Surgeon, US Army. Original burial site. When Lord's father was killed during the Mexican War, his uncle, Reverend Thomas N. Lord., adopted him and his brother, Thomas W. Lord. Lord and his brother grew up in West Auburn Maryland. In 1866, Lord graduated from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maryland. Following his graduation, Lord attended the Chicago Medical College (now Northwestern University). He graduated from there in March of 1871. On April 28, 1871, he was appointed, as a military contractor, Acting Assistant Surgeon, Department of Dakota Territory. Between 1871 and 1874, Lord was assigned to Ft Ripley and Ft Randall. He also accompanied the North Boundary Survey expedition from June to September of 1874. On January 15, 1875, Lord signed a new contract with the US Army at Ft Snelling, MN. During the "the locust plague" of 1875, Lord was briefly discharged from his contract to assist with "farmers' relief". He returned to his duties at Ft Lincoln, Dakota Territory on May 20, 1875. On June 6, 1875, Lord was promoted from acting to permanent Assistant Surgeon (equivalent to the military rank of 1st Lt), and on July 25, 1875, he was appointed Post Surgeon at Ft Buford, Dakota Territory. On May 14, 1876, Lord arrived by steamboat at the headquarters camp of General Alfred Terry's Yellowstone Expedition. He was assigned as the Chief Medical Officer for the 7th US Cavalry Regiment. Lord accompanied Custer's battalion into the battle of the Little Big Born. Though at the time Lord was ill, and Custer offered him the opportunity to remain in the rear, he insisted on fulfilling his duties and accompanied the battalion into battle. Lord was killed sometime during the fighting. When troops arrived at the battlefield on June 26, 1876, they began the difficult task of identifying the dead and conducting burials. There are several accounts about the identity and location of Lord's body. 2nd Lt Richard Thompson, 6th US Infantry, who was friends with Lord, positively identified a body on Last Stand Hill as Lord. Thompson placed Lord approximately 20 feet from Custer. And Captain Otto Michaelis, in response to a letter of inquiry from Lord's brother, 1st Lt Thomas Lord, insisted that his brother's body had been positively identified. Captain Michaelis explained that Lord had been identified by: "The "cut of his beard, the shapely hands, and the blue flannel shirt". Yet, Captain Frederick Benteen, 7th US Cavalry, wrote in a letter to his wife that though Lord was with Custer, his "body was not recognizable". Adding to the confusion, Lord's battlefield marker was originally located approximately 200 yards northeast from where it stands today. Soldiers also found Lord's medical bag in the Lakota/Cheyenne village, which had been located across the river from the battlefield. Over the years possible personal items belonging to Lord have been found. During one of the archeological battlefield digs, buttons from a medical officer's uniform were found near the South Skirmish Line. And in 1990, a brass plate to a medical officer's surgical kit was found in what had been the Lakota/Cheyenne Village on the banks of the Little Big Horn River. In 1881, all known battlefield burials were moved to a mass grave on Last Stand Hill.