Famous Last Words

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

"Who is it?" were the last words of which old west character?

[Big Hext Finnigan]

Well now ol' Hamp..
Is you trying to fool us.. by now, everybody knows that Billy the Kid didn't really die that night.. killed by Pat Garrett.

Trot out them questions.. I promise not to hog them all. 

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

I made the first one easy for Jefe Hext.

How about this one?

"Give me 80 men and I'll ride through the whole Sioux nation."

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[Silver Creek Slim]

George Armstrong Custer?

Slim

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Definitely was an Army officer, Slim, but not old George.  The one in question didn't quite have the rank held by Custer, either.  Give it another shot (maybe a volley?).

Hamp

[Silver Creek Slim]

Captain William J. Fetterman.
I cheated by using Google. 

Slim

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Who's Google, and what makes you think he's right?

Here's the rest of the story, since Slim gave up and done it the easy way.

In November, 1866, Captain William J. Fetterman reported in to the 18th U.S. Infantry at Fort Phil Kearney.  At the time, the regiment was tasked with containing Red Cloud and his band of Sioux.  Its commander, Colonel Carrington, found Fetterman to be a troublesome officer despite an exemplary Civil War combat record.  Several times during December, the Sioux launched forays against settlers and grazing herds in hopes of baiting the soldiers into a hot pursuit and subsequent ambush.  Each time, officers commanding patrols sent out in response by Colonel Carrington recognized the traps before they could be sprung.  The Sioux set the stage once more on December 21 when they pinned down a supply train not far from the fort.  Carrington identified an officer to lead the 80 man relief column, but Fetterman, although inexperienced in Indian warfare, demanded the assignment based upon seniority.  Carrington acquiesced but gave Fetterman emphatically explicit instructions not to pursue any Indians.  A second patrol sent out later in the day found the bodies of Fetterman and all 80 of his men stripped of their clothing and horribly mutilated.

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Try this one on for size.  Who's last words were:

"Sergeant, the Spanish bullet isn't made that will kill me."

[Sagebrush Burns]

Bucky O'Neil  TR's rough riders

[Silver Creek Slim]

Bucky O'Neil  TR's rough riders

Did you cheat?

Slim

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Sagebrush has it right on the money.

Buckey O'Neill was an Arizona lawyer, miner, cowboy, gambler, newspaperman, sheriff, and congressman.  He was also one of the most important members of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War, having recruited many of the volunteers and supervised their training while in San Antonio waiting to be deployed.
Just prior to the famous charge up Kettle (not San Juan) Hill, O'Neill was standing up, smoking a cigarette, and joking with his troops while under withering fire from the ridge.  One of his sergeants shouted to him above the noise, "Captain, a bullet is sure to hit you!" to which O'Neill shouted back his reply.  O'Neill then calmly turned to another officer.  As he started to speak, a bullet struck him in the mouth.  Private Tuttle, who was standing nearby, later recalled, "I heard the bullet. You usually can if you're close enough, you know.  It makes a sort of 'spat.'  He was dead before he hit the ground."

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

OK, let's try this one without the help of Mr. Google and his friends (at least for a little while) and see who really knows his/her history.

"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist--."

[Silver Creek Slim]

An officer in the Civil War, but I don't know his name.

Slim

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Slim,

Your partial answer is absolutely correct.  Now, all we need  is a name.  I will tell you that he was a General.

[Nashville Frank]

 I`ve heard about this one, but I just can`t remember the name..

Could it be Sherwood?

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Not Sherwood, but the first letter (S) is correct.

Will go ahead and provide "the rest of the story" and see if it can jog loose a name.

"General ______ ________was a corps commander in the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War.  At the battle of the Wilderness, while inspecting his troops, he approached a parapet and peered out over the surrounding countryside.  His officers and men urged him to take cover from small arms fire, but _________ scoffed at their concerns, "What! What men! This will never do, dodging from single bullets!"   As the general spoke his last words, he was shot in the head by a Confederate sharpshooter."

[Marauder]

General John Sedgwick, battle of Spotsylvania, 1864

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Nice goin', Marauder.  It surely was General Sedgwick

Sedgwick, John "Uncle John," General (1813-1864)
   
   General John Sedgwick was a corps commander in the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War.  At the battle of the Wilderness, while inspecting his troops, he approached a parapet and peered out over the surrounding countryside.  His officers and men urged him to take cover from small arms fire, but Sedgwick scoffed at their concerns, "What! What men! This will never do, dodging from single bullets!"   As the general spoke his last words, he was shot in the head by a Confederate sharpshooter.

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

"Don't let it end like this.  Tell them I said something."

Who said that?

[Silver Creek Slim]

You should say it with a Spanish accent. 

Slim