Author Archives: Sam Russell

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About Sam Russell

I am a fifth-generation retired Army officer with three decades of commissioned service. I have been researching the frontier Army for over eighteen years and am interested in documenting the lives of the soldiers that participated in the battle of Wounded Knee using primarily official reports, diaries, letters, newspaper articles and other primary source documents. My interest in Wounded Knee stems from my kinship to one of the principal participants. I am the great-great-grandson of Samuel M. Whitside, who was a major and battalion commander at the battle. I welcome and encourage comments on posts and pages and am always interested in any new primary sources. If you have copies of letters, diaries, etc, from participants and are willing to share, please contact me. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are strictly my own, and should in no way be construed as official Army or U.S. Government positons.

General Godfrey’s Recollections of Wounded Knee


I rallied my troop on the hill, dismounted to fight on foot, and posted my men in position.  Large groups were approaching and opened fire on us. From his retirement home in Cookstown, New Jersey, on May 29, 1931 Brigadier … Continue reading

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D Troop, 7th Cavalry Regiment Muster Roll


Muster Roll of Captain Edward S. Godfrey’s Troop D of the Seventh Regiment of Cavalry, Army of the United States, (Colonel James W. Forsyth,) from the 31st day of October, 1890 to the 31st day of December, 1890. [Names in … Continue reading

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Second Lieutenant Thomas Quinton Donaldson, C Troop, 7th Cavarly


One of these bucks I took a rifle from; he was lying under a squaw’s blanket with her, and had evidently tried there to shield himself while firing ; both were dead. Lieutenant T. Q. Donaldson was one of the youngest … Continue reading

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