Comanche was an "official" survivor. An E Company gray horse was brought to Canada as a war trophy by one of Sitting Bull's people. It was then sold to a Metis buffalo hunter at Wood Mountain, North-West Territory (present day Saskatchewan). Major James Walsh of the North-West Mounted Police then bought the horse. Walsh being a man of the law; sought permission from the US authorities to keep the horse by writing to General Terry. Terry forwarded the communication to the War department in Washington who set aside any claim to the horse. Terry then passed the decision on to Walsh. I've seen photos of the document signed by General Terry passing on the authorization to Walsh. So that's quite an equine resume...Cavalry horse, briefly an Indian pony, Metis buffalo horse then a North-West Mounted Police patrol horse...
Husband on wife’s iPad...Funny coincidence, my daughter and I were listening to Marty Robins last night and one of the songs we listened to was “Comanche”(war horse).
That's what you get when you teach everyone how to write. Very functional, boring text. I can assure you that most people didn't talk like a thesaurus back then.
There was a skeleton of a soldier found about 4-6 miles from the battlefield in the mid-1970s. He was identified as a soldier by the tattered remnants of his uniform and buttons etc. I remember that people reporting on the find wondered if this was the remains of the soldier who had killed himself.
@Dwight_ Sorry for the delayed response, I did not see your comment until now. I remember watching this story being reported on the local evening news when we were visiting my grandparents in Sidney, Montana. The reporter was actually standing in the location where the body had been found. I'm guessing the report came out of a local news station in Billings. It would have had to have been reported on in the Billings Gazette at the time. I'm not 100% sure on the timing, but it would have had to have been between 1975 and 1979. We saw the report at my grandparents' house in town before they moved back to their farm in 1980.
@larrylinguine5572 Not BS, this was a report I watched on the local news in Sidney, MT, in the mid to late 70s. I can't tell you if the soldier whose remains were found was tied to the Little Bighorn or not, but that link was being made at the time the remains were found.
I grew up near the Battlefield. My brother has a "7th. A Cavalry" cross swords and a "7th. A Cavalry Indian Scout" badge which were acquired from local native American citizens in the 60's...likely handed down in their families. My friend and I also located the garbage dump of Fort Custer, located in a coulee a few hundred yards from the fort site. We dug up dozens of artifacts in the 60's. The land was then privately owned by acquaintances of ours.
@@andrefromelpasotexas3236 typical garbage...old boot scraps, uniform scraps, leather remnanats, lots of old bottles, spoons, knives, uniform buttons, a couple of "US" belt buckles. In another area, which was the Rifle Range, we found dozens of cartridges and numerous live rounds. Also found a huge lead ball...about the size of a bowling ball, which was a lead ingot that bullets were molded from.
@@thomasfoss9963 typical garbage...old boot scraps, uniform scraps, leather remnanats, lots of old bottles, spoons, knives, uniform buttons, a couple of "US" belt buckles. In another area, which was the Rifle Range, we found dozens of cartridges and numerous live rounds. Also found a huge lead ball...about the size of a bowling ball, which was a lead ingot that bullets were molded from.
While hunting a few miles from the battlefield i found a button off a civil war uniform. I researched it and found out that is what it was. I looked around for others but never found anything else. Some of Custers men wore civil war clothing at the battle. Going back this summer with a metal detector, i remember exactly where i found it.
Coming from an old guy who has seen and read much on the topic, by no means though, an expert. This is the most reasoned and fact-based account that I have ever encountered. Good job and I tip my hat to you and the quality of your work. Keep it up. I subscribed...
Love your videos. Here's a somewhat interesting story: I'm an attorney who recently wrote a will for an elderly woman. In her instructions, she mentioned a few items that she said were to never be sold, but remain in the family. Two of them were from her great-grandfather: a notebook containing his personal notes from the time he served in Custer's army, and his bugle. The client explained that her great-grandfather was a bugler in Custer's army, but before the Little Big Horn.
When the History Channel actually used to show historical based shows, I saw a lengthy documentary about Frank Finkle and how he survived and later blended back into everyday life before late in life, went public with his claim of surviving the battle. I think the show was called “I survived the Battle of Little Big Horn” or something similar.
Yes I seen a great story on fenkell... I do believe it.... It is very detailed and then you things that no one could have known unless they were there... And you could understand why he would be scared to show up at the fort and be considered a deserter
My wife and I were at the Bighorn battlefield in Sept 2023. I always thought Last Stand Hill and Reno's Hill were not that far apart, a mile or so. Turns out they are five miles apart and there are many headstones marking where various troops fell between the two.
I was a child in 1951, the 75th anniversary of the battle ... there were a lot of talk, and motion pictures released that year about Custer...I recall an interview with an OLD man on Don McNeil's radio show ... he claimed he rode with Custer to within a few miles of LBH, when another trooper, his friend fell ill, he was assigned to stay back and care for him, thus avoiding that certain death ...always wondered if it was a true story.
The mysteries around this battlefield are fascinating. Richard Fox's book completely changed my thinking on this fight. I've visited the battlefield twice. Last year, I was fortunate enough to spend 3 days there taking it all in. I've never heard the story of Nathan Short and his memorial. So yes, please make a video about this soldier.
@@myview5840 Great quote. I could get N/Geo over here in Blighty, but even it was free, i'd still run a mile from it. Like Rupert Murdoch's channels, avoid at all times.
My 3rd great Grandfather limped home from Gettysburg to Smithfield Va...basically he walked across Maryland and Virginia with a union mini ball in his leg..over 400 miles ...
Amazing men weren’t they? My 2ed great grandfather fought at Cedar Mountain, Second Manassas, Antietam, Upperville (Gettysburg), Mine Run, Bristol, Wilderness and Spotsylvania. I simply cannot imagine how hard it must have been for all of them.
My 3rd Great Grandfather was at Gettysburg (4th NC, Co. E) and wounded and captured at the Battle of Manassas Gap while guarding Lee's retreat. He died at Point Lookout, MD POW camp 4 months later.
Lt DeRudio, an Italian immigrant, was said to have survived by hiding somehow in brush.A book was published about another Trooper whose horse became exhausted and ended up deserting and starting a new life after the massacre. God bless the men and horses who gave up their lives.
There's an interesting video on the Our History channel here on TH-cam called "Exposing the Myths of Little Bighorn and General Custer." They take a crime scene forensic approach and claim to reveal that there was no "last stand" as tradition portrays. Their methodology suggests that the Native American narratives around the battle are more accurate than what we have traditionally been taught about this battle.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoy your historical events the narration, the Contant in the accuracy as close as you can get is phenomenal. It is really appreciated and really like to hear your stories and enjoy them from beginning to the end keep them up and be proud of what you are doing for a lot of us cannot find or hear these events like you can tell them thank you take care God bless.
Two C Troop hats must have been found (as well as two C Troop horses) Short's hat was said to have had his name and troop C inked on by hand...scouts reportedly found the other hat with a brass C elsewhere....It was also believed Short's horse had fallen on top of him - the other horse (seen across the Rosebud ) was found shot in the head - without its rider.
I am a retired Cavalry scout of an Army Armored Cavalry Unit & combat veteran of the Iraq war. The battle at Little Big Horn is a sacred historical tale that is to this very day still taught to Cav Scouts in their basic & AIT training. Many brave men died in an unwinnable battle but left the winning Indian tribes with devastating damage to their many dead and wounded braves. This day marked a dark day in the history of the Cavalry but we Troopers who followed them walk upon the backs of these incredibly brave men and march forward. I am extremely proud to have been a real Cavalry Trooper & thank these great men for the invaluable lessons we learned from their tragic sacrifice. Till Fiddlers Green my brothers.
What really did they sacrifice themselves for though? America? Liberty? They marched an army into a land that wasn’t theirs and were slaughtered by a group of natives desperate not to be imprisoned in reservations like their neighbours and wished to fight for their way of life and culture. The cavalry were just following orders but they were fighting for a heinous and imperial cause no matter how brave they were.
