High View Farm

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Tom Baden
James Baden Jr.
Thomas Eagan
William Barbour
Elizabeth Baden
Mary Baden Parker
James Baden Sr.

Thomas P. Eagan was born in Ireland and came to America sometime in the mid 19th century.  He joined the United States Army and served in the cavalry.  He was the half brother of Ella Adele Eagan, wife of William Horace Barbour.

He served under Custer in the famous 7th Cavalry and was killed at Little Big Horn.  Before he died he wrote a letter to his sister in which he said:
 

Fort Totten, D.T. [Dakota Territory]
March 5, 1876
Dear Sister:

I take the present opportunity of letting you know that I will soon be on the move again.  We are to start the 10th of this month for the Big Horn country.  The Indians are getting bad again.  I think that we will have some hard times this summer.  The Old Chief Sitting Bull says that he will not make peace with the whites as long as he has a man to fight.  The weather very cold here at present, and very likely to stay so for two months yet.  Ella, you need not write to me again until you hear from me again.  Give my love to Sister Mary and Brother Johnny.  Remember me to your husband.  As soon as I get back of the campaign I will write you -- that is, if I do not get my hair lifted by some Indian.  Well, I will close -- no more at present from your loving brother

T. P. Eagan.

P.S.  If you hear from Hubert tell him not to write until he hears from me.  TPE.

As an Irishman, Thomas Eagan must have pronounced his name "Tom HAY-gan" because he was listed in the troop roster as Corporal Hagan.  His descendants were never able to confirm that he served in the Army - perhaps the Army feared a pension claim.  However, our family has passed this letter on from generation to generation.  There is a copy of it in the United States Archives, and the letter was read on television during the series The West.

(Thanks to Russell N. Eagan for the photo.)

 

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Last modified: 03/25/06

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