US Army Officer killed at the Fetterman Massacre. Captain Brown served throughout the Civil War with the 18th US Infantry Regiment. After the war, Brown remained with the 18th under the command of Col. Henry Carrington. Carrington had been tasked with building forts along the Bozeman Trail in present day Wyoming and Montana. The forts were under constant attacks from Lakota and Cheyenne warriors throughout their construction and occupation. Though Capt Brown had been assigned quartermaster duties at Ft. Phil Kearny, he still took every opportunity to participate in the pursuit of attacking war parties. On December 21, 1866, one of the fort's wood cutting details came under attack. Carrington assigned a Captain Wm Fetterman to lead a relief party of 80 soldiers and several civilian army employees. One those 80 men was Brown. Brown, who had recently been promoted to captain, was seeking one more chance for combat, before being transferred out of the area. For unknown reasons, Fetterman pursued a small party of warriors beyond the endangered wood train. The fleeing warriors, who were actually decoys, led Fetterman and his men into an ambush of over 1000 warriors. Fetterman and all of his men were overwhelmed and killed. When a relief party arrived, they found Brown and Fetterman, who had been friends since the Civil War, laying near each other. They each had what appeared to be a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to their temples. Fetterman's defeat became known as the Fetterman Massacre. Brown was originally buried at the Ft. Kearny Post Cemetery. In March 1905, Brown was reburied at the Custer National Cemetery. He was buried next to Fetterman and the others who had died that winter day in Wyoming.
Recent research has revealed that Fetterman's reputation of being arrogant and dismissive of the threat by the Lakota/Cheyenne warriors appears to be doubtful. Those remarks seemed to have originated from Col Carrington, his supporters and his wives in their effort to protect Carrington's reputation. The infamous boast of being able to take on the Lakota Nation with only 80 men did not appear in any original sources or reports until years later in one of Carrington's wives books. Civil War records and first hand observations of those who had served with Fetterman described him as a very competent and brave officer, who had been respected by his peers & soldiers.∼From the Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, from it's Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903 by Francis B Heitman:
Brown, Frederick H. N.Y. Army. Pvt and q m sergt 18 inf 18 July 1861; 2 lt 18 inf 30 Oct 1861; 1 lt 24 Mar 1862; r q m 4 Nov 1861 to 15 May 1866; capt 15 May 1866; bvt capt 1 Sept 1864 for gal and mer ser dur the Alanta campn; killed 21 Dec 1866 in action with Inds near Fort Phil Kearny Dak [Dakota Territory].
Register of Enlistments - U. S. Army shows:
Name: Brown, Frederick H
Enlistment date: July 18, 1861
Enlistment place: Columbus
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York
Age: 28
Occupation: Accountant
Physical Description:
Eyes─Blue Hair─Brown
Complexion─ Ruddy Height─5' 6¼"
Unit: 18 Inf., "F" & "E" Co.
Remarks: 30 Oct 1861, Promoted to 2nd Lieut
Disinterred and reburied in 1905 at Custer Battlefield National Cemetery, Crow Agency, MT, Section B, Site 78.
Recent research has revealed that Fetterman's reputation of being arrogant and dismissive of the threat by the Lakota/Cheyenne warriors appears to be doubtful. Those remarks seemed to have originated from Col Carrington, his supporters and his wives in their effort to protect Carrington's reputation. The infamous boast of being able to take on the Lakota Nation with only 80 men did not appear in any original sources or reports until years later in one of Carrington's wives books. Civil War records and first hand observations of those who had served with Fetterman described him as a very competent and brave officer, who had been respected by his peers & soldiers.∼From the Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, from it's Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903 by Francis B Heitman:
Brown, Frederick H. N.Y. Army. Pvt and q m sergt 18 inf 18 July 1861; 2 lt 18 inf 30 Oct 1861; 1 lt 24 Mar 1862; r q m 4 Nov 1861 to 15 May 1866; capt 15 May 1866; bvt capt 1 Sept 1864 for gal and mer ser dur the Alanta campn; killed 21 Dec 1866 in action with Inds near Fort Phil Kearny Dak [Dakota Territory].
Register of Enlistments - U. S. Army shows:
Name: Brown, Frederick H
Enlistment date: July 18, 1861
Enlistment place: Columbus
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York
Age: 28
Occupation: Accountant
Physical Description:
Eyes─Blue Hair─Brown
Complexion─ Ruddy Height─5' 6¼"
Unit: 18 Inf., "F" & "E" Co.
Remarks: 30 Oct 1861, Promoted to 2nd Lieut
Disinterred and reburied in 1905 at Custer Battlefield National Cemetery, Crow Agency, MT, Section B, Site 78.
