George K . Sanderson George Kaiser Sanderson ( September 9 , 1844 - February 2 , 1893 ) was a career U . S . Army officer . Having enlisted as a Private he was latter commissioned and twice breveted for gallant and meritorious service during the American Civil War . He is most notable for being the first to erect a monument at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument . Early life and family . George K . Sanderson was born in Lebanon County , Pennsylvania , where his father , John P . Sanderson , was a newspaper editor and elected politician . He grew up mostly in Philadelphia , where his father continued in the newspaper business and practiced law . His first wife was named Mattie . George married Emeline Buford , daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Grace B . Buford , June 6 , 1888 , Rock Island County , Illinois . Civil War . Sanderson enlisted as a Private in the 15th U . S . Infantry on October 24 , 1861 . His father John P . Sanderson was already a lieutenant colonel of this regiment serving form from May 14 , 1861 until July 4 , 1863 . He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on October 31 , 1861 . He received a brevet as 1st Lieutenant on April 7 , 1862 , for gallant and meritorious service in the Battle of Shiloh Tennessee . He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in the Regular Army on November 9 , 1862 . Sanderson received a second brevet as captain on September 1 , 1864 , for gallant and meritorious service during the Atlanta Campaign . Sanderson served as a staff officer in the position of Regiment Quartermaster , Fifteenth U . S . Infantry , from April 6 , 1865 until March 28 , 1866 , when he was promoted to Captain . He later served again as a staff officer as assistant commissary of musters and acting aide - de - camp , from November 11 , 1867 to December 30 , 1867 . 33rd Infantry . Organized May 4 , 1861 , by direction of the President , as the Third Battalion , Fifteenth Infantry , and designated Thirty - Third Infantry , September 21 , 1866 , under the act of July 28 , 1866 . The regiment was consolidated May 3 , 1869 , under the act of March 3 , 1869 , with the Eighth Regiment of Infantry . Captain Sanderson was transferred to 33rd U . S . Infantry 21 Sept 1866 and served as Acting Assistant Adjutant - General ( AAAG ) , on the staff of Brevet Major General Pope commanding , Third Military District , at Headquarters ( Atlanta , Georgia ) . He was listed as unassigned May 3 , 1869 . Indian Wars . Sanderson was assigned to 11th U . S . Infantry on 18 Dec 1869 , and was stationed in the Department of Texas . Department of Texas . On July 26 , 1874 , the Commissioner of Indian Affairs , Edward P . Smith , instructed Colonel Davidson to enroll the non - hostile Indians at the Comanche - Kiowa agency by August 3 , 1874 . Davidson assigned Captain G . K . Sanderson to perform this duty in effect removing Indian Agent James H . Haworth almost entirely from the enrollment . Captain Sanderson first went to the Comanche village ten miles north of Fort Sill , Indian Territories , where he enrolled the bands of Horseback , Quirts Quip , and Cheevers . The next day he went to the Kiowa camp but Kicking Bird could not get enough of his men for enrollment . Captain Sanderson told Kicking Bird to bring his men to the agency the following day for enrollment . The Kiowas came on August 3 , but Ma - ye - tin , or Woman ' s Heart caused enough trouble that Captain Sanderson wanted him arrested but agent Haworth was against it . On August 8 the Yamparika were enrolled under the supervision of Captain Sanderson . Department of Dakota . The first reinforcements from the Department of Texas for the Great Sioux War of 1876 - 77 , were two companies under Captain Sanderson , which arrived on August 26 , 1876 , when he assumed command of the Post at Cheyenne River Agency , Dakota Territory ( later called Fort Bennett ) . Headquarters Department Of Dakota , Judge - advocate ' s Office , Saint Paul , Minn . , September 13 , 1879 . Capt . George K . Sanderson , Eleventh Infantry . Tried at Fort Keogh , Mont . , by the general court - martial , appointed by Special Orders Nos . 91 and 93 , series of 1878 , from these headquarters , and of which Col . Nelson A . Miles , Fifth Infantry , was president . Proceedings promulgated in General Court - Martial Orders No . 