George K. Sanderson
Encyclopedia
George Kaiser Sanderson was a career U.S. Army officer. Having enlisted as a Private he was latter commissioned and twice breveted for gallant and meritorious service during the American Civil War
. He is most notable for being the first to erect a monument at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
.
, where his father, John P. Sanderson
, was a newspaper editor and elected politician. He grew up mostly in Philadelphia, where his father continued in the newspaper business and practiced law. His first wife was named Mattie. George married Emeline Buford, daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Grace B. Buford, June 6, 1888, Rock Island County, Illinois.
was already a lieutenant colonel of this regiment serving form from May 14, 1861 until July 4, 1863. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on October 31, 1861. He received a brevet as 1st Lieutenant on April 7, 1862, for gallant and meritorious service in the Battle of Shiloh
Tennessee. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in the Regular Army
on November 9, 1862. Sanderson received a second brevet as captain on September 1, 1864, for gallant and meritorious service during the Atlanta Campaign
.
Sanderson served as a staff officer in the position of Regiment Quartermaster, Fifteenth U.S. Infantry, from April 6, 1865 until March 28, 1866, when he was promoted to Captain. He later served again as a staff officer as assistant commissary of musters and acting aide-de-camp, from November 11, 1867 to December 30, 1867.
Captain Sanderson was transferred to 33rd U.S. Infantry 21 Sept 1866 and served as Acting Assistant Adjutant-General (AAAG), on the staff of Brevet Major General Pope
commanding, Third Military District
, at Headquarters (Atlanta, Georgia). He was listed as unassigned May 3, 1869.
to enroll the non-hostile Indians at the Comanche-Kiowa agency by August 3, 1874. Davidson assigned Captain G. K. Sanderson to perform this duty in effect removing Indian Agent James H. Haworth almost entirely from the enrollment. Captain Sanderson first went to the Comanche
village ten miles north of Fort Sill
, Indian Territories, where he enrolled the bands of Horseback, Quirts Quip, and Cheevers. The next day he went to the Kiowa
camp but Kicking Bird
could not get enough of his men for enrollment. Captain Sanderson told Kicking Bird to bring his men to the agency the following day for enrollment. The Kiowas came on August 3, but Ma-ye-tin, or Woman's Heart caused enough trouble that Captain Sanderson wanted him arrested but agent Haworth was against it. On August 8 the Yamparika were enrolled under the supervision of Captain Sanderson.
, were two companies under Captain Sanderson, which arrived on August 26, 1876, when he assumed command of the Post at Cheyenne River Agency, Dakota Territory
(later called Fort Bennett
).
Headquarters Department Of Dakota, Judge-advocate's Office, Saint Paul, Minn., September 13, 1879.
Capt. George K. Sanderson, Eleventh Infantry. Tried at Fort Keogh
, Mont., by the general court-martial, appointed by Special Orders Nos. 91 and 93, series of 1878, from these headquarters, and of which Col. Nelson A. Miles, Fifth Infantry, was president. Proceedings promulgated in General Court-Martial Orders No. 97, of December 24, 1878, from these headquarters. Acquitted. Findings not approved.
was assembled by Captain George K. Sanderson and the 11th Infantry.
In a letter dated October 29, 1878, Major George D. Ruggles
, acting adjutant general, Department of Dakota
, directed Lieutenant Colonel George P. Buell
, commanding officer of Fort Custer
, to send an expedition to the Little Bighorn
to secure all human bones within a cone or pyramid of stones, adding, " The Department Commander thinks that the most suitable location for the grave is the highest point of the ridge just in rear of where General George Custer's body was found."
Fort Custer, M.T.
April 7, 1879
Post Adjutant
Sir: I have the honor to report that in obedience to instructions I went to Custer Battlefield to carry out orders in regard to the graves at that point. I found it impossible to obtain rock within a distance of five miles. I accordingly built a mound out of cord wood filled in the center with all the horse bones I could find on the field. In the center of the mound I dug a grave and interred all the human bones that could be found, in all parts of four or five different bodies. This grave was then built up with wood for four feet above the ground, well covered, and the mound built over and around it. The mound is ten feet square and about eleven feet high; is built on the highest point immediately in rear of where Gen'l Custer's body was found.
Instead of disturbing any remains, I carefully remounded all graves that could be found. At each grave a stake was driven, where those that had previously placed had fallen. Newspaper reports to the effect that bodies still lay exposed are sensational. From a careful searching of the entire ground the remains now buried beneath the mound were all that could be found. I believe the large number of horse bones lying over the field have given rise to some of such statements, and to prevent any such statements being made in the future, I had all the horse bones gathered together and placed in the mound where they can not be readily disturbed by curiosity seekers.
