John Lattman was born in Switzerland in 1848. He enlisted in the U.S. 7th Cavalry in Philadelphia, on October 14, 1873. He was discharged five years later, on October 14, 1878, at Fort Lincoln, Dakota, upon expiration of service, as a private of excellent character.
He was a member of Company G and was therefore assigned to Major Reno's battalion at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. During the dash from the timber to the bluffs, he was left behind in the timber. He was possibly in a group that included scout George Herendeen. They eventually made it to the bluffs and the relative safety of the rest of the companies. Being with the experienced Herendeen may have helped save Lattman's life.
After his discharge from the army, he homesteaded on 160 acres of land northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, where he raised cattle, and became a well-respected rancher. He died on October 7, 1913, at the age of sixty-five. He is buried at Elk Vale Cemetery, located northeast of Rapid City.
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| Elk Vale Cemetery. Northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota. |
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| Lattman grave at Elk Vale Cemetery. |
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| Lattman obituary from the Madison Daily Leader, Madison, SD. October 21, 1913. |
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