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Girl from Europe
Recruit
Status: offline |
 Posted - October 21 2004 : 09:48:49 AM
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Hello all,
I come from Europe and this is my 1st post. I am interested in the organization of 7th Cavalry Regiment at Little Big Horn.
How many companies, how many officers and NCOs per company, organization of the regimental staff etc. I would also like to know if the companies were grouped in squadrons (or battalions ?) ?
Thanks in advance
Jan
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wILD I
Brigadier General
Ireland
Status: offline |
Posted - October 21 2004 : 2:43:55 PM
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Hi Jan,
Welcome
There are others on the board who are more expert than I however perhaps being in roughly the same time zone allows me to respond to your questions first.
At the battle of the LBH Custer divided the regiment into 3 battaions and one pack train and escort.He himself took direct command of 5 troops giving 3 troops to Reno and 3 to Benteen.The pack train had one reinforced troop.Each troop comprised 2 officers and approx 45 NCOs and troopers.The regimental staff was Custer with his adjudent Lt Cooke,his surgeon,regimental sergeant major and the orderly of the day.
Dark Cloud would have us believe that the command structure was based not on rank but on the Custer family.He reckons that this structure probably led to the destruction of Custer's battalion.
Major Reno was the next senior officer to Custer but [and there is disagreement on this point]was not acting as 2i/c that day but as the CO of one of the battalions.
There are many fine books on the subject which give a detailed breakdown of the composition of the regiment and I sure other contributers will not pass up the opportunity to display their knowledge of the subject |
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Girl from Europe
Recruit
Status: offline |
Posted - October 29 2004 : 1:43:53 PM
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Thank you ! One question, is troop = company ?
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movingrobewoman
Lt. Colonel
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - October 29 2004 : 5:11:31 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Girl from Europe
Thank you ! One question, is troop = company ?
Yes, you are correct on that. There was a television show in the 1960's called "F Troop," which had to do with the "hilarious" antics of the F Company of the Seventh Cavalry, post LBH and post-Yates ...
Welcome to the Forum--or is it the Wild Wild West? |
movingrobe |
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joseph wiggs
Brigadier General
Status: offline |
Posted - October 30 2004 : 8:08:43 PM
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Welcome Girl from Europe,
The information supplied by Movingrobewoman and Wild I is very thorough. I would only add two additional factors:
(1.) A company (troop)consisted of two parts called platoons. Each platoon was capable of acting independent of each other. During the battle, the possibility that Company "C" deployed in such a manner is possible.
(2.) Secondly, Richard Fox (author) concludes that the five companies under Custer were small in numbers when compared with authorized strength (ideally 60 officers and men). He places company strentgh from 38 to 44 men.
Once again, welcome to the forum!
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El Crab
Brigadier General
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - November 13 2004 : 2:56:17 PM
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The 7th was organized into two wings.
B, C, E, F, I and L
A, D, G, H, K and M
Each company had about 40-55 troopers and officers.
All told, the battle strength of the 7th, including officers, scouts and civilians is 650, give or take. Gray says 647 total, 31 officers, 566 troopers and the rest scouts and civilians.
The reserve ammunition was 2,000 rounds per company, plus 2,000 rounds for Custer's headquarters staff.
Custer's headquarters staff at the fight seemed to have consisted of (and/or included):
Lt. Col. George A. Custer
Lt. W.W. Cooke, adjutant
Sgt. Major William Sharrow
Color Sgt. Robert Hughes
Chief Trumpeter Henry Voss
Dr. George Lord
Attached to headquarters:
Mark Kellogg (journalist)
Boston Custer
Harry Armstrong (Autie) Reed
Mitch Bouyer
Gray lists 210 as Custer's battalion battle strength. That's 13 officers, 193 enlisted men, 4 civilians. This does not represent the battalion's pre-fight strength, as various soldiers dropped out of the column.
From page 289, Centennial Campaign by John Gray
Right Wing Battle Strength (13 officers, 281 enlisted men)
Co. A - 3 officers, 47 enlisted men
Co. D - 2 officers, 50 enlisted men
Co. G - 2 officers, 43 enlisted men
Co. H - 2 officers, 47 enlisted men
Co. K - 2 officers, 41 enlisted men
Co. M - 2 officers, 55 enlisted men
Left Wing Battle Strength (12 officers, 283 enlisted men)
Co. B - 2 officers, 45 enlisted men
Co. C - 2 officers, 51 enlisted men
Co. E - 2 officers, 45 enlisted men
Co. F - 2 officers, 46 enlisted men
Co. I - 2 officers, 45 enlisted men
Co. L - 2 officers, 53 enlisted men
Gray lists the left wing survivors at 1 officer, 92 enlisted men. This would be most of B Company, the allocated packtrain soldiers (1 sergeant and 6 men per company) and various drop-outs from the battalion's march. The lone officer being Captain MacDougall, commander of Company B. Lt. Hodgson, Reno's adjutant, was the other officer of Co. B, and he was killed in the Reno crossing. MacDougall had previously commanded E Company, but was given command of B sometime before the campaign.
Interestingly, Lt. DeRudio was the highest ranking E Company officer, but was swapped for Lt. A.E. Smith, of Company A. Lt. Calhoun was from C Company, but was in command of L Company. Lt. Crittenden was from the 21st Infantry, detached and 2nd in command of L Company. Custer's battalion was also augmented by Trumpeter Henry Dose, who was sent as a messenger from Reno to Custer.
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I came. I saw. I took 300 pictures. |
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Girl from Europe
Recruit
Status: offline |
Posted - November 23 2004 : 9:37:37 PM
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WOW !
Incredible info.
Thaaank you
Jan |
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joseph wiggs
Brigadier General
Status: offline |
Posted - February 07 2005 : 8:25:15 PM
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| What part of Europe are you from? let us know more about you. |
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JGSturgis
Private
Canada
Status: offline |
Posted - March 05 2005 : 02:54:28 AM
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Seniority at the battle went in descending order and the company they were with;
Lt. Colonel G.A. Custer- Commanding the Regiment
Major M Reno- Commanding a battalion June 25/26
Captain F Benteen- H, Commanding a battalion June 25-26
Captain M Keogh- I, Commanding a battalion June 25
Captain T Weir- D
Captain G Yates- F, Commanding a battalion June 25
Captain T French- M
Captain M Moylan- A
Captain T Custer- C
Captain T McDougal- B
1st lieutenant W Cooke- Custers Headquarters
1st lieutenant E Godfrey- K
1st lieutenant A Smith- E
1st lieutenant D McIntosh- G
1st lieutenant E Mathey- Pack Train
1st lieutenant J Calhoun- L
1st lieutenant F Gibson- H
1st lieutenant E Porter- I
1st lieutenant G Lord- Headquarters, Regimental Surgeon
1st lieutenant C DeRudio- A
2nd lieutenant W Edgerly- D
2nd lieutenant B Hodgson- Reno's Headquarters
2nd lieutenant G Wallace- G
2nd lieutenant H Harrington- C
2nd lieutenant C Varnum- Indian Scout Detachment
2nd lieutenant L Hare- Indian Scout Detachment
2nd lieutenant J Sturgis- E
2nd lieutenant J Crittenden- L
2nd lieutenant W Riley- F |
James Garland Sturgis
7th US Cavalry
2005 Reenactment dates June 24-25-26 |
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joseph wiggs
Brigadier General
Status: offline |
Posted - March 06 2005 : 1:30:28 PM
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| Thanks JGS for your input. I've been away for awhile but, I would like to take this belated opportunity to welcome you to the board. |
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Organization of 7th Cavalry
