Saturday, June 9, 2012

Custer Massacre

Found a grave stone in Brownville, NY cemetery that had a reference to Gen. Custer.  I was lucky enough to find his obit on fultonhistory.com and include it below.  He just missed being a fallen hero.  A picture of his stone is available on his FAG memorial.

Watertown Daily Times, Watertown, NY, Thursday Afternoon, March 1, 1917, Page 6, Column 4


Was With Custer in the Far West
Veteran of Civil War and Indian Wars
George W Ceigler Dies
His Term of Enlistment Expired Six Weeks Before the Custer Massacre at the Little Big Horn

George W Ceigler, well known Civil war veteran and pulp and paper maker, died late Wednesday afternoon at his home, 825 Cooper street, following a years illness, aged 70 years. He had been in failing health for over a year and had not been able to work since last June. He was born at H???lion, Pa, Oct. 26, 1846, a son of George W and Sarah Welterhahn Ceigler, and spent his early life in that locality. When a boy, his parents moved to Lebanon, Pa., where his father died in 1865. He was educated in schools at that place and when the Civil war broke out, he entered the United States army as a driver. He was wounded at Gettysburg the third day, July 3, 1863, and was carried from the field with two bullets in his left leg. As soon as he recovered, he again took up service in the regular army and was assigned to the regiment commanded by General George A Custer. In early May, 1876, six weeks before Custer's massacre by Sioux, at the Little Big Horn river in Montana, his term of enlistment expired and he left active service of the army. Had he remained with Custer until June 25 of that year, he would undoubtedly have shared the fate of the brave men of the Custer command.

In 1877 Mr. Ceigler came to this city and had resided in or near this city ever since. He was employed on farms at first, but later engaged as a pulp and paper maker. He was employed for a number of years at the mill at Felts Mills, and later was employed at the Harmon paper mill at Brownville. For a number of years he was employed as pulp maker at No. 4 of the International Paper Co.'s chain, located at Glen Park. Last June he gave up active occupation on account of failing health.
He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Adeline Palmer Ceigler, one son, Lewis W Ceigler, two grand children, Ida Maud and Helen May Ceigler, and two step children, John Johnson and Mrs. Frederick Jackson, all of this city.

The funeral will be held from his late home, 825 Cooper street, Friday at 2:30 pm, Rev. James Brockle, pastor of Hope Presbyterian church will officiate. The body will be placed in the vault until spring, when interment will be made in Brownville cemetery.