Fiddler’s Green: Alexander J. Sutorius

20 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by dccaughey in 3rd Cavalry, Battle of the Rosebud, Fiddler's Green, New Mexico, Regiment of Mounted Rifles

Alexander Johann Sutorius was born in Guienne, Switzerland on May 7, 1837. He emigrated to the United States in 1854, arriving in New York on the ship Samuel B. Fox from Havre de Grace on April 10^th. He used his middle name, Johann, on the ship’s passenger list, and like many young men, claimed to be older than he was.

A few months later, as many immigrants did, he enlisted into the army while still in New York. Captain Palmer enlisted him into the Field & Staff of the Regiment of Mounted Rifles as a musician on September 15, 8154. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’8” tall, with hazel eyes, brown hair and a dark complexion.

Military service definitely agreed with Alexander. By the time he re-enlisted four years later, he was the regiment’s chief bugler. Lieutenant Dabney Maury re-enlisted him on September 1, 1859 at Fort Union, New Mexico.

Promotions came quickly for Sutorius with the outbreak of the war. He was promoted to regimental quartermaster sergeant during the fighting in New Mexico, then to sergeant major of the regiment on July17, 1862. He replaced former sergeant major Charles Meinhold, who was promoted to second lieutenant in Company M. At the end of the year, he accompanied the remnants of the regiment on its march eastward to Memphis, TN

Sergeant Major Sutorius was discharged to receive an appointment as a second lieutenant in Company E, 3^rd U.S. Cavalry on April 22, 1863 at Memphis, TN. He would spend much of the rest of his career in this company.

Second Lieutenant Sutorius was appointed regimental adjutant on October 1, 1863. The duties must have been familiar, given the amount of time he’d spent on the regimental staff. The regiment had its busiest day of the war on the 26^th near Tuscumbia, AL, fighting three distinct engagements on the same day. Sutorius received a brevet promotion to first lieutenant for gallant and meritorious service in action for his services during that day’s fighting on November 15, 1863. He remained in this position during the regiment’s campaigns during the rest of the war in Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and Arkansas.

Lieutenant Sutorius remained the adjutant after the war, and was promoted to first lieutenant October 9, 1865. The regiment continued to serve in Arkansas until April 1866, when it was ordered to New Mexico. After accompanying the regiment on its march west, he returned to the east briefly to claim his bride. Lieutenant Sutorius married Mercy Tompkins, a native of New York and Daughter of the American Revolution fourteen years his junior, on August 19, 1866. They eventually had four children, Camille, Ford, Francis Alexis and Frances Eugenia.

In New Mexico, Lieutenant Sutorius relinquished the position of adjutant on May 29, 1867 to become the Regimental Commisary of Stores. He continued in this position until October 3d of the same year, when he became the Regimental Quartermaster. During this time, while the regiment was spread across New Mexico, Lieutenant Sutorius served primarily at Fort Craig and Fort Sumner.

On December 1, 1868, he finally left the regimental headquarters to return to Company E. During his time on the regimental staff, Sutorius held every position excepting only major and regimental commander. On May 6^th of the following year, he was promoted to captain and command of the company.

He and the company served in Arizona Territory at Camp Verde and Fort McDowell before they were transferred to Fort Sanders, Wyoming Territory in March 1872. During the next four years, he served in Nebraska and Wyoming Territory, commanding at various times Fort Sanders, Sidney Barracks and Camp Sheridan, Nebraska.

Like many of the cavalry officers on the frontier, Captain Sutorius and the 3^rd Cavalry were part of General Sheridan’s Centennial Campaign in 1876 to subdue the Indians. The 3^rd Cavalry was part of the force under General Crook. Captain Sutorius led Company E well at the battle of the Rosebud on June 17, 1876, but his career ended abruptly only a month later.

On July 22^nd, Captain Sutorius was charged with drunkenness on duty while in charge of the regiment’s pickets in the field. The charges read as follows:

“Charge. Drunkenness on duty in violation of the 38^th Article of War.

Specification. In this that he, Captain Alexander Sutoriu, 3d U.S. Cavalry, being officer in charge of the pickets of the 3^rd Cavalry, a portion of the Big Horn and Yellowstone Expedition, in the field, was so much under the influence of intoxicating liquors as to be unfit for proper performance of his duty. This when an attack by hostile Indians might at any moment be expected in the camp of Big Horn and Yellowstone Expedition, on Middle Goose Ck, Wy. On or about 22d day of July 1876.” (Robinson, pg 383)

The regimental commander, Colonel William B. Royall, forwarded the charges to General Crook requesting an immediate trial. Crook acquiesced, and the court martial started in the field just two days after the offense. Among those included in the court was Frederick Van Vliet, a former Civil War comrade who also still served in the regiment. Sutorius was found guilty, and dismissed from the service on September 25, 1876.