@@youngpeopleoldhistory1057 my post is nothing about politics yet there's always sum ahole like yourself injecting politics into someones conversation. F off and cry in your latte' soyboy over the worlds history of heinous activity on your own post board. You probably have a total of 3-4 people who even listen or follow you? Nobody asked or cares about your opinion, even as you sit upon the very land the Cavalry obtained for your very own ignorant ass.
@@patches6309 I didn’t mean to offend you, but we shouldn’t be glorifying this campaign that killed thousands on both sides and has led to irreparable damage in the Indian community. That’s all
Growing up in Florida our next door neighbor was previously in the horse calvary and went after Pancho Villa in Mexico, and later fought in WWI and WWII. Did the horse calvary transition to tanks? Wished I asked him more questions.
WOW! I remeber seeing that horse at the KU Natural history Museum before a KU game back when I was a kid. It Fascinated me. Kinda Crazy looking back at it now.
The officer you begin talking about at minute 1:25 has been identified! He was Lieutenant Henry Harrington, and his skull was I.D.'d in 2007. Harrington took over C Company which belonged to Tom Custer, as Tom Custer was acting as an aide to George Custer that day. I'd have to get away from this screen to look up the details at the moment, and I don't want to right now. There's a fascinating book on it, and also a You Tube video. He was on a FAST horse, a chestnut Thoroughbred with (I think) three stockings, and several Indians described him as "the bravest man" who was on a fast horse, who outran the little Indian ponies, so they just let him go, as they knew he would not live much longer. He made it several miles before dying, as he was obviously shot. His skull was found a year later by a physician who was participating in an examination of the battlefield, and this guy -- a fascinating asshole of a man -- secretly kept the skull for some years before giving it to the Smithsonian, lest he be caught with it. I can't remember his name at the moment, but it was something like Sheffield. FASCINATING STORY! Harrington's wife literally went crazy and personally searched the area for years, as his body was "never found." That is, it was never found that she knew of. Very sad. Edited to add: th-cam.com/video/S29PJOtpAXI/w-d-xo.html It was Dr. Shufeldt who recovered the skull, and he was led to it by I believe an Indian guide who knew of a horse skeleton and a human skull a few miles away.
Perhaps DNA could confirm that it was Harrington east of Battle Ridge... the other rider escaping west of Battle Ridge(Cpl Foley) was said by Two Moons to have been shot from the saddle at long range. Two Moons' " bravest man" was an unknown officer killed near Deep Ravine.
According to the book "The Custer Myth" by Col. W. A. Graham, the Indians interviewed later mentioned a group of soldiers who escaped the battlefield and rode off towards the Wolf Mountains. The Indians had to chase them down. When the horse gave out on the last one, apparently an officer, he shot himself. Clothing was found from many of the officers in the deserted village, but those from three officers were missing, Lts. Harrington and Porter and Dr. Lord. Indians do not take clothes from suicides.
When I brought up Native “oral history “ , two anthropologists friends burst into laughter. Pretty inaccurate as any retelling beyond the original teller
One trooper who may have survived is Gustave Korn, he's worth a look. Korn was not detached, or with the packs, yet he was seen approaching Reno"s men at the top of the bluffs after their retreat. Korn was from Silesia and served in Company I under Myles Keogh. After the battle, Korn was the trooper who looked after Comanche, the only survivor nobody disputes, until Korn's death at Wounded Knee in 1890.
Korn was generally quiet about it, but in last year's Research Review, journal of Little Big Horn Associates, author Morris Knorr recounted Korn's escape, due to his uncontrollable horse.
I've done some reading about the Finckle mystery, and if I recall correctly he was originally from Berlin in what was then Prussia in present day Germany. One thing that stood out to me was that the Finckle in Washington state did not claim to be a heroic figure from the battle, in that he almost downplayed his participation when pressed about it. Additionally, he supposedly did not try to gain fame by his participation claim and just sort of let it rest after it came out. He was a smart man who had become quite successful and had he wanted to brag or acquire notoriety he easily could have, yet chose not to push it. In my book that lends itself to him being there, if you know what I mean. I don't think the Finckle mentioned kept the name Frank Hall through his tenure in the cavalry, but I could be wrong. I have seen handwriting comparisons supposedly between the two, and there are some eerily similar traits. I don't know much about the Nathan Short issue, but would encourage you to keep peeling back the layers of the Little Bighorn Onion to see what conclusions you can find. Great job on the video and keep up the good work. You're bringing attention to things worth remembering. P.S. - there is always another layer to peel away on the onion of history.
Also, I believe Finckle talked of Custer setting up a skirmish line which was not believed until around 1990 or so when the evidence of the skirmish line was found.
with all that was going on, in all the confusion, and terror, it would be very possible for some to get away, and when it was over, not come forward as being a survior, ( deserter), and say nothing. I think Finckle was one of those cases, and only came clean when he was old, and no longer cared what people thought...
The ONLY "Finckle" was IDENTIFIED by his fellow comrades in arms (buddies) and is BURIED at the Big Horn. No record of a "Frank Hall" serving in the 7th. Calvary . Dude was a LIAR!
One of the most interesting stories that is not often covered is the fate of Marcus Reno, in the years after the Battle. Custer's wife falsely slandered Reno as "the one coward of the regiment". She spent the rest of her life publicly promoting Custer as a great fallen hero, and Reno as the one to blame for his death. Reno was totally exonerated in later years of Mrs. Custer's vicious lies, but the damage was done, and the rest of his life was tragic. If ever a man suffered from PTSD, it was Marcus Reno.
Like so many other veterans of the era, Reno self-medicated with alcohol. His real downfall came a year or so after the Little Bighorn. After getting drunk one night he was arrested for peeping into the window of the colonel's daughter's bedroom while she was getting undressed for bed. He was subsequently court-martialled and kicked out of the Army. He spent the rest of his life trying to get back into the Army, the only employer he'd ever known. It wasn't until 1976 (nearly 90 years after his death) that his discharge was upgraded from dishonorable to honorable.
Yes, Libby Custer tried to portray her husband as a hero, and loyal husband, but he reportedly contracted syphilis from one of the concubines that followed the Army around to the different battles-----
Evidence suggests that Pvt Gustave Korn (blacksmith, Company I) survived after his horse bolted and carried him right through the Indian village before joining fellow survivors on Reno Hill - Korn (killed at Wounded Knee 14 years later) is largely overlooked by LBH historians yet his account was verified by a number of fellow troopers so a Custer survivor may have been hiding in plain sight all along...
When it comes to this battle there is so much unknown that its highly unlikely to get a know for sure about anything anymore. How much record-keeping is lost that we don't know about.
I believe Finckles account, though with a grain of salt. There are things about warfare, fighting, danger , and life and death that one can only understand once you have been through similar situations. Not just Finckles but anybody's account during battle has to be given latitude as things like adrenaline, fear, and fatigue have ways of altering ones perceptions of what is going on. Those things that Finckle Spoke of were not in newspaper articles, in fact much of what he talked about were not confirmed until many years later then even when his story came out. He knew very accurately details of terrain of which only the cavalry had seen and then during and after the battle in question. That knowledge could only have been obtained by having been there, and remember, he was wounded to boot. So it would not be surprising that he gets some details wrong, like dropping his carbine at the battlefield, which was technically impossible. Also remember, that by the time he spoke up about it he had become an old man by then. Well if you do the research, what you look for are the details he gets right, and compare them with details not made public until after books like, " save the last bullet for yourself" door examples. Also remember desertion was very high in those days, General Custer mentioned waking up one morning and finding over half his command gone. Finckle was given a gift, as far as the whole world was concerned, he was already dead and he could start over with a clean slate. And he was told his command was wiped out not that there were some survivors. Finckles story is important as it illustrates how a series of stupid accidents can lead to ones survival when others , better skilled or not fail.
I remember watching the History Channel documentary: Custer’s Last Man. Which tells the in-depth story of Frank Finkle and how many people seem to believe that he is indeed a genuine survivor. But I would very much like to hear more about Finkle and the likelihood that he may be in fact… Custer’s Last Man. Another excellent video, always enjoy it when you post!!
