C has 4 per the RR. Again, none are listed as absent. Co. D, 2 men. The absent list only shows Pvt. McDonnel "Sick (wounded)" at Yellowstone River. Somehow I lost the "Absent" lists for Cos. E & F -dammit! Co. G, 2 wounded. None appear on the "Absent" list. Co. H, 11 men. Sgt. Pahl & Pvts. Black, Bishop, Cooper, Farley, George, Phillips & Severs at Yellowstone River.

Co. I had 1 man wounded. Pvt. Cooney appears on the "Absent" list as "Sick (wounded)." Co. K, 3 WIA. Pvts. Corcoran, Mielke & Madden are on the "Absent" list as being "Sick (wounded)" at Yellowstone River.

I must of forgotten to pick up the copy for Cos. "L" & "M" as they are not with the rest. That shows what hurrying will do to you. I think I have another copy somewhere in the stacks of paper and will attempt to locate it tonight or tomorrow.

Billy

[harpskiddie]

Billy:

One of the things I note is that, although the numbers agree, between the two rosters as to horses [and in the army, they had better], C Company has two more than it started with, and K and M one less each. Also, the number of serviceable horses at the end of May [before they reached Powder River] was 670, which accounts for the high number of 'walkers' detached there. I have the campaign strength, post Powder, at 675, not including the Indian Scouts, so some of the civilians must have provided their own horses. I'm also assuming that only government-owned horses would appear in the rosters. It's also interesting to note the relatively low number of unserviceable mounts, most of which probably had been wounded by gunfire or arrows.

I have a total of 56 men wounded in action, including McDougall, Benteen and Varnum, who were only slightly injured. I'd post my numbers by company, but that would only confuse the issue.

Gordie

[markland]

harpskiddie said:

Billy:

One of the things I note is that, although the numbers agree, between the two rosters as to horses [and in the army, they had better], C Company has two more than it started with, and K and M one less each. Also, the number of serviceable horses at the end of May [before they reached Powder River] was 670, which accounts for the high number of 'walkers' detached there. I have the campaign strength, post Powder, at 675, not including the Indian Scouts, so some of the civilians must have provided their own horses. I'm also assuming that only government-owned horses would appear in the rosters. It's also interesting to note the relatively low number of unserviceable mounts, most of which probably had been wounded by gunfire or arrows.

I have a total of 56 men wounded in action, including McDougall, Benteen and Varnum, who were only slightly injured. I'd post my numbers by company, but that would only confuse the issue.

Gordie

I see what you mean about Co. "C". They started out in May with 56, 0, 0. At the end of June, they had 10, 2, 46=58 or 2 more than in May. Co. "K" started in May with 41, 4, 0=45. At the end of June they reported 26, 7, 11=44. One less horse. Co. "M" in May had 64, 0, 1. The June report shows 37, 8, 19=64. Same number as they started out with. I suspect that the "K" horse went to replace the "M" horse which either was stolen by Indians or died.

The aggregate May horse numbers were 670, 11, 1.

I will get back later on this.

Billy

[Diane Merkel]

This seems a good spot to display my total ignorance!

I'm corresponding with a descendant of Sgt. Caddle who Hammer says was on detached service at the Yellowstone Depot. The descendant's family story has lots of problems -- for example, Caddle was "sent for" and arrived in time to fight at Reno-Benteen! -- but one detail that should be easy to prove is Caddle's whereabouts during the battle. The family insists he was at the Powder River Depot.

Of those on detached service, who was where when, and what were the duties of the men at Yellowstone versus Powder River, AND does any of this matter?

[harpskiddie]

Diane:

I don't believe that the 'Yellowstone' existed, except in the form of 'Fort Pease' at Pease Meadows, until after the fights. I'm talking about the name, not the location. I'm not sure how many men were there, but Gibbon's wagons and excess supplies were. Powder River was the base for Terry's operations [it was later moved], so it gets somewhat confusing. I have Sgt. Michael Caddle on detached service at Powder River Supply Depot. There is no way he could have been 'sent for' and reported in time to join Reno/Benteen - never mind how he could have got there.

