7th Cavalry Officer Indian War Souvenir-Something different

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7th Cavalry Officer's Indian War Souvenir...A large Apache basket that descended through the family from a veteran officer of the 7th Cavalry who served from Battle of the Little Bighorn through all the major Indian Wars battles with the 7th Cavalry.

 

American Indian Wars[edit]

The regiment was constituted on 28 July 1866 in the regular army as the 7th United States Cavalry. It was organized on 21 September 1866 at Fort Riley, Kansas as part of an expansion of the regular army following the demobilization of the wartime volunteer and draft forces. From 1866 through 1871, the regiment was posted to Fort Riley and fought in the American Indian Wars.

In the Battle of the Washita in 1868, the regiment sustained 22 losses, while inflicting more that 150 deaths on a Cheyenne encampment, mostly women and children^{[citation needed]}. This attack was led by George Armstrong Custer, who later led the 7th Cavalry to the most calamitous defeat of U.S. forces in the Indian Wars.^[2]

Typical of post-Civil War cavalry regiments, the 7th Cavalry was organized as a twelve-company regiment without a formal battalion organization. Battalions at this time were flexible tactical organizations, with companies being assigned and removed as the field commander desired or felt necessary. Throughout this period, the cavalryman was armed with the Colt Single Action Army .45 caliber revolvers and trapdoorSpringfield carbines, caliber .45–55 until 1892. The regiment used the McClellan saddle, and sabres were also issued but not often carried on campaign.

The 7th Cavalry, like the other U.S. Army regiments of the time, had a band, which performed mounted as well as on foot, and seated for concerts. Initially established with the support of Major Alfred Gibbs, the 7th's band adopted Garryowen as their favorite tune and thus gave the Seventh their nickname among the rest of the Army.

From 1871 through 1873, 7th Cavalry companies participated in constabulary duties in the deep South in support of the Reconstruction Act, and, for half the regiment, again in 1874–1876. In 1873, the 7th Cavalry moved its garrison post to Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory. From here, the regiment carried out Custer's 1874 Black Hills Expedition. This led to the discovery of gold in the Black Hills, starting a gold rush in 1874 that precipitated the Great Sioux War of 1876–77.^[3] On 25 June 1876, Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer was killed in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Montana along with 267 soldiers of the 7th Cavalry. Although the regiment is well known for the Battle of the Little Bighorn, it also participated in other battles of the American Indian Wars, including the Battle of Canyon Creek, Montana on 13 September 1877, theBattle of Bear Paw, Montana on 30 September 1877 – 5 October 1877, and the Battle of Crow Agency, Montana on 5 November 1887. On 29 December 1890, the regiment carried out the Wounded Knee Massacre, in South Dakota, and the next day on 30 December 1890 was involved in the Drexel Mission Fight, in South Dakota. These events signaled the end of the American Indian Wars.

Commanders during American Indian Wars[edit]

• September 1866 – November 1866 Maj. John W. Davidson.^[4]
• November 1866 – April 1869 Col. Andrew J. Smith
• May 1869 – June 1886 Col. Samuel D. Sturgis
• July 1886 – November 1894 Col. James W. Forsyth

Medal of Honor recipients[edit]

A total of 45 men earned the Medal of Honor while serving with the 7th Cavalry during the American Indian Wars: 24 for actions during the Battle of the Little Bighorn, two during the Battle of Bear Paw, 17 for being involved in the Wounded Knee Massacre or an engagement at White Clay Creek the next day, and two during other actions against the Sioux in December 1890.^[5]

Little Bighorn, 25–26 June 1876

• Private Neil Bancroft, Troop A
• Private Abram B. Brant, Troop D
• Private Thomas J. Callan, Troop B
• Sergeant Banjamin C. Criswell, Troop B
• Corporal Charles Cunningham, Troop B
• Private Frederick Deetline, Troop D
• Sergeant George Geiger, Troop H
• Private Theodore W. Goldin, Troop G
• Sergeant Richard P. Hanley, Troop C
• Private David W. Harris, Troop A
• Private William M. Harris, Troop D
• Private Henry Holden, Troop D
• Sergeant Rufus D. Hutchinson, Troop B
• Blacksmith Henry W. B. Mechlin, Troop H
• Sergeant Thomas Murray, Troop B
• Private James Pym, Troop B
• Sergeant Stanislaus Roy, Troop A
• Private George D. Scott, Troop D
• Private Thomas W. Stivers, Troop D
• Private Peter Thompson, Troop C
• Private Frank Tolan, Troop D
• Saddler Otto Voit, Troop H
• Sergeant Charles H. Welch, Troop D
• Private Charles Windolph, Troop H

Bear Paw, 30 September 1877

• Captain Edward Settle Godfrey
• Captain Myles Moylan

Sioux campaign, December 1890

• Sergeant Bernhard Jetter, Troop K
• Private Adam Neder, Troop A

Wounded Knee and White Clay Creek, 29–30 December 1890

• Sergeant William G. Austin, Troop E
• Private Mosheim Feaster, Troop E
• First Lieutenant Ernest Albert Garlington
• First Lieutenant John Chowning Gresham
• Private Mathew H. Hamilton, Troop G
• Private Marvin C. Hillock, Troop B
• Private George Hobday, Troop A
• Sergeant George Loyd, Troop I
• Sergeant Albert W. McMillan, Troop E
• Farrier Richard J. Nolan, Troop I
• First Sergeant Theodore Ragnar, Troop K
• Private Thomas Sullivan, Troop E
• First Sergeant Frederick E. Toy, Troop C
• First Sergeant Jacob Trautman, Troop I
• Captain Charles Varnum, Troop B
• Sergeant James Ward, Troop B
• Private Hermann Ziegner, Troop E

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There are a few more souvenirs from this officer and I'll post some when I get the grouping back together. Ed

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General Orders upon his retirement

[bheskett]

A tisket,

a tasket,

that is one really cool basket.

 

Thanks for sharing

Bob

[flytiger]

Nice basket! The 7th did not participate in the Apache Campaigns. He may have been in another unit during that time frame. The Basket looks to me like vintage 1920s on.

[warpath]

He commanded Fort Apache

[warpath]

Sorry, I hit reply too fast...E. S. Godfrey's command at Fort Apache was in 1897..

 

He ranked as follows:

Second Lieutenant Seventh Cavalry, June 16, 67, to February 1, '68;

First Lieutenant, February 1, '68, to December 9, '76;

Captain, December 9, '76, to December 8, '96;

Major First Cavalry, December 8, '96, to January 7, '97; and of Seventh

Cavalry, January 7, '97, to February 2, '01; Lieutenant-

Colonel Twelfth Cavalry, February 2, '01, to June 26,

'01; Colonel Ninth Cavalry, June 26, '01, to January

17, '07; Brigadier General, January 17, '07, to retire-

ment October 9, 1907.

 

 

 

 

Link to his unreal biography...https://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxReflectionProfile&type=Person&ID=315636

[badash5946]

What an awesome military history! Can't wait to see the other items.

[Jayhawker353]

On top of the provenance, that is an unusually nice basket. Congrats.