Tbh I haven’t watched the History Channel in years now; the last time I saw it, it was all ancient aliens and ice road truckers. Now TH-cam, that’s where history is happening. Thanks for watching!
Thousands of Native Warriors, most with superior Henry repeating rifles, quickly overwhelmed the small group of cavalry companies, in open country with very little brush to conceal themselves. No way anyone survived. I’m surprised that Reno and Benteen managed to survive their positions as long as they did. They were damn damn lucky. Can you just imagine the mental stress those soldiers experienced that day? What a sight and sound they witnessed.
@@JohnnyButtons I would think they were. Due to one fact that the bullets were made from, I forget what metal. They jammed their single shot rifles. I remember a few yrs back when the battle field caught on fire, it really gave up a lot of info on how well the Indians were armed.
I find these Custer videos so cool because im from the town where Custer was (monroe mi) and it’s interesting to learn the truth about this dude who’s been idolized by my town my whole life
I told my uncle that I had been to the battlefield and seen where his ancestor was buried. He drew in deep on his hand rolled cigarette and laughed. Martin isn't buried there. Custer sent him for help, by the time he got back the battle was over and that scared him so bad he skedadled back to Minnesota and died years later.
In the mid 1950's, a man in his mid 90's, appeared on Groucho Marx's t.v. show, "You Bet Your Life", claiming to have been a 16 year old Cavalryman, who had survived "Custer's Last Stand"! He stated that, due to his age, Custer had sent him back with a message, the night or morning before the attack! Is there any proof of this?
Finckel did say he reported in to an army officer at the nearest army office immediately after leaving the cabin. He said the officer plain rejected his claim saying that everyone from that command was dead. He then left well alone and simply left. His recollections of the battle, the geography, sighting of the village, rout and streams are all details not confirmed until recently due to archeology or could not otherwise have been known to him at the time.
Lt Bradley from Terry's Command was the first on the field and counted an appropriate number of bodies of Custer's Battalion. If there were any survivors, it was not very many and more likely 1 if at all. Does anyone know if there were reported desertions after the LBH Battle during the ensuing 1876 campaign?
@@bwdd What on earth do you mean by "an appropiate number of bodies found"? They found arms, legs & heads lying around the battlefield for God sake. There were about 215 officers and men in Custer's battalion. The use of "About" means the army don't know exactly how many. Lt. James H. Bradley and his Crow scouts had counted 197 bodies, this failure to account for all the bodies left a faint possibility that someone may have escaped. Which is exactly why the possibility is still debated today. 140 odd years after the fact.
One side story to Custer is his cook. A black lady who ended up in a beautiful area in Rock Creek MT. She was a strong lady who had a fur farm with a gentleman in that place. The Forest Service allows people to stay there, and is a really neat place.
l have a concept for a Western I'm considering writing. An ex-cavalryman turned bounty hunter says "I was at the Battle of Little Big Horn.' "You survived Custer's Last stand?' 'I didn't say I survived Custer's Last Stand...I said I was at the Battle of Little Bighorn. There's a difference.'
Google Private Peter Thompson, 7th Cavalry. We restored a grave in the Mason's Cemetary in Lead, SD. While it's true no evidence exists of any survivors who rode into battle with Custer, Thompson, no doubt, was in the battle, and was granted the Medal of Honor for his actions. Now, MOH were handed out like Chiclets ( see Wounded Knee) back then, but read the citation and know that Mr Thompson survived, worked the Homestake mine, at the deepest levels for decades afterwards. Not a job for cowards. I did hear, first hand, from Chief Dave of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, who was educated by being told to sit, by his Grandpa, Chief White Bull, and listen to him visit with his other Grandpa, who's name I can't recall, as they recalled the fight. He said his Grandfathers told him that no one even recognized Custer from any other soldier, so even though White Bull is sometimes credited with killing Custer, truth is, he didn't know who he killed that day. Dave was very clear-minded until he died in 2018. He was a storyteller, so if his Grandpa had killed Custer knowingly, he'd have said so. There are some TH-cam videos of Dave. Search Chief David Beautiful Bald Eagle.
@@revere0311 For sure. If you've read Pvt Peter Thompson's account, as well as other's descriptions of the scene, he was crawling to the river and back to bring water to the few left dying that the Indians didn't butcher. Using terrain as cover. My Father, Uncle and myself restored his grave in Lead, SD and make sure it stays lit.
I believe Finkel's account but I think he is lying about the name he enlisted under. There is a theory that he deserted multiple times under different names which was common at the time. Finkel apparently also had the scars to back up his reported wounds. I think it is plausible that a soldier could escape the battle in the commotion, especially early in the fight on a frightened horse.
Regarding “Finkel/Hall” it should be further investigated but is there any data to prove or disprove the story? It’s certainly a very interesting mystery!
The Nathan Short story is very fascinating, I'd like to know more (if there is any more) about it/him. Also, regarding the warriors chasing a soldier on a fast horse that was apparently getting away, what would cause that trooper/officer to kill himself? If he was indeed escaping what could be the reason for that act?
Rest in God's peace to all the men who lost their lives that day. May God's peace reign in the hearts of all people someday soon. In Jesus' mighty name amen.
He may have been down to his last bullet and felt that the Indians on their fast ponies would catch up to him as the army horses were usually a stouter slower type of horse. He just happened to have one that was fast and stout. I read that the Indians pursuing him were just about to give up when he suddenly shot himself in the head.
2 guys I hunted with claimed their grandfather was at the little bighorn and took a Spencer rifle from the battlefield. The. Older brother Billie used that rifle when we would go hunting well until his dad found out. We were 12-14 years old. They were the only native Americans in Mandan Jr high. Their uncle was a police detective in Bismarck his house was firebombed . I never learned if he was targeted for being a cop or a ranking cop in a extremely racist town. It was the same winter as the reoccupation of wouñded knee south Dakota. A very very active time My understanding is that there was a huge desertion rate . Guys enlisted for the free trip west and on first chance desert . I guess it was common practice to enlist under a assumed name get west desert and revert back to your real name.
She also took me to see “Run of the Arrow”, must’ve been 1958. People have occasionally taken umbrage at my admiration for Crazy Horse - I take no notice of ‘em. That admiration includes his drug adventures, where he got his name. They don’t seem to have affected his military abilities! My Mom, Ida, a Turner before she married, was a bit of a gun moll of the 1940’s. I only found out about this at her funeral
@@lkgreenwellIn my experience, most folks don't study enough history to draw very informed conclusions. Those people from that era had way more integrity than anyone today can imagine; most particularly, those folks imaginations that write for hollyweird. Crazy Horse and Custer both, cared, fanatically, about those souls that were in their care. Unless people read more, and accounts from those times; they will certainly be led astray by the lack of morals and understanding that exists today.
Shame it's not still around. Spencer carbines (not rifles) were few and far between as only the officers carried them. Their serial numbers can be linked to where it was issued and in some cases who it was issued. Custer HATED when the army took their spencers and complained so much they said if they bought their own 56-50 ammo they could keep them. Everyone else was issued trap door carbine 45-70's. My father has what is called a "custer era" carbine. The serial number matches that of a batch that went to cavalry units at the same depot as custers men would have gotten theirs. But without a rack number, there's no way to tell who ever received it. My father and I have a large antique gun collection and he has both a spencer rifle and carbine, I have killed several deer with them.
@@bad74maverick1 memory from history class seems like there were 6 at little bighorn some were bought and carried by seems like there where 6 there . I'm sure someone in the family still owns it but it's been almost a half century ago
I asked one of the volunteers about Frank Finkel. The word Finkel had barely left my mouth, when he acted like I had asked if I could crap on one of the tombstones.
I've been doing some more research on this. (Sorry to revive a dead post) and I'm wondering if anyone thinks there could still be bodies in the side of the ravine.