The ground to the north and east of the field was well searched for six miles in each direction, but no trace of any remains were found, nor anything to indicate that any persons were killed in that direction. The whole field now presents a perfectly clean appearance, each grave being remounded and all animal bones removed. ...it should be done as soon as practicable.
Your Obedient (Signed)
G.K. Sanderson
Capt. 11 U.S. Infantry.
Stanley J. Morrow took advantage of Captain Sanderson’s work and took a series of historic photographs which clearly show the horse bones gathered on Custer Hill in several large piles just prior to their first interment within the cordwood monument.
"Gracie's Butte," a handsome conical formation, capped with rock, stands out prominently in the valley of Tullock's Fork, a branch of the Big Horn, to the east of the divide, and about half a mile west of the boundary. It was named after Miss Gracie Sanderson, daughter of Captain Sanderson, Eleventh Infantry, and from its shape and position forms a prominent landmark in this section.
GK Sanderson, Eleventh Infantry, post-commander, Fort Custer
August 1879-October 1880.
In 1883, he was assigned to recruit duty Davids Island
, New York Harbor. Leave of absence for one month has been granted Capt. George K. Sanderson, Eleventh Infantry recruiting officer, April 11, 1883. May 7, 1884. The leave of absence on Surgeon's certificate of disability, granted Capt. George K. Sanderson, Eleventh Infantry, has been extended six months on Surgeon's certificate of disability.
and Company C (with HQ from Madison Barracks).
1st Lieutenant Henry 0. S. Heistand, to be captain of infantry. March 19, 1891, vice Sanderson, promoted and assigned to the 18th Infantry.
Captain George K. Sanderson, 11th Infantry, to be major of infantry, March 19, 1891. He was stationed at Fort Clark, Texas
near Brackettville, Texas
.
Major George K. Sanderson, 18th Infantry, retired April 2, 1892, and died 2 Feb 1893, Lampasas, Texas
.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He is most notable for being the first to erect a monument at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument preserves the site of the June 25, 1876, Battle of the Little Bighorn, near Crow Agency, Montana, in the United States. It also serves as a memorial to those who fought in the battle: George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry and a combined Lakota-Northern...
.
Early life and family
George K. Sanderson was born in Lebanon County, PennsylvaniaLebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
, where his father, John P. Sanderson
John P. Sanderson
John Phillip Sanderson was a soldier, influential politician, lawyer, author, newspaper editor, and member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He is probably most well known for his exposé of the secret political organization known as the Knights of the Golden Circle, which led to its...
, was a newspaper editor and elected politician. He grew up mostly in Philadelphia, where his father continued in the newspaper business and practiced law. His first wife was named Mattie. George married Emeline Buford, daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Grace B. Buford, June 6, 1888, Rock Island County, Illinois.
Civil War
Sanderson enlisted as a Private in the 15th U.S. Infantry on October 24, 1861. His father John P. SandersonJohn P. Sanderson
John Phillip Sanderson was a soldier, influential politician, lawyer, author, newspaper editor, and member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He is probably most well known for his exposé of the secret political organization known as the Knights of the Golden Circle, which led to its...
was already a lieutenant colonel of this regiment serving form from May 14, 1861 until July 4, 1863. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on October 31, 1861. He received a brevet as 1st Lieutenant on April 7, 1862, for gallant and meritorious service in the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
Tennessee. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in the Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
on November 9, 1862. Sanderson received a second brevet as captain on September 1, 1864, for gallant and meritorious service during the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
.
Sanderson served as a staff officer in the position of Regiment Quartermaster, Fifteenth U.S. Infantry, from April 6, 1865 until March 28, 1866, when he was promoted to Captain. He later served again as a staff officer as assistant commissary of musters and acting aide-de-camp, from November 11, 1867 to December 30, 1867.
33rd Infantry
Organized May 4, 1861, by direction of the President, as the Third Battalion, Fifteenth Infantry, and designated Thirty-Third Infantry, September 21, 1866, under the act of July 28, 1866. The regiment was consolidated May 3, 1869, under the act of March 3, 1869, with the Eighth Regiment of Infantry.Captain Sanderson was transferred to 33rd U.S. Infantry 21 Sept 1866 and served as Acting Assistant Adjutant-General (AAAG), on the staff of Brevet Major General Pope
John Pope (military officer)
John Pope was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He had a brief but successful career in the Western Theater, but he is best known for his defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run in the East.Pope was a graduate of the United States Military Academy in...
commanding, Third Military District
Third Military District
The Third Military District existed in the American South during the Reconstruction era that followed the American Civil War. It comprises Georgia, Florida and Alabama and was headquartered in Atlanta....