97 , of December 24 , 1878 , from these headquarters . Acquitted . Findings not approved . First Custer battlefield memorial . The first memorial on the site of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument was assembled by Captain George K . Sanderson and the 11th Infantry . In a letter dated October 29 , 1878 , Major George D . Ruggles , acting adjutant general , Department of Dakota , directed Lieutenant Colonel George P . Buell , commanding officer of Fort Custer , to send an expedition to the $ 3 to secure all human bones within a cone or pyramid of stones , adding , " The Department Commander thinks that the most suitable location for the grave is the highest point of the ridge just in rear of where General George Custer ' s body was found . " Fort Custer , M . T . April 7 , 1879 Post Adjutant Sir : I have the honor to report that in obedience to instructions I went to Custer Battlefield to carry out orders in regard to the graves at that point . I found it impossible to obtain rock within a distance of five miles . I accordingly built a mound out of cord wood filled in the center with all the horse bones I could find on the field . In the center of the mound I dug a grave and interred all the human bones that could be found , in all parts of four or five different bodies . This grave was then built up with wood for four feet above the ground , well covered , and the mound built over and around it . The mound is ten feet square and about eleven feet high ; is built on the highest point immediately in rear of where Gen ' l Custer ' s body was found . Instead of disturbing any remains , I carefully remounded all graves that could be found . At each grave a stake was driven , where those that had previously placed had fallen . Newspaper reports to the effect that bodies still lay exposed are sensational . From a careful searching of the entire ground the remains now buried beneath the mound were all that could be found . I believe the large number of horse bones lying over the field have given rise to some of such statements , and to prevent any such statements being made in the future , I had all the horse bones gathered together and placed in the mound where they can not be readily disturbed by curiosity seekers . The ground to the north and east of the field was well searched for six miles in each direction , but no trace of any remains were found , nor anything to indicate that any persons were killed in that direction . The whole field now presents a perfectly clean appearance , each grave being remounded and all animal bones removed . . . . it should be done as soon as practicable . Your Obedient ( Signed ) G . K . Sanderson Capt . 11 U . S . Infantry . Stanley J . Morrow took advantage of Captain Sanderson ’ s work and took a series of historic photographs which clearly show the horse bones gathered on Custer Hill in several large piles just prior to their first interment within the cordwood monument . " Gracie ' s Butte , " a handsome conical formation , capped with rock , stands out prominently in the valley of Tullock ' s Fork , a branch of the Big Horn , to the east of the divide , and about half a mile west of the boundary . It was named after Miss Gracie Sanderson , daughter of Captain Sanderson , Eleventh Infantry , and from its shape and position forms a prominent landmark in this section . GK Sanderson , Eleventh Infantry , post - commander , Fort Custer August 1879 - October 1880 . In 1883 , he was assigned to recruit duty Davids Island , New York Harbor . Leave of absence for one month has been granted Capt . George K . Sanderson , Eleventh Infantry recruiting officer , April 11 , 1883 . May 7 , 1884 . The leave of absence on Surgeon ' s certificate of disability , granted Capt . George K . Sanderson , Eleventh Infantry , has been extended six months on Surgeon ' s certificate of disability . Division of the Atlantic . July 29 , 1887 Company C , Eleventh Infantry , left Fort Yates to proceed to and take station at Fort Ontario , New York . 1887 - 91 Capt George K Sanderson , Commanding Fort Ontario and Company C ( with HQ from Madison Barracks ) . 1st Lieutenant Henry 0 . S . Heistand , to be captain of infantry . March 19 , 1891 , vice Sanderson , promoted and assigned to the 18th Infantry . 18th Infantry . Eighteenth Regiment of Infantry Captain George K . Sanderson , 11th Infantry , to be major of infantry , March 19 , 1891 . He was stationed at Fort Clark , Texas near Brackettville , Texas . Major George K . Sanderson , 18th Infantry , retired April 2 , 1892 , and died 2 Feb 1893 , Lampasas , Texas .