So Tom Custer's old Company C was in the Wounded Knee Battle. ( Thomas Greene Clemson- Clemson University) 1st Lt Donaldson West Point was first Commandant of Cadets at Clemson after the battle. He was in C Company at the Battle. Tom-Tom
About 35 years ago I was in the Billings, MT library. They had a room where you could read books but not check them out. I read a small book about a man in, I believe it was, Spokane who may have been a survivor. Story was a bunch of old-timers were pitching horseshoes one Sunday after church and the topic of discussion was the Custer battle. Speculation abounded and one old fellow says "What the hell do you guys know about it, you weren't even there !" (implying he was) and stormed off. When asked about this later he wouldn't talk about it and everyone just blew it off. A lady reporter, who wrote the book ( booklet I should say) got wind of it and as I recall either he would not talk to her or maybe he had died by then. Anyway, I think she got the story from his wife after he died. I think he was a teenager and was part of the supply train for Custer? Somehow he got into some of the fighting and a bullet struck his horse in the neck, cutting one rein. The horse took off with him being unable and unwilling to try to stop it for obvious reasons. A couple Indians chased him for a time then gave up. He was also wounded and it was a month or so until he found his way to some town or settlement. All the talk was of "NO SURVIVORS!" and he kept his mouth shut for fear of being labeled a deserter.. The account was quite plausible especially since neither he nor his wife ever discussed this with anyone else or ever tried to gain anything, notoriety or money, from it. As I said, I read this about 35 years ago and may incorrectly recall some of the details but that's the gist. I'd like to know if any of you Custer buffs have run across this story and your thoughts.
Right, that was the Frank Finkel mentioned in the video here. One thing that set him apart from the other "Survivor" stories was that Finkel was a successful, respected farmer before the Custer connection was revealed. He was not a treasure hunter/fame seeker. Finkel spent decades after the battle just working without mentioning a thing about the little big horn. Yet, when ultimately questioned, again...decades after the battle, he told his story. Another thing that made his story different was that he mentioned some things that were against the commonly known narrative of what happened at the battle. When called out on these things he stuck to his guns and didn't back down. A couple of his claims were corroborated later by Indian accounts of the battle. There is a documentary on the History channel about this I believe.
@@MrRainrunnerthere's also a couple books written fairly recently, one by Dr. Kulhman. Definitely a plausible possibility since he carries the wounds he described and his story of his part in the fight has been corroborated with more recent studies of the action. In the pictures I've seen, you can see the scar on his forehead where his Carbine struck him when it was hit in the stock by a bullet.
One of the Sioux warriors, Rain-in-the-face claimed that a soldier rode away early in the battle, but the warriors were too busy with the soldiers who were still fighting to worry about a lone trooper.
And what's even weirder is that the reporter interviewing Rain-in-the-Face didn't produce a follow-up query which may have given him the scoop of his career! Will try and track down the full text if I can...@@JGray1968
@@mikelewis1436 Another thing, I actually served in the Seventh Cavalry in 1990 & 91. If you saw me then and then fifteen years later, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have recognized me.
There was another probable equine survivor of the battle, and that was Custer's own horse "Vic" (short for Victory, ironically enough). According to Hunkpapa Chief White Bull, Sounds the Grounds as He Walks, the son of Santee chief Inkpaduta (who conducted the infamous 1857 Spirit Lake Massacre in Iowa) took part in the final moments of the battle in which Custer and his remaining forty or so troopers were overrun and killed on Last Stand Hill. According to Sioux accounts, Sounds the Ground as He Walks took as his share of the spoils Custer's horse Vic and rode him for many years afterwards in Canada. Two of Inkpaduta’s youngest sons-- Little Spirit (Wanagi Ciquana) and Charley Maku--recalled as old men in 1934 seeing their elder brother in Canada riding a sorrel horse a few years after the battle. They described that the horse had with white socks and a white face (muzzle) that resembles a picture of Vic being held by Custer’s orderly John Burkman. While some witnesses claim Vic’s body was among those cavalry horses shot and made into a hasty breastwork by the desperate troopers on Last Stand Hill, Burkman said that he combed the Little Bighorn battlefield looking for the body of Vic and never found him.
No horse was found with Foley...Two Moons said he was shot off his horse by an Indian and had almost escaped into MTC : the rider that escaped several miles to the east apparently was the suicide ( Indians pursuing him were said to have only bows & arrows ) His skull was said to have been found at the time and exists today - DNA could confirm its Lt Harrington .
Indian accounts described such a horse being ridden by the "bravest man" in defense of LSH and the breakout to Deep Ravine( where his body was later seen by Two Moon) A simular horse was described ridden by Cpl Foley - the horse captured and much prized by Indians...perhaps Vic had three soldiers shot off his back that day.
Talking to the rangers at Theodore Roosevelt NP, my GG father Jerry Paddock used to guide Teddy on hunting expeditions, and then eventually guided Custer toward the Little Bighorn. He got them on the trail, and turned back when they were confident they were closing in on them on the trail. So, he wasn't sucked into the battle but did survive. There is a Paddock Creek in the park, and the rangers there are quite aware of him.
Huge amount of respect for the native war chiefs, and warriors. Using custers ignorance and arrogance against him, to lure him and his men into a well set up kill box.. Beautifully done ! Hopefully the natives were right, and they made sure to not leave any survivors.
I saw a documentary on the History channel about the battle. A fire had cleared the battlefield of the dense shrubbery covering it, giving archaeologists an opportunity to do the first detailed survey of the battlefield in a hundred years. Using ballistics from hundreds if not thousands of recovered cartridge casings they were able to map individual soldiers movements during the battle. It was absolute chaos and the retreat to last stand hill was not an organized retreat but a chaotic event where individuals and small groups of men were fighting running battles, fighting for their lives. I do not believe anyone from Custers command escaped the battle.
At least 4 soldiers were unaccounted for. One of those troopers' bones and accoutrements were found away from the battlefield years and years later by a metal detectorist and eventually identified. There's a documentary about it.
@@TheStoryOutWestThanks for the reply. I'll try to find it again. Saw it on TH-cam some years ago. I've always been interested in this battle, so I tend to watch these sorts of videos.
@@TheStoryOutWest I've been looking for this documentary for the last couple of hours and haven't yet found it yet. I did find "Custer's Last Officer 2" on Doc Cross's channel and "Custer's Last Trooper" on Acolus 18 Under channel. But so far I haven't found the documentary I saw many years ago. I'll keep trying but I didn't think it would be this hard to find. From other Google searches, one guy claimed that none of Custer's troopers were unaccounted for; however, I have a distinct recollection that 4 were never found initially and at least one of these (the one I mentioned) was found more than a century later some distance from the battlefield.
@@unbreakable7633 A man by the name of Weibert,Who lived in the area of the battle,Claimed he found remains of 2 soldiers or officers several miles away from the battlefield,Ive been scouring everywhere for the site i read it on,But im not having any luck
@@getoffenit7827 When the internet can be quite frustrating, I know what you mean. I'm still looking for the documentary I mentioned myself. I'd be interested if you find the information you're looking for too.
Harrington may have escaped approximately 7 miles from the last stand position. A skeleton was found and forensic analysis of the skull indicates it may be him.
I never cease to be amazed how much interest there is in the Custer fight, while the Battle of the Wabash (aka "St Clair's Defeat") of 4th November 1791 which was the greatest defeat ever inflicted on the US Army by Native Americans, is largely forgotten.
Imagine you’re Custer and know that you’re about to be in a fight for your life and the message for reinforcement needs to get through. You are going to send the toughest best soldier you have to try and get that message through. Not some kid that might waver. As for the unknown trooper he probably rode that horse till it went lame. He was also probably mortally wounded with a gut shot or something of the like. Then having compassion for his suffering horse that had saved him thus far he shot the horse and then eventually passed on himself from his wounds or the elements.