, at Headquarters (Atlanta, Georgia). He was listed as unassigned May 3, 1869.
Indian Wars
Sanderson was assigned to 11th U.S. Infantry on 18 Dec 1869, and was stationed in the Department of Texas.Department of Texas
On July 26, 1874, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Edward P. Smith, instructed Colonel DavidsonJohn Davidson (general)
John Wynn Davidson was a brigadier general in the United States Army during the American Civil War and an American Indian fighter. In 1866, he received brevet grade appointments as a major general of volunteers and in the regular U.S. Army for his Civil War service,-Biography:Davidson was born in...
to enroll the non-hostile Indians at the Comanche-Kiowa agency by August 3, 1874. Davidson assigned Captain G. K. Sanderson to perform this duty in effect removing Indian Agent James H. Haworth almost entirely from the enrollment. Captain Sanderson first went to the Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
village ten miles north of Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
, Indian Territories, where he enrolled the bands of Horseback, Quirts Quip, and Cheevers. The next day he went to the Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
camp but Kicking Bird
Kicking Bird
Kicking Bird Also known as Tene-angop'te, "The Kicking Bird," or "Eagle Striking," and as Watohkonk, "Black Eagle," was the high chief of the Kiowa Native American tribe. He was born around 1835, not a lot is known of his early life except his grandfather was a Crow captive that was adopted by the...
could not get enough of his men for enrollment. Captain Sanderson told Kicking Bird to bring his men to the agency the following day for enrollment. The Kiowas came on August 3, but Ma-ye-tin, or Woman's Heart caused enough trouble that Captain Sanderson wanted him arrested but agent Haworth was against it. On August 8 the Yamparika were enrolled under the supervision of Captain Sanderson.
Department of Dakota
The first reinforcements from the Department of Texas for the Great Sioux War of 1876-77Great Sioux War of 1876-77
The Great Sioux War of 1876, also known as the Black Hills War, was a series of battles and negotiations which occurred between 1876 and 1877 involving the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne, against the United States...
, were two companies under Captain Sanderson, which arrived on August 26, 1876, when he assumed command of the Post at Cheyenne River Agency, Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
(later called Fort Bennett
Fort Bennett
Fort Bennett was originally called the Post at Cheyenne River Agency and was established during the Indian wars in the Department of Dakota by the U.S. Army to control the Sioux.-History:...
).
Headquarters Department Of Dakota, Judge-advocate's Office, Saint Paul, Minn., September 13, 1879.
Capt. George K. Sanderson, Eleventh Infantry. Tried at Fort Keogh
Fort Keogh
Fort Keogh is located on the western edge of Miles City, Montana. Occasionally spelled Fort Keough. Originally a military post, today it is a United States Department of Agriculture livestock and range research station. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
, Mont., by the general court-martial, appointed by Special Orders Nos. 91 and 93, series of 1878, from these headquarters, and of which Col. Nelson A. Miles, Fifth Infantry, was president. Proceedings promulgated in General Court-Martial Orders No. 97, of December 24, 1878, from these headquarters. Acquitted. Findings not approved.
First Custer battlefield memorial
The first memorial on the site of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National MonumentLittle Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument preserves the site of the June 25, 1876, Battle of the Little Bighorn, near Crow Agency, Montana, in the United States. It also serves as a memorial to those who fought in the battle: George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry and a combined Lakota-Northern...
was assembled by Captain George K. Sanderson and the 11th Infantry.
In a letter dated October 29, 1878, Major George D. Ruggles
George D. Ruggles
George D. Ruggles was an officer in the United States Army who served as Adjutant General of the U.S. Army from 1893 to 1897.-Biography:...
, acting adjutant general, Department of Dakota
Department of Dakota
A subdivision of the Division of the Missouri, the Department of Dakota was established by the United States Army on August 11, 1866 to encompass all military activities and forts within Minnesota, Dakota Territory and Montana Territory. The Department of Dakota was initially headquartered at Fort...
, directed Lieutenant Colonel George P. Buell
George P. Buell
George Pearson Buell was an American civil engineer and soldier. He served as a Union Army general during the American Civil War, and remained in the United States Army following the conflict.-Early life and career:...
, commanding officer of Fort Custer
Fort Custer (Montana)
Fort Custer was established during the Indian wars in the Department of Dakota by the U.S. Army to control the Sioux, Cheyenne and Crow Indians near present-day Hardin, Montana...
, to send an expedition to the Little Bighorn
Little Bighorn River
The Little Bighorn River is a tributary of the Bighorn River in the United States in the states of Wyoming and Montana. The Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought on its banks in 1876, as well as the Battle of Crow Agency in 1887....
to secure all human bones within a cone or pyramid of stones, adding, " The Department Commander thinks that the most suitable location for the grave is the highest point of the ridge just in rear of where General George Custer's body was found."
