Enlisted at Tarrytown, New York in Company B 1St New York Cavalry on 22 September 1864 under the name Michael C. Cadler, to serve one year. Was discharged with the detachment on 6 June 1865 at Alexandria, Virginia.

Enlised on 29 September 1873 into Co. I, as a sargeant in the 7th U. S. Cavalry as Michael C. Caddler (there may have been a mistake in spelling somewhere along the way.) He was not at the Battle of the Little Big Horn as he was on detached service, probably either at Powder River Depot or at Fort Abraham Lincoln.

On Christmas Day 1877 he married Josephine McIlharqey, the widow of Archibald McIlhargey, who died at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

***********

FT. RICE RESIDENT PASSES AWAY HERE
The death of M. C. Caddell of Ft. Rice occurred in Bismarck yesterday afternoon at 3:30, at a local hospital. Deceased was 71 years old, and death resulted from a complication of diseases. The body was shipped to Ft. Rice this afternoon for burial.
M. C. Caddell was a veteran of years service in the Dakota Indian wars. He served at Fort Rice in the early days and later at old Fort Lincoln under General George Custer. Mr. Caddell also served with honor throughout the Civil war.
Mrs. Caddell died fourteen years ago, and there survive the deceased five sons, two of whom are in France, and four daughters.

**********************
Michael Christopher CADDELL (sometimes CADLER, CADDLE or CADLE) was born
6/9/1845 (unverified) in Dublin Ireland (some sources say New York City),
and died 5/1/1919 in Bismarck ND. Michael's father was Thomas CADDELL.
Thomas, his wife, and their 4 children immigrated from Ireland to New York
in 1847 (unverified). Michael was the youngest child. His siblings were
James CADDELL (had a daughter Laura CADDELL who married Joseph PRISK),
Andrew CADDELL, and Mary CADDELL.

Michael enlisted in the Union Army at Tarrytown NY, as a Private. On
9/22/1864 he was mustered into "B" Co. of the 1st New York "Lincoln"
Cavalry. The story (inconsistent with best dates I have) is that he ran
away from home and enlisted while underage at 17, and thus changed his name
from CADDELL to CADDLE so his parents wouldn't trace him. He witnessed
Lee's surrender, and was mustered out on 6/6/1865 at Alexandria VA. After
the war he returned to New York and conducted street cars for Cornelius
Vanderbilt.

This work bored him so he signed up with Custer to fight Indians, enlisting
in the 7th US Cavalry on 9/29/1873 in NYC. He served in Co I as a Sergeant.
The 7th was first stationed in Kansas and fought Indians on the southern
plains. In 1875 the 7th moved into Dakota Territory, discovered gold in the
Black Hills, and continued to fight Indians.

On 6/26/1876, almost half of the 7th Cavalry was wiped out at the Battle of
the Little Big Horn, aka "Custer's Last Stand", in Montana Territory. Sgt.
Caddle was fortunate to have been on supply detail at the time, attending to
a steamship on the Powder River. All of the troops with Custer's immediate
battalion were killed that day, including his Co. I.

Caddle's best friend was a fellow trooper from Co I, Pvt Archibald
MCILHARGEY, who was married with a young child. Caddle had pledged to take
care of McIlhargey's family if he should be killed. Caddle married
McIlhargey's widow, Josephine LEE, in 1877 or 1878. The widow had 2
children, Rosalie and Archibald, who, after her re-marriage, took the name
of CADDLE. 8 more children were born to them.

Caddle was discharged 9/29/1878 at Fort A Lincoln, Dakota Territory, upon
expiration of service, as a Sergeant of excellent character. After his
discharge they moved to Oliver County, Dakota Territory, and in 1883 he
squatted on land two miles north of Fort Rice on the west side of the
Missouri River. Here he farmed and was a rural mail carrier. In 1887,
after Michael's mother died, his father, Thomas, came to live with them and
help farm. Michael's wife died in 1902.

Their 10 children were:

1) Rosalie (McIlhargey) CADDELL, b 8/15/1874 at Fort Totten, Dakota
Territory, d 12/10/1960 in Bismarck ND. Rosalie married Nicholas WATSON,
and they had 3 children: Bessie, Josephine, and Archie.

2) Archibald Floyd (McIlhargey) CADDELL, b 12/11/1876 at Ft Abraham Lincoln
Dakota Territory, d 10/20/1953 in Minneapolis MN.

3) Thomas Michael CADDELL, b 1/6/1878 at Ft Rice, ND, d 9/1897.

4) Mary Ellen CADDELL, b 1/6/1882 at Ft Rice, ND, d 1/25/1974 in Kimberly
ID. Mary Ellen married Aubrey WATSON, and they had 10 children: Arbrey,
Virginia, Thomas, Ruth, Marshall, Mary, Betty, Nevada, William, and Harold.

5) Walter Lee CADDELL, b 9/29/1887 Ft Rice ND. Married Bridget FOGARTY.
Daughter Frances CADDELL married BROWN.

6) Dorothy Ann CADDELL, b 12/15/1888 Ft Rice ND. Married Joseph WEAD.

7) James Andrew CADDELL, b 11/20/1892 Ft Rice; d 6/18/1971. Married Gladys
STEWART.

8) Joseph Hugh CADDELL, b 8/28/1894 Ft Rice ND. d 1/3/1971. Married
Veronica FOGARTY.

9) Cornelius Vanderbilt CADDELL, b 11/22/1896 Ft Rice ND; d 2/16/1935.

10) Julia Cecelia CADDELL b 7/15/1898 Ft Rice ND; d 4/25/1988. Married
Harley BARNES.