I think you're probably right about the horseman. Linda, you don't know anything about Custer. Even less about the battle. You should zip it up until you learn enough to be entitled to an opinion.
by your own logic, if you are in a fight for your life then which trooper can you afford to lose for the fight? A kid or your top seasoned non com? No way he sent away his 1SGT
@@T0tenkampf the only hope for the unit is if that the message gets through. If it doesn’t then thin being there doesn’t matter since you are about to die to the last man.
@@brianmccarthy5557 Jesus Christ brian, that's quite a scathing response to someone simply making a joke. if you're going to respond to someone, don't be a little bitch and just say their name, actually respond to them so they get a notification and have a chance to clap back
I live in North Baltimore and in the Old Govanstown graveyard north of the city there are a number of Custers buried, mostly after 1900. Some earlier. I'm wondering if these folks are related and in what manner. Does anyone posting here have that ability if I provide names and birth/death dates?
Never heard any of this, but it's always interesting. We know that most of the Command survived, except for the Troops scattered closer to the Custer area. And the Finkle story is just silly. And finding a horse very far away is plausible. They scattered form each of the fighting areas. And with all the Army movements around the Rosebud, there are many possibilities.
Two dead cavalry horses were found at the Rosebud - one across the river with no rider... Private Thompson claimed Finkle also dropped behind the column near MTC... Scouts on the bluffs saw a soldier( with stripes) ride through the village as mentioned in some Indian accounts . Finkle's size : used to identify a body - could not exclude Frank. Also confused were the two riders escaping on fast horses : Harrington got several miles east of LSH while Foley almost escaped into MTC until shot from his horse by an Indian with a rifle (Two Moons.)
The book Custer's lost Officer is interesting reading on what may have happened to Lt. Harrington. Including some statements by Natives that he was the man who shot himself as they were chasing him. Plus some other interesting facts about the 7th Cavalry and the battle.
It is odd to imagine that soldiers could simply gallop away from the Custer field of the Little Bighorn battle. But as I study cavalry tactics of that era, it seems possible. In fact, I'm not at all convinced that Custer himself (or all the "Custers" including Autie Reed) could not have ridden away with good chances of success, had they been so inclined. The Native lines of circumvallation were not evenly manned, nor formal in the military sense. From "Last Stand Hill", it would have been apparent which direction(s) would have offered potential escape routes. In fact, the more one studies the topic, the more remarkable it seems that none of the troopers from Custer's battalion (not formally a battalion, but the term is useful) broke ranks and fled successfully. That a few attempted to do so unsuccessfully toward the end of the battle is attested to by many Native eye witnesses. But earlier in the engagement, e.g., before L-Company's position on Calhoun Hill was overrun, it would certainly have been possible for a small body of men on horses to pick a direction and go for it. At least a few would have made it out alive if that were their only objective. The fact that none is known to have escaped points to the conclusion that discipline did not break down prior to the "last stand" at least.
Troopers short,Korn..finkle and a bodyless troopers head in teepee found 2 days after battle stated they crossed lilbig river in intial attack on village...rest 9f 7th were repelled by youngsters not old enough to be braves in attack on reno Their accounts and released scouts of 7th saw the repelled attack across lilbig and subsequent retreat up bluff to LSH...at least 4 troopers were already into village..1 mita been bugler..as this was found in teepee also
a bunch of Cav horses survived the battle....many badly wounded which were killed by the army before leaving the area....of course there those captured by the Sioux Cheyenne warriors
Great video, I was there in 2014 for anniversary and planning for the 2026 150th Anniversary. What a great story from two sides of people. Your video is good because you have humanized the people. Thank you.
My grandmother's mother's sister married George Armstrong Custer. We used to have on her fam some letters and other artifacts from General Custer but my uncle probably took them....
At a regular walking pace on level ground, an adult male human can cover about 30 miles in 10 hours. Over uneven terrain that time might double to 20 hours. With injuries on uneven terrain it might triple to 30 hours. This makes 60 miles of travel over uneven terrain by an injured (but mobile) person doable in 3 days.
Frank Finkel ended up living in Dayton, Washington. His son became a state senator. One day he showed skeptics of his claim that yes, he had scars from the Battle of Little Big Horn. 🤠
I guess a lot of Finkel's claim comes down to: what element about it would make you believe him? He sounds like an old man who did his research and then told a tale. If there is more reason to believe him, I'd love to hear it. Solid video as always, full of depth and stories I've never heard. Very well done.
It is possible Finkle relayed Indian tales of the battle, the Army denied the Indians accounts because they painted Custer as a fool with every chance to escape. This would
He said some very detailed descriptions of the terrain and geography, he claimed after the battle he tried to drink from a alkaline water creek and in fact there's one alkaline water creek near the battlefield, one reporter asked him if he was the raider of the dead horse mentioned in the video, Finkel denied it, answering a simple yes to this question would gave him a lot of support to his story but he didn't, also many people supported his story because there is no a fancy epic last survivor story like most of the men that claimed to be the only survivor, one guy talked about how he took off his uniform and pretended to be an Indian so he could escape, other said how he and Custer were the last survivors and how Custer died in his arms, meanwhile Finkel story didn't embellished himself that's why so many people supports his claims, personally I don't think he was the only survivor of little big horn, Finkel story had some flaws but it's impressive how he knew such detailed things
same as liar dennis avery who lied about breaking into Auschwitz, swapping with a jewish man for day, seeing the chambers, ovens etc, then going back to his barracks!! Turns out he was just another lying bastard, cashing in on the hell and misery dished out by the nazis.
The first 50yrs No one linked or heard of the improbalbity Of riding thru the camp to escape...but this was finkles story?? If ur a liar..u would embelish whats been in the news. Since u weren't there But No Finkle tells the improbable And 150yrs later We hav 4 criteria Troopers who did ride thru a 1000 teepee village with Zero warriors in it...squaws or youth did get 1 and his head found days later
I sincerely appreciate your questions, and reasoning on this issue. I do still believe that some/s, escaped this horrific battle. Its my belief too, that Custer was the first casualty in that he was killed while riding in front of the grey troop down to the river. The other troopers in my opinion stabilized Custers body on his horse until able to rest him to the ground at last stand hill.
I am another vote for digging deeper into the Frank Finkel story. It's one of those tales you kind of WANT to believe, but in the end it's best to learn if it is provably false or at least unlikely. This reminds me of the Brushy Bill Roberts story, that he was actually Billy the Kid. If you only hear the story as told by Wm. V Morrison and C.L. Sonnichsen, it can seem fairly convincing. A parallel with Finkle's Little Bighorn story is the suggestion that Roberts demonstrated a knowledge of details only someone involved in the Lincoln County War could know. Upon closer examination, however, it turns out that all those details were available in published reports Roberts could have read, and too many specifics clash with well documented history. Brushy Bill's claim falls apart in the end. I wonder if the same can be determined with Finkel's story.
These comments mention another trooper korn riding thru village..finkles claim..headless trooper in teepee days later If u made it up...no one would say they rode thru village in intial charge..not public knowledge at that time Not plausible..newspapers never mention anyone Decades later historian sluths found trooper korn and beheaded trooper...finkle wouldnt hav known any who had been reported to hav riden thru...yet thats his tory
It's hard to believe that not a single soldier in Custer's command would have survived; but, it's understandable that any survivor would have been afraid to come forward because they would have been afraid to have been labeled a coward and to have to live with that stigma the rest of their life. 🤔 ❓
The book, "Custer's Lost Officer: The Search for Henry Moore Harrington, 7th U.S. Cavalry", by W. Cross, rather definitively solves the mystery that surrounded the final moments, end, and remains of Lt. Harrington. There are detailed articles published in 'Custer' research journals that answer many questions surrounding Butler & other troopers, even 'Finkel'.