US Army Officer killed at the Fetterman Massacre. Captain Brown served throughout the Civil War with the 18th US Infantry Regiment. After the war, Brown remained with the 18th under the command of Col. Henry Carrington. Carrington had been tasked with building forts along the Bozeman Trail in present day Wyoming and Montana. The forts were under constant attacks from Lakota and Cheyenne warriors throughout their construction and occupation. Though Capt Brown had been assigned quartermaster duties at Ft. Phil Kearny, he still took every opportunity to participate in the pursuit of attacking war parties. On December 21, 1866, one of the fort's wood cutting details came under attack. Carrington assigned a Captain Wm Fetterman to lead a relief party of 80 soldiers and several civilian army employees. One those 80 men was Brown. Brown, who had recently been promoted to captain, was seeking one more chance for combat, before being transferred out of the area. For unknown reasons, Fetterman pursued a small party of warriors beyond the endangered wood train. The fleeing warriors, who were actually decoys, led Fetterman and his men into an ambush of over 1000 warriors. Fetterman and all of his men were overwhelmed and killed. When a relief party arrived, they found Brown and Fetterman, who had been friends since the Civil War, laying near each other. They each had what appeared to be a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to their temples. Fetterman's defeat became known as the Fetterman Massacre. Brown was originally buried at the Ft. Kearny Post Cemetery. In March 1905, Brown was reburied at the Custer National Cemetery. He was buried next to Fetterman and the others who had died that winter day in Wyoming.
Recent research has revealed that Fetterman's reputation of being arrogant and dismissive of the threat by the Lakota/Cheyenne warriors appears to be doubtful. Those remarks seemed to have originated from Col Carrington, his supporters and his wives in their effort to protect Carrington's reputation. The infamous boast of being able to take on the Lakota Nation with only 80 men did not appear in any original sources or reports until years later in one of Carrington's wives books. Civil War records and first hand observations of those who had served with Fetterman described him as a very competent and brave officer, who had been respected by his peers & soldiers.∼From the Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, from it's Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903 by Francis B Heitman:
Brown, Frederick H. N.Y. Army. Pvt and q m sergt 18 inf 18 July 1861; 2 lt 18 inf 30 Oct 1861; 1 lt 24 Mar 1862; r q m 4 Nov 1861 to 15 May 1866; capt 15 May 1866; bvt capt 1 Sept 1864 for gal and mer ser dur the Alanta campn; killed 21 Dec 1866 in action with Inds near Fort Phil Kearny Dak [Dakota Territory].
Register of Enlistments - U. S. Army shows:
Name: Brown, Frederick H
Enlistment date: July 18, 1861
Enlistment place: Columbus
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York
Age: 28
Occupation: Accountant
Physical Description:
Eyes─Blue Hair─Brown
Complexion─ Ruddy Height─5' 6¼"
Unit: 18 Inf., "F" & "E" Co.
Remarks: 30 Oct 1861, Promoted to 2nd Lieut
Disinterred and reburied in 1905 at Custer Battlefield National Cemetery, Crow Agency, MT, Section B, Site 78.
Recent research has revealed that Fetterman's reputation of being arrogant and dismissive of the threat by the Lakota/Cheyenne warriors appears to be doubtful. Those remarks seemed to have originated from Col Carrington, his supporters and his wives in their effort to protect Carrington's reputation. The infamous boast of being able to take on the Lakota Nation with only 80 men did not appear in any original sources or reports until years later in one of Carrington's wives books. Civil War records and first hand observations of those who had served with Fetterman described him as a very competent and brave officer, who had been respected by his peers & soldiers.∼From the Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, from it's Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903 by Francis B Heitman:
Brown, Frederick H. N.Y. Army. Pvt and q m sergt 18 inf 18 July 1861; 2 lt 18 inf 30 Oct 1861; 1 lt 24 Mar 1862; r q m 4 Nov 1861 to 15 May 1866; capt 15 May 1866; bvt capt 1 Sept 1864 for gal and mer ser dur the Alanta campn; killed 21 Dec 1866 in action with Inds near Fort Phil Kearny Dak [Dakota Territory].
Register of Enlistments - U. S. Army shows:
Name: Brown, Frederick H
Enlistment date: July 18, 1861
Enlistment place: Columbus
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York
Age: 28
Occupation: Accountant
Physical Description:
Eyes─Blue Hair─Brown
Complexion─ Ruddy Height─5' 6¼"
Unit: 18 Inf., "F" & "E" Co.
Remarks: 30 Oct 1861, Promoted to 2nd Lieut
Disinterred and reburied in 1905 at Custer Battlefield National Cemetery, Crow Agency, MT, Section B, Site 78.
