John Dolan – Sergeant, United States Army Company M, Seventh United States Cavalry

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On detached service from Jun 15, 1876, at Yellowstone Depot, Montana Territory. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Apr 14, 1843. Enlisted in Company H, 1st Cavalry, on February 16, 1866, at age 22, in Philadelphia by Captain J. Mix, 2nd Cavalry. Prior occupation was laborer. Honorably discharged on February 15, 1869, from Company H, 1st Cavalry, at Camp Harney, Oregon, upon expiration of service as a Corporal. Re-enlisted on March 13, 1869, at Portland, Oregon, by Lieutenant Duncan Sherman, 1st Cavalry. Deserted.

Re-enlisted as Thomas Brown on October 1, 1873, at age 29, in New York City by Lieutenant Edward Hunter. He states that his birthplace was New York City and that his previous occupation was machinist. Assigned to Company M, 7th Cavalry. His enlistment was canceled and he surrendered on November 17, 1873, under the President’s proclamation published in General Order Number 102, AGO, 1873, as John Dolan, deserter from Company I, 1st Cavalry. Discharged from Company M, 7th Cavalry on July 3, 1876, at camp on the Big Horn River, Montana Territory, upon expiration of service as a Private. His character on discharge was excellent and no objection was know to his being re-enlisted.

Third enlistment was on August 2, 1876, at age 32 in the General Mounted Service at St. Louis Barracks, Missouri, by Lieutenant John Thompson, 3rd Cavalry. Discharged on August 1, 1881, at Fort Yates, Dakota Territory, upon expiration of service, as a Sergeant in Troop B, 7th Cavalry. At this time, he was married and had 2 children.

Fourth enlistment on January 1, 1882, at the age of 37, at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory, by Lieutenant Ernest Garlington. Assigned to Troop L, 7th Cavalry. Discharged on December 13, 1886, at Fort Buford, Dakota Territory, as a Sergeant in Troop L, 7th Cavalry. At this time he was a single man. He had gunshot wound scars on the back of his head and on the left leg below the knee, in front and below the left ankle.

Fifth enlistment January 1, 1887, at Fort Buford by Lieutenant Ernest Garlington. Discharged on December31, 1891, at Fott Riley, Kansas, from Troop C, 7th Cavalry, as a Sergeant of good character.

Sixth enlistment on January 26, 1892, in Troop B, 7th Cavalry, at Fort Riley by Lieutenant James F. Bell. Discharged on April 10, 1896, at Camp Grant, Arizona Territory for disability as a Sergeant in Troop I, 7th Cavalry, of very good character. He had hazel, gray or brown eyes, brown or dark hair, ruddy or dark complexion and was 5′ 9″ in height.

His account of the Little Big Horn River fight was published in the New York Herald, July 26, 1876. He died on March 31, 1922 at Fort Myer, Virginia, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

DOLAN, JOHN

  • SGT TROOP 1 7TH US CAV
  • VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
  • DATE OF DEATH: 03/31/1922
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 04/03/1922
  • BURIED AT: SECTION EXT-D  SITE 20039
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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