Per the book, the short version is that Harrington, possibly wounded, was chased, IIRC, in a ESE direction, for several miles by a small, pursuing group of Indians. His horse gave out/was hit, and Harrington was shot & killed, his pursuers then returning to the battlefield. In late summer 1877, a small Army contingent was approaching the battlefield area when they discovered Harrington's skeletal remains, which could be identified only as far as the lieutenant's epaulets found near the body. The story now takes a sinister turn with the Army physician with the contingent surrepeticiously taking Harrington's skull, and hiding it from the rest of the group. Several years later, increasingly aware of the career-ending liability of "stealing" a fallen 7th soldier's remains, the physician donated the skull, with an intentionally vague & murky provenance, to the Smithsonian. So, without skull, Harringtons remains were never identified in the post-battle cleanup of the battlefield. And, without provenance, his skull languished, unidentified, in Washington, D.C. in the 21st century, the book's author, aware of the elements to this story, decided to test his suppositions, and worked with Smithsonian officials to extensively forensically analyze the skull, and the results were conclusively it was Harrington's. Had this doctor, who eventually showed manifestations of psychotic behavior, not stolen the skull, the Harrington mystery may have been resolved in the 19th century, which would have provided the peace of mind the family, especially his mother, sought.
Comanche was an "official" survivor. An E Company gray horse was brought to Canada as a war trophy by one of Sitting Bull's people. It was then sold to a Metis buffalo hunter at Wood Mountain, North-West Territory (present day Saskatchewan). Major James Walsh of the North-West Mounted Police then bought the horse. Walsh being a man of the law; sought permission from the US authorities to keep the horse by writing to General Terry. Terry forwarded the communication to the War department in Washington who set aside any claim to the horse. Terry then passed the decision on to Walsh. I've seen photos of the document signed by General Terry passing on the authorization to Walsh. So that's quite an equine resume...Cavalry horse, briefly an Indian pony, Metis buffalo horse then a North-West Mounted Police patrol horse...
Husband on wife’s iPad...Funny coincidence, my daughter and I were listening to Marty Robins last night and one of the songs we listened to was “Comanche”(war horse).
@@sarahwalker4889do you mean johnny horton?
@@sarahwalker4889 Also by Johnny Horton.. Never heard it by Robbins myself though. Can't find a source for Marty's rendition of it.
"The indications were that he had sold his life dearly," man so many of these soldiers' letters from the past are like poetry in every sentence.
That's what you get when you teach everyone how to write. Very functional, boring text.
I can assure you that most people didn't talk like a thesaurus back then.
How are you in a position to assure us of this?
@@henryvonblumenthal7307 just common sense. The assertion that everyone used to be a poet is ridiculous to begin with.
And they were not fat tattooed people who couldn't say a sentence without the "F" word. We have fallen so far
@@ThatPianoNoob Not boring at all. I like this kind of writing. Far better than "He got ded own dat them there day."
There was a skeleton of a soldier found about 4-6 miles from the battlefield in the mid-1970s. He was identified as a soldier by the tattered remnants of his uniform and buttons etc. I remember that people reporting on the find wondered if this was the remains of the soldier who had killed himself.
Were can i read about this?
@@Dwight_ You can't. It's more bs.
Nobody with a brain wonders that, he obviously crawled away and died
@Dwight_ Sorry for the delayed response, I did not see your comment until now. I remember watching this story being reported on the local evening news when we were visiting my grandparents in Sidney, Montana. The reporter was actually standing in the location where the body had been found. I'm guessing the report came out of a local news station in Billings. It would have had to have been reported on in the Billings Gazette at the time. I'm not 100% sure on the timing, but it would have had to have been between 1975 and 1979. We saw the report at my grandparents' house in town before they moved back to their farm in 1980.
@larrylinguine5572 Not BS, this was a report I watched on the local news in Sidney, MT, in the mid to late 70s. I can't tell you if the soldier whose remains were found was tied to the Little Bighorn or not, but that link was being made at the time the remains were found.
I grew up near the Battlefield. My brother has a "7th. A Cavalry" cross swords and a "7th. A Cavalry Indian Scout" badge which were acquired from local native American citizens in the 60's...likely handed down in their families. My friend and I also located the garbage dump of Fort Custer, located in a coulee a few hundred yards from the fort site. We dug up dozens of artifacts in the 60's. The land was then privately owned by acquaintances of ours.
What did you find???
Yeah what kind of artifacts were in the dump?
@@andrefromelpasotexas3236 typical garbage...old boot scraps, uniform scraps, leather remnanats, lots of old bottles, spoons, knives, uniform buttons, a couple of "US" belt buckles. In another area, which was the Rifle Range, we found dozens of cartridges and numerous live rounds. Also found a huge lead ball...about the size of a bowling ball, which was a lead ingot that bullets were molded from.
@@thomasfoss9963 typical garbage...old boot scraps, uniform scraps, leather remnanats, lots of old bottles, spoons, knives, uniform buttons, a couple of "US" belt buckles. In another area, which was the Rifle Range, we found dozens of cartridges and numerous live rounds. Also found a huge lead ball...about the size of a bowling ball, which was a lead ingot that bullets were molded from.
What you do with the bottles?
While hunting a few miles from the battlefield i found a button off a civil war uniform. I researched it and found out that is what it was. I looked around for others but never found anything else. Some of Custers men wore civil war clothing at the battle. Going back this summer with a metal detector, i remember exactly where i found it.
The button belongs in a museum
@@cheyennegalen it is, my museum.
@@lawrencebraun7616 miles from the battlefield, cant you read?
Found a Merwin and Hulbert revolver about 15 miles from the battlefield in the 1980s also. Dont panic , it was made in 1879.
@@lawrencebraun7616 fuck the parks service
Coming from an old guy who has seen and read much on the topic, by no means though, an expert. This is the most reasoned and fact-based account that I have ever encountered. Good job and I tip my hat to you and the quality of your work. Keep it up. I subscribed...
Love your videos. Here's a somewhat interesting story: I'm an attorney who recently wrote a will for an elderly woman. In her instructions, she mentioned a few items that she said were to never be sold, but remain in the family. Two of them were from her great-grandfather: a notebook containing his personal notes from the time he served in Custer's army, and his bugle. The client explained that her great-grandfather was a bugler in Custer's army, but before the Little Big Horn.
Mitch Boyer was Custer's bugler. Half Reed. Smoked a pipe. His remains were found & identified.
@@lonniemonroe2714 Work on those critical reading skills.
@@lonniemonroe2714reread the end of the paragraph mr boyer was the unfortunate stand in for great grandpa
People...please read.
@@lonniemonroe2714he was not a butler. He was a half French, half Sioux scout assigned to Custers command.
When the History Channel actually used to show historical based shows, I saw a lengthy documentary about Frank Finkle and how he survived and later blended back into everyday life before late in life, went public with his claim of surviving the battle.
I think the show was called “I survived the Battle of Little Big Horn” or something similar.
I seen that too, it was really good
He was interview several times. Told some stuff that supposedly had not been revealed. His story is possible.
History Special, Season 1, Episode #125, “Custer’s Last Man: I Survived Little Big Horn” May 4, 2011
Yes I seen a great story on fenkell... I do believe it.... It is very detailed and then you things that no one could have known unless they were there... And you could understand why he would be scared to show up at the fort and be considered a deserter
Junk. Fraud. “Shot in the foot above his hip.” Sure.
My wife and I were at the Bighorn battlefield in Sept 2023. I always thought Last Stand Hill and Reno's Hill were not that far apart, a mile or so. Turns out they are five miles apart and there are many headstones marking where various troops fell between the two.
I was a child in 1951, the 75th anniversary of the battle ... there were a lot of talk, and motion pictures released that year about Custer...I recall an interview with an OLD man on Don McNeil's radio show ... he claimed he rode with Custer to within a few miles of LBH, when another trooper, his friend fell ill, he was assigned to stay back and care for him, thus avoiding that certain death ...always wondered if it was a true story.
The mysteries around this battlefield are fascinating. Richard Fox's book completely changed my thinking on this fight. I've visited the battlefield twice. Last year, I was fortunate enough to spend 3 days there taking it all in. I've never heard the story of Nathan Short and his memorial. So yes, please make a video about this soldier.
National Geographic thinks it was ancient aliens
I don't understand the part of the "mysteries" of the battle. From all my years of research it is pretty cut and dry today.