Fort Custer, M.T.
April 7, 1879
Post Adjutant
Sir: I have the honor to report that in obedience to instructions I went to Custer Battlefield to carry out orders in regard to the graves at that point. I found it impossible to obtain rock within a distance of five miles. I accordingly built a mound out of cord wood filled in the center with all the horse bones I could find on the field. In the center of the mound I dug a grave and interred all the human bones that could be found, in all parts of four or five different bodies. This grave was then built up with wood for four feet above the ground, well covered, and the mound built over and around it. The mound is ten feet square and about eleven feet high; is built on the highest point immediately in rear of where Gen'l Custer's body was found.
Instead of disturbing any remains, I carefully remounded all graves that could be found. At each grave a stake was driven, where those that had previously placed had fallen. Newspaper reports to the effect that bodies still lay exposed are sensational. From a careful searching of the entire ground the remains now buried beneath the mound were all that could be found. I believe the large number of horse bones lying over the field have given rise to some of such statements, and to prevent any such statements being made in the future, I had all the horse bones gathered together and placed in the mound where they can not be readily disturbed by curiosity seekers.
The ground to the north and east of the field was well searched for six miles in each direction, but no trace of any remains were found, nor anything to indicate that any persons were killed in that direction. The whole field now presents a perfectly clean appearance, each grave being remounded and all animal bones removed. ...it should be done as soon as practicable.
Your Obedient (Signed)
G.K. Sanderson
Capt. 11 U.S. Infantry.
Stanley J. Morrow took advantage of Captain Sanderson’s work and took a series of historic photographs which clearly show the horse bones gathered on Custer Hill in several large piles just prior to their first interment within the cordwood monument.
"Gracie's Butte," a handsome conical formation, capped with rock, stands out prominently in the valley of Tullock's Fork, a branch of the Big Horn, to the east of the divide, and about half a mile west of the boundary. It was named after Miss Gracie Sanderson, daughter of Captain Sanderson, Eleventh Infantry, and from its shape and position forms a prominent landmark in this section.
GK Sanderson, Eleventh Infantry, post-commander, Fort Custer
Fort Custer (Montana)
Fort Custer was established during the Indian wars in the Department of Dakota by the U.S. Army to control the Sioux, Cheyenne and Crow Indians near present-day Hardin, Montana...
August 1879-October 1880.
In 1883, he was assigned to recruit duty Davids Island
Davids' Island (New York)
Davids' Island is a island off the coast of New Rochelle, New York, in Long Island Sound. Currently uninhabited, in the past it was the site of Fort Slocum. Plans are to preserve the island as public parkland under the Westchester County Parks system. The island is home to the endangered Kemp’s...
, New York Harbor. Leave of absence for one month has been granted Capt. George K. Sanderson, Eleventh Infantry recruiting officer, April 11, 1883. May 7, 1884. The leave of absence on Surgeon's certificate of disability, granted Capt. George K. Sanderson, Eleventh Infantry, has been extended six months on Surgeon's certificate of disability.
Division of the Atlantic
July 29, 1887 Company C, Eleventh Infantry, left Fort Yates to proceed to and take station at Fort Ontario, New York. 1887-91 Capt George K Sanderson, Commanding Fort OntarioFort Ontario
Fort Ontario is a historic fort situated by the City of Oswego, in Oswego County, New York in the United States of America. It is owned by the state of New York and operated as a museum known as Fort Ontario State Historic Site....
and Company C (with HQ from Madison Barracks).
1st Lieutenant Henry 0. S. Heistand, to be captain of infantry. March 19, 1891, vice Sanderson, promoted and assigned to the 18th Infantry.
18th Infantry
Eighteenth Regiment of InfantryCaptain George K. Sanderson, 11th Infantry, to be major of infantry, March 19, 1891. He was stationed at Fort Clark, Texas
Fort Clark, Texas
Fort Clark was a frontier fort that later became the headquarters for the 2nd Cavalry Division.-Founding:The land that became Fort Clark was owned by Samuel A. Maverick at the time its potential for military development was recognized by William H.C. Whiting and William F. Smith in 1849...
near Brackettville, Texas
Brackettville, Texas
Brackettville is a city in Kinney County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,876 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kinney County...
.
Major George K. Sanderson, 18th Infantry, retired April 2, 1892, and died 2 Feb 1893, Lampasas, Texas
Lampasas, Texas
Lampasas is a city in Lampasas County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,786 at the 2000 census. It is the seat of Lampasas County.Lampasas is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.