The NCOs at Powder River would have similar duties as in any camp, except more responsibility for the company property that may have been left there, and command of the dismounted troopers also left there.

Two other I Company Sgts [Gaffney and Murphy] had been detached to Field HQ, and may have been at 'Yellowstone' or actually with the HQ. Caddle was the only I non-com at Powder River.

Gordie

[Diane Merkel]

Thanks, Gordie!

As I said, there are many problems with the story, much of which seems to be the wishful thinking of the family rather than Caddle himself.

If there was no Yellowstone Depot on the day of the battle, why does Hammer list men on detached service there? Was he using Yellowstone/Powder River interchangably?

[Scout]

I don't remember any troops being 'sent for.' A number of men were on detached service at the time of the battle and later 'wrote' themselves into the story someway or another. Lynch, Smith etc.

Sounds like a good case of 'grandpa wouldn't lie would he?'

[Diane Merkel]

It sure does, Scout!

I haven't seen anything that indicates Caddle claimed to be at the battle. His family seems to have made that up later. Sounds like another book for you -- "Grandpa Never Claimed It So We Made It Up" -- or at least a Country song.

[harpskiddie]

Diane:

It's possible that Hammer was using the name later [by a few days] given to Pease Bottoms, or it may be that it was already called that after Terry and Gibbon ferried across the Yellowstone on their way to the mouth of the Little Horn. BUT I doubt Hammer was using the names interchangeably. It is conceivable that there were men detached there [if the Field HQ had been left there, for example]. Caddle, however, was not one of them.

Gordie

[rch]

I think Yellowstone and Powder River are used interchangeably. Thomas Heski in the Winter, 2003 issue of the Research Review titled his article "Camp Powell; The Powder River Supply Depot," but the place doesn't seem to have had an official name.

rch

[elisabeth]

Diane,

Caddle was along on the 1877 reburial expedition. So maybe an innocent "yes, I was at the battlefield" got translated by later generations into "I was in the battle"?

[markland]

admin said:

This seems a good spot to display my total ignorance!

I'm corresponding with a descendant of Sgt. Caddle who Hammer says was on detached service at the Yellowstone Depot. The descendant's family story has lots of problems -- for example, Caddle was "sent for" and arrived in time to fight at Reno-Benteen! -- but one detail that should be easy to prove is Caddle's whereabouts during the battle. The family insists he was at the Powder River Depot.

Of those on detached service, who was where when, and what were the duties of the men at Yellowstone versus Powder River, AND does any of this matter?

Diane, per the June, 1876 return, Caddle is listed as having been on detached service since June 15, 1876 at (drum roll please!) "Powder River."

RCH, I see what you are saying but, for some reason or another, the two locations are differentiated on the regimental returns. Looking through Panzeri's Little Big Horn 1876, p. 34 states "Terry arranged for supplies from the steamers Josephine and Far West at the Yellowstone/Glendive Creek depot to be pushed forward to the mouth of Powder River."

A map in the book shows Ft. Pease (abandoned) on the northern side of the Yellowstone at the mouth of the LBH river. I suspect that is where the Yellowstone River mentioned in the regimental returns was.

Later,

Billy

[markland]

harpskiddie said:

Diane:

It's possible that Hammer was using the name later [by a few days] given to Pease Bottoms, or it may be that it was already called that after Terry and Gibbon ferried across the Yellowstone on their way to the mouth of the Little Horn. BUT I doubt Hammer was using the names interchangeably. It is conceivable that there were men detached there [if the Field HQ had been left there, for example]. Caddle, however, was not one of them.

Gordie

On the pages that I have of "Absent Enlisted Men..." there are only two men at Yellowstone River who are not "Sick (wounded).". The first is Chas. H. Houghtaling of Co. "D" who arrived there on June 2[9?]. The other exception is Pvt. Mark E. Lee, Co. "I" was arrived June 26 and is listed as "Attendent to wounded men."

Regarding Houghtaling, I believe his arrival date is June 29 as I see that is when the second group of wounded arrived (the first group arrived June 28). His civilian occupation is given in the muster rolls as druggist so I strongly suspect that he was helping the doctors attend the wounded.

Billy