@@myview5840 Check out 'The 7th is Made Up of Phantoms'.
@@myview5840 Great quote. I could get N/Geo over here in Blighty, but even it was free, i'd still run a mile from it. Like Rupert Murdoch's channels, avoid at all times.
Read "I fought with custer" if you want the story
My 3rd great Grandfather limped home from Gettysburg to Smithfield Va...basically he walked across Maryland and Virginia with a union mini ball in his leg..over 400 miles ...
Amazing men weren’t they? My 2ed great grandfather fought at Cedar Mountain, Second Manassas, Antietam, Upperville (Gettysburg), Mine Run, Bristol, Wilderness and Spotsylvania. I simply cannot imagine how hard it must have been for all of them.
My 3rd Great Grandfather was at Gettysburg (4th NC, Co. E) and wounded and captured at the Battle of Manassas Gap while guarding Lee's retreat. He died at Point Lookout, MD POW camp 4 months later.
Lt DeRudio, an Italian immigrant, was said to have survived by hiding somehow in brush.A book was published about another Trooper whose horse became exhausted and ended up deserting and starting a new life after the massacre. God bless the men and horses who gave up their lives.
There's an interesting video on the Our History channel here on TH-cam called "Exposing the Myths of Little Bighorn and General Custer." They take a crime scene forensic approach and claim to reveal that there was no "last stand" as tradition portrays. Their methodology suggests that the Native American narratives around the battle are more accurate than what we have traditionally been taught about this battle.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoy your historical events the narration, the Contant in the accuracy as close as you can get is phenomenal. It is really appreciated and really like to hear your stories and enjoy them from beginning to the end keep them up and be proud of what you are doing for a lot of us cannot find or hear these events like you can tell them thank you take care God bless.
Two C Troop hats must have been found (as well as two C Troop horses) Short's hat was said to have had his name and troop C inked on by hand...scouts reportedly found the other hat with a brass C elsewhere....It was also believed Short's horse had fallen on top of him - the other horse (seen across the Rosebud )
was found shot in the head - without its rider.
I'd very much enjoy hearing your investigations into Finkel's story! I found this upload fascinating.
Very enjoyable, and informative video. Thanks for doing your homework, and sharing.
I am a retired Cavalry scout of an Army Armored Cavalry Unit & combat veteran of the Iraq war. The battle at Little Big Horn is a sacred historical tale that is to this very day still taught to Cav Scouts in their basic & AIT training. Many brave men died in an unwinnable battle but left the winning Indian tribes with devastating damage to their many dead and wounded braves. This day marked a dark day in the history of the Cavalry but we Troopers who followed them walk upon the backs of these incredibly brave men and march forward. I am extremely proud to have been a real Cavalry Trooper & thank these great men for the invaluable lessons we learned from their tragic sacrifice. Till Fiddlers Green my brothers.
What really did they sacrifice themselves for though? America? Liberty? They marched an army into a land that wasn’t theirs and were slaughtered by a group of natives desperate not to be imprisoned in reservations like their neighbours and wished to fight for their way of life and culture. The cavalry were just following orders but they were fighting for a heinous and imperial cause no matter how brave they were.
Also thank you for your service, you genuinely are a hero
@@youngpeopleoldhistory1057 my post is nothing about politics yet there's always sum ahole like yourself injecting politics into someones conversation. F off and cry in your latte' soyboy over the worlds history of heinous activity on your own post board. You probably have a total of 3-4 people who even listen or follow you? Nobody asked or cares about your opinion, even as you sit upon the very land the Cavalry obtained for your very own ignorant ass.
@@patches6309 I didn’t mean to offend you, but we shouldn’t be glorifying this campaign that killed thousands on both sides and has led to irreparable damage in the Indian community. That’s all
Growing up in Florida our next door neighbor was previously in the horse calvary and went after Pancho Villa in Mexico, and later fought in WWI and WWII. Did the horse calvary transition to tanks? Wished I asked him more questions.
WOW! I remeber seeing that horse at the KU Natural history Museum before a KU game back when I was a kid. It Fascinated me. Kinda Crazy looking back at it now.
found this channel the other day and now I've binged every video
The officer you begin talking about at minute 1:25 has been identified! He was Lieutenant Henry Harrington, and his skull was I.D.'d in 2007. Harrington took over C Company which belonged to Tom Custer, as Tom Custer was acting as an aide to George Custer that day. I'd have to get away from this screen to look up the details at the moment, and I don't want to right now. There's a fascinating book on it, and also a You Tube video. He was on a FAST horse, a chestnut Thoroughbred with (I think) three stockings, and several Indians described him as "the bravest man" who was on a fast horse, who outran the little Indian ponies, so they just let him go, as they knew he would not live much longer. He made it several miles before dying, as he was obviously shot. His skull was found a year later by a physician who was participating in an examination of the battlefield, and this guy -- a fascinating asshole of a man -- secretly kept the skull for some years before giving it to the Smithsonian, lest he be caught with it. I can't remember his name at the moment, but it was something like Sheffield. FASCINATING STORY! Harrington's wife literally went crazy and personally searched the area for years, as his body was "never found." That is, it was never found that she knew of. Very sad.
Edited to add: th-cam.com/video/S29PJOtpAXI/w-d-xo.html
It was Dr. Shufeldt who recovered the skull, and he was led to it by I believe an Indian guide who knew of a horse skeleton and a human skull a few miles away.
Perhaps DNA could confirm that it was Harrington east of Battle Ridge... the other rider escaping west of Battle Ridge(Cpl Foley) was said by Two Moons to have been shot from the saddle at long range. Two Moons' " bravest man" was an unknown officer killed near Deep Ravine.
According to the book "The Custer Myth" by Col. W. A. Graham, the Indians interviewed later mentioned a group of soldiers who escaped the battlefield and rode off towards the Wolf Mountains. The Indians had to chase them down. When the horse gave out on the last one, apparently an officer, he shot himself. Clothing was found from many of the officers in the deserted village, but those from three officers were missing, Lts. Harrington and Porter and Dr. Lord. Indians do not take clothes from suicides.
Interesting. I read the same thing in another source that i cannot recall now. Might take me a while to dig it out.
Interesting
When I brought up Native “oral history “ , two anthropologists friends burst into laughter. Pretty inaccurate as any retelling beyond the original teller
@@silverstar4289 their tribal legends may be prideful and exaggerated, but there's a kernel of truth to them.
When the Americans retreated it was a big buffalo hunt. The Indians would have easily killed them all.
You are a good narrator, good job thanks for posting this.
One trooper who may have survived is Gustave Korn, he's worth a look. Korn was not detached, or with the packs, yet he was seen approaching Reno"s men at the top of the bluffs after their retreat. Korn was from Silesia and served in Company I under Myles Keogh. After the battle, Korn was the trooper who looked after Comanche, the only survivor nobody disputes, until Korn's death at Wounded Knee in 1890.
Korn was generally quiet about it, but in last year's Research Review, journal of Little Big Horn Associates, author Morris Knorr recounted Korn's escape, due to his uncontrollable horse.
I've done some reading about the Finckle mystery, and if I recall correctly he was originally from Berlin in what was then Prussia in present day Germany. One thing that stood out to me was that the Finckle in Washington state did not claim to be a heroic figure from the battle, in that he almost downplayed his participation when pressed about it. Additionally, he supposedly did not try to gain fame by his participation claim and just sort of let it rest after it came out. He was a smart man who had become quite successful and had he wanted to brag or acquire notoriety he easily could have, yet chose not to push it. In my book that lends itself to him being there, if you know what I mean. I don't think the Finckle mentioned kept the name Frank Hall through his tenure in the cavalry, but I could be wrong. I have seen handwriting comparisons supposedly between the two, and there are some eerily similar traits. I don't know much about the Nathan Short issue, but would encourage you to keep peeling back the layers of the Little Bighorn Onion to see what conclusions you can find. Great job on the video and keep up the good work. You're bringing attention to things worth remembering. P.S. - there is always another layer to peel away on the onion of history.
absolutely. From what I have read he seemed like the real deal. I believe there was a discrepancy in numbers to bodies anyways.
Also, I believe Finckle talked of Custer setting up a skirmish line which was not believed until around 1990 or so when the evidence of the skirmish line was found.
with all that was going on, in all the confusion, and terror, it would be very possible for some to get away, and when it was over, not come forward as being a survior, ( deserter), and say nothing. I think Finckle was one of those cases, and only came clean when he was old, and no longer cared what people thought...
The ONLY "Finckle" was IDENTIFIED by his fellow comrades in arms (buddies) and is BURIED at the Big Horn. No record of a "Frank Hall" serving in the 7th. Calvary . Dude was a LIAR!
Thank you for such an interesting and thought provoking presentation! Can’t give an opinion unfortunately! Regards from the UK, Bob
One of the most interesting stories that is not often covered is the fate of Marcus Reno, in the years after the Battle. Custer's wife falsely slandered Reno as "the one coward of the regiment". She spent the rest of her life publicly promoting Custer as a great fallen hero, and Reno as the one to blame for his death. Reno was totally exonerated in later years of Mrs. Custer's vicious lies, but the damage was done, and the rest of his life was tragic. If ever a man suffered from PTSD, it was Marcus Reno.
Like so many other veterans of the era, Reno self-medicated with alcohol. His real downfall came a year or so after the Little Bighorn.
After getting drunk one night he was arrested for peeping into the window of the colonel's daughter's bedroom while she was getting undressed for bed. He was subsequently court-martialled and kicked out of the Army. He spent the rest of his life trying to get back into the Army, the only employer he'd ever known. It wasn't until 1976 (nearly 90 years after his death) that his discharge was upgraded from dishonorable to honorable.
Benton was court marshalled but beat the charge. Everyone there said the same thing Custer was a fool
Yes, Libby Custer tried to portray her husband as a hero, and loyal husband, but he reportedly contracted syphilis from one of the concubines that followed the Army around to the different battles-----
@@thomasfoss9963 Custer had a daughter in the Indian village he attacked
@@whatsup3270 Yes, I had read that-- How ironic!!! He made a living slaughtering tribal members while in fact, he was sleeping with them, too
Evidence suggests that Pvt Gustave Korn (blacksmith, Company I) survived after his horse bolted and carried him right through the Indian village before joining fellow survivors on Reno Hill - Korn (killed at Wounded Knee 14 years later) is largely overlooked by LBH historians yet his account was verified by a number of fellow troopers so a Custer survivor may have been hiding in plain sight all along...
I would like to hear more of whatever you can find out about Frank Finkel. I'm really loving your videos, too.
Very good and concise talk about a pretty confusing event. Well done.
This is a solid channel! Very nicely put together. Thx!
-Former Ft. Riley Soldier
When it comes to this battle there is so much unknown that its highly unlikely to get a know for sure about anything anymore. How much record-keeping is lost that we don't know about.
I believe Finckles account, though with a grain of salt. There are things about warfare, fighting, danger , and life and death that one can only understand once you have been through similar situations. Not just Finckles but anybody's account during battle has to be given latitude as things like adrenaline, fear, and fatigue have ways of altering ones perceptions of what is going on. Those things that Finckle Spoke of were not in newspaper articles, in fact much of what he talked about were not confirmed until many years later then even when his story came out. He knew very accurately details of terrain of which only the cavalry had seen and then during and after the battle in question. That knowledge could only have been obtained by having been there, and remember, he was wounded to boot. So it would not be surprising that he gets some details wrong, like dropping his carbine at the battlefield, which was technically impossible. Also remember, that by the time he spoke up about it he had become an old man by then.
Well if you do the research, what you look for are the details he gets right, and compare them with details not made public until after books like, " save the last bullet for yourself" door examples. Also remember desertion was very high in those days, General Custer mentioned waking up one morning and finding over half his command gone. Finckle was given a gift, as far as the whole world was concerned, he was already dead and he could start over with a clean slate. And he was told his command was wiped out not that there were some survivors. Finckles story is important as it illustrates how a series of stupid accidents can lead to ones survival when others , better skilled or not fail.
I remember watching the History Channel documentary: Custer’s Last Man. Which tells the in-depth story of Frank Finkle and how many people seem to believe that he is indeed a genuine survivor. But I would very much like to hear more about Finkle and the likelihood that he may be in fact… Custer’s Last Man. Another excellent video, always enjoy it when you post!!
Tbh I haven’t watched the History Channel in years now; the last time I saw it, it was all ancient aliens and ice road truckers. Now TH-cam, that’s where history is happening. Thanks for watching!
@@TheStoryOutWest To be fair, I saw it on Military History, then on History Vault.
That was the one I was thinking about too.
Thousands of Native Warriors, most with superior Henry repeating rifles, quickly overwhelmed the small group of cavalry companies, in open country with very little brush to conceal themselves. No way anyone survived. I’m surprised that Reno and Benteen managed to survive their positions as long as they did. They were damn damn lucky. Can you just imagine the mental stress those soldiers experienced that day? What a sight and sound they witnessed.
@@JohnnyButtons I would think they were. Due to one fact that the bullets were made from, I forget what metal. They jammed their single shot rifles. I remember a few yrs back when the battle field caught on fire, it really gave up a lot of info on how well the Indians were armed.
I find these Custer videos so cool because im from the town where Custer was (monroe mi) and it’s interesting to learn the truth about this dude who’s been idolized by my town my whole life
I told my uncle that I had been to the battlefield and seen where his ancestor was buried. He drew in deep on his hand rolled cigarette and laughed. Martin isn't buried there. Custer sent him for help, by the time he got back the battle was over and that scared him so bad he skedadled back to Minnesota and died years later.
This was a great story. Very interesting. Thank you.
In the mid 1950's, a man in his mid 90's, appeared on Groucho Marx's t.v. show, "You Bet Your Life", claiming
to have been a 16 year old Cavalryman, who had survived "Custer's Last Stand"! He stated that, due to his
age, Custer had sent him back with a message, the night or morning before the attack! Is there any proof
of this?
Nope never happen Numbskull
@@simpleman5688 How do you know what happened, were you there ? What's with the Numbskull ?
He's a Reno fan...typical numskull reno talk
Finckel did say he reported in to an army officer at the nearest army office immediately after leaving the cabin. He said the officer plain rejected his claim saying that everyone from that command was dead. He then left well alone and simply left.
His recollections of the battle, the geography, sighting of the village, rout and streams are all details not confirmed until recently due to archeology or could not otherwise have been known to him at the time.
Let alone he riding thru teepee s
It IS possible that there was one survivor. Many soldiers could not wait to leave the cavalry
Lt Bradley from Terry's Command was the first on the field and counted an appropriate number of bodies of Custer's Battalion. If there were any survivors, it was not very many and more likely 1 if at all. Does anyone know if there were reported desertions after the LBH Battle during the ensuing 1876 campaign?
@@bwdd What on earth do you mean by "an appropiate number of bodies found"? They found arms, legs & heads lying around the battlefield for God sake. There were about 215 officers and men in Custer's battalion. The use of "About" means the army don't know exactly how many. Lt. James H. Bradley and his Crow scouts had counted 197 bodies, this failure to account for all the bodies left a faint possibility that someone may have escaped. Which is exactly why the possibility is still debated today. 140 odd years after the fact.
One side story to Custer is his cook.
A black lady who ended up in a beautiful area in Rock Creek MT.
She was a strong lady who had a fur farm with a gentleman in that place.
The Forest Service allows people to stay there, and is a really neat place.
l have a concept for a Western I'm considering writing. An ex-cavalryman turned bounty hunter says "I was at the Battle of Little Big Horn.' "You survived Custer's Last stand?' 'I didn't say I survived Custer's Last Stand...I said I was at the Battle of Little Bighorn. There's a difference.'
The idea of someone surviving Custers massacre has been fascinating, but the truth is, there is