Enlisted at Tarrytown, New York in Company B 1St New York Cavalry on 22 September 1864 under the name Michael C. Cadler, to serve one year. Was discharged with the detachment on 6 June 1865 at Alexandria, Virginia.

Enlised on 29 September 1873 into Co. I, as a sargeant in the 7th U. S. Cavalry as Michael C. Caddler (there may have been a mistake in spelling somewhere along the way.) He was not at the Battle of the Little Big Horn as he was on detached service, probably either at Powder River Depot or at Fort Abraham Lincoln.

On Christmas Day 1877 he married Josephine McIlharqey, the widow of Archibald McIlhargey, who died at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

***********

FT. RICE RESIDENT PASSES AWAY HERE
The death of M. C. Caddell of Ft. Rice occurred in Bismarck yesterday afternoon at 3:30, at a local hospital. Deceased was 71 years old, and death resulted from a complication of diseases. The body was shipped to Ft. Rice this afternoon for burial.
M. C. Caddell was a veteran of years service in the Dakota Indian wars. He served at Fort Rice in the early days and later at old Fort Lincoln under General George Custer. Mr. Caddell also served with honor throughout the Civil war.
Mrs. Caddell died fourteen years ago, and there survive the deceased five sons, two of whom are in France, and four daughters.

**********************
Michael Christopher CADDELL (sometimes CADLER, CADDLE or CADLE) was born
6/9/1845 (unverified) in Dublin Ireland (some sources say New York City),
and died 5/1/1919 in Bismarck ND. Michael's father was Thomas CADDELL.
Thomas, his wife, and their 4 children immigrated from Ireland to New York
in 1847 (unverified). Michael was the youngest child. His siblings were
James CADDELL (had a daughter Laura CADDELL who married Joseph PRISK),
Andrew CADDELL, and Mary CADDELL.

Michael enlisted in the Union Army at Tarrytown NY, as a Private. On
9/22/1864 he was mustered into "B" Co. of the 1st New York "Lincoln"
Cavalry. The story (inconsistent with best dates I have) is that he ran
away from home and enlisted while underage at 17, and thus changed his name
from CADDELL to CADDLE so his parents wouldn't trace him. He witnessed
Lee's surrender, and was mustered out on 6/6/1865 at Alexandria VA. After
the war he returned to New York and conducted street cars for Cornelius
Vanderbilt.

This work bored him so he signed up with Custer to fight Indians, enlisting
in the 7th US Cavalry on 9/29/1873 in NYC. He served in Co I as a Sergeant.
The 7th was first stationed in Kansas and fought Indians on the southern
plains. In 1875 the 7th moved into Dakota Territory, discovered gold in the
Black Hills, and continued to fight Indians.

On 6/26/1876, almost half of the 7th Cavalry was wiped out at the Battle of
the Little Big Horn, aka "Custer's Last Stand", in Montana Territory. Sgt.
Caddle was fortunate to have been on supply detail at the time, attending to
a steamship on the Powder River. All of the troops with Custer's immediate
battalion were killed that day, including his Co. I.

Caddle's best friend was a fellow trooper from Co I, Pvt Archibald
MCILHARGEY, who was married with a young child. Caddle had pledged to take
care of McIlhargey's family if he should be killed. Caddle married
McIlhargey's widow, Josephine LEE, in 1877 or 1878. The widow had 2
children, Rosalie and Archibald, who, after her re-marriage, took the name
of CADDLE. 8 more children were born to them.

Caddle was discharged 9/29/1878 at Fort A Lincoln, Dakota Territory, upon
expiration of service, as a Sergeant of excellent character. After his
discharge they moved to Oliver County, Dakota Territory, and in 1883 he
squatted on land two miles north of Fort Rice on the west side of the
Missouri River. Here he farmed and was a rural mail carrier. In 1887,
after Michael's mother died, his father, Thomas, came to live with them and
help farm. Michael's wife died in 1902.

Their 10 children were:

1) Rosalie (McIlhargey) CADDELL, b 8/15/1874 at Fort Totten, Dakota
Territory, d 12/10/1960 in Bismarck ND. Rosalie married Nicholas WATSON,
and they had 3 children: Bessie, Josephine, and Archie.

2) Archibald Floyd (McIlhargey) CADDELL, b 12/11/1876 at Ft Abraham Lincoln
Dakota Territory, d 10/20/1953 in Minneapolis MN.

3) Thomas Michael CADDELL, b 1/6/1878 at Ft Rice, ND, d 9/1897.

4) Mary Ellen CADDELL, b 1/6/1882 at Ft Rice, ND, d 1/25/1974 in Kimberly
ID. Mary Ellen married Aubrey WATSON, and they had 10 children: Arbrey,
Virginia, Thomas, Ruth, Marshall, Mary, Betty, Nevada, William, and Harold.

5) Walter Lee CADDELL, b 9/29/1887 Ft Rice ND. Married Bridget FOGARTY.
Daughter Frances CADDELL married BROWN.

6) Dorothy Ann CADDELL, b 12/15/1888 Ft Rice ND. Married Joseph WEAD.

7) James Andrew CADDELL, b 11/20/1892 Ft Rice; d 6/18/1971. Married Gladys
STEWART.

8) Joseph Hugh CADDELL, b 8/28/1894 Ft Rice ND. d 1/3/1971. Married
Veronica FOGARTY.

9) Cornelius Vanderbilt CADDELL, b 11/22/1896 Ft Rice ND; d 2/16/1935.

10) Julia Cecelia CADDELL b 7/15/1898 Ft Rice ND; d 4/25/1988. Married
Harley BARNES.