Captain Sutorius was far from the only army officer to have issues with alcohol on the frontier, in garrison or in the field, and the court martial and punishment appear to be very rapid and severe. This most likely in reaction to the disaster at Little Big Horn the month before and rumors of heavy alcohol use by various members of Custer’s force. Many officers, including general officers, were known to “like their tea,” and I have found nothing to indicate Sutorius had been anything but a model soldier to that point in his career. It seems unlikely that he would be anything different given his long service on the regimental staff at the whim of the commander. Colonel Royall had only served with the regiment since the previous December.

Regardless, Sutorius’ army career was over. He returned to New York with his family, where he lived the rest of his life. He worked as a storekeeper in Manhattan, according to the 1890 and 1900 Census.

Alexander John Sutorius died May 19, 1905 in New York City.

Sources;

Carroll and Price, Roll Call on the Little Big Horn, pg 158.

Chamberlain, Joshua L., ed. New York University: Its History, Influences, Equipment and Characteristics, Vol. 2. Boston: R. Herndon Company, 1903.

Clan of Tomkyns, Descendants of Girls, Volume III. Accessed online: no author or reference data available.

Heitman, Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States, pgs 625, 937

Henry, Military Record of Civilian Appointments to the U.S. Army, Vol. 2, pg 343.

Post Returns, National Archives.

Regimental Returns, National Archives.

Robinson, Charles M. III. The Diaries of John Gregory Bourke, Volume I. Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press, 2003.

U.S. Army Register, 1876

Fiddler’s Green: Richard Wall

06 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by dccaughey in 3rd Cavalry, battle of Glorietta Pass, battle of Valverde, New Mexico, Regiment of Mounted Rifles

≈ 2 Comments

Here’s the profile of another cavalryman from the southwestern theater of the war, Richard Wall of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry. I thought I would have this posted several days ago, but he kept popping up in the regimental monthly returns as I worked my way through them. Robert, thanks for your inquiry, and I hope this answers some of your questions.

Richard Wall was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1827. He immigrated to the United States, and was working as a miner in San Antonio, Texas when he was enlisted into Company C, Regiment of Mounted Rifles by Lieutenant Alfred Gibbs on December 1, 1855. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’7” tall, with gray eyes, brown hair, and a ruddy complexion. During his first enlistment, he was promoted to corporal and sergeant in the same company. On December 1, 1860, he was re-enlisted into Company C by Captain Dabney Maury at Fort Marcy, New Mexico.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Sergeant Wall remained with his company and regiment, and was soon promoted to first sergeant. 1861 was a year of long marches but relatively little fighting for the company. According to the regiment’s annual return, they marched 1,147 miles, but had only three small engagements with Indians and a lone skirmish against invading Texans north of fort Thorn, NM on September 25, 1861.

First Sergeant Wall was placed on special duty as an acting second lieutenant with his company in January 1862, one of three noncommissioned officers so assigned. This was an unorthodox assignment, made necessary by the lack of officers present for duty. Several officer appointments had made, but the new officers hadn’t reached new Mexico yet, and five of the six companies in the field had no officers.

On February 21, 1862, acting lieutenant Wall fought with his company at the battle of Valverde. Major Thomas Duncan commanded the regiment on the field, and commended Wall in his official report on the battle for actions “characterized by the greatest zeal and coolness.”

Following the battle, Company C was ordered north to Fort Union. They mustered only 26 enlisted men under Wall’s command. During the march, they were attacked by Indians on the night of March 3rd in Comanche Canon, NM. Wall and Bugler Piggot were wounded, and Private Patrick Hart was killed. They fought at the battle of Glorietta Pass later in the month, in a squadron with Company K under Captain Joseph Tilford.

Not long after the battle, the regiment was ordered to march to the western theater of the war, joining the General Grant’s Army of the Tennessee in November. Wall was officially appointed a second lieutenant on July 17th, but word of the promotion did not catch up with the regiment until December 17th, when he was discharged to receive the appointment at Memphis, TN. He was assigned to Company E.

Lieutenant Wall fought with his regiment in Tennessee and Alabama in 1863. He earned a brevet promotion to first lieutenant on November 15, 1863 for gallant and meritorious service in action near Tuscumbria, AL. He received an official appointment to first lieutenant three months later, on February 15, 1864.
The following month, the regiment was transferred to St Louis, MO. They spent the summer of 1864 fighting in the Department of Arkansas, where they remained through the end of the war. Lieutenant Wall was promoted to captain on December 24, 1866.

Shortly thereafter, the regiment was reassigned to duty in New Mexico. Captain Richard Wall died in Santa Fe of unknown causes on July 28, 1868, and was buried the same day in Santa Fe National Cemetery, section C, site 479.