Rank: Sergeant
Unit: L Co, 2d Cavalry
Reenlisted: August 22, 1873 in Fort Ellis, Montana Territory. He was 25. It was his second enlistment.
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Occupation prior to enlistment: Clerk
Campaign: Plains Indian War (post Civil War)
Died: 9 August 1877
Cause of death: Killed in action by Indians
Location of fatality: Big Hole, Montana territory
Place of interment: Big Hole Battlefield Cemetery in Wisdom, Montana
Click to open a new window to view Soldier’s grave site on the Find A Grave website.
Note: Big Hole National Battlefield Monumnet list Seargeant Page as one of the Soldiers that died in the battle with Nez-Perce Indians.
Click to open an external link to view monument list Soldier’s place of death.
Sgt Page, Company L, 2nd US Cavalry, was killed during the Battle of Big Hole, while fighting Chief Joseph & the Nez Perce.
Soldiers killed during the battle were first buried where they had died. Burial details stated the “dead were buried as best we could.” Graves were initially marked with headboards made from cracker boxes.
In September 1877, soldiers at Fortt Missoula in Montana Territory returned to the battlefield to follow up on reports that the graves of the soldiers had been disturbed. When they arrived at the battlefield, the reports were confirmed. The remains of the soldiers had been dug up by “Indians, wolves and other animals”. It was also reported Lt James Bradley’s body had been scalped. The remains were placed together in a mass grave.
In 1883 a granite monument was placed in the vicinity of the mass grave.
He stood 5’5″ with blue eyes, brown hair, and fair complexion.
Original enlistment was August 19, 1868 in New York into Company G, 2d Cavalry. He was discharged on August 19, 1873 at Fort Ellis, Montana Territory for expiration of service and held the rank of trumpeter.
There seems to be a 5-year discrepancy in his age between the two enlistments.