On the 1876 Campaign, Peter Eixenberger was a member of the 7th U.S. Cavalry band which was under the leadership of Chief Musician Felix Vinatieri. Therefore, he was not at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, but instead was on detached service at the Powder River Depot with the rest of the band.
Eixenberger was discharged from the 7th Cavalry on November 14, 1880 at Fort Meade, upon expiration of service as a private of excellent character. He re-enlisted in the band for another five years and was discharged for the final time on November 14, 1885. That same month, he married Mary Achenbach and together they had eight children.
Peter died on September 12, 1917 near Sykes, Montana. He was buried at St. Aloysius Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota. Sadly, two of his children, Peter Jr. and Gladys, died the following year during the Spanish Flu epidemic. His wife, Mary, lived until 1940. She died on December 8 and is buried next to her husband.
Many thanks to Diane Merkel of the THIS WEEK IN LITTLE BIGHORN HISTORY blog for providing me with this photo.
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| Peter and Mary Eixenberger |
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| Eixenberger grave at St. Aloysius Cemetery, Sturgis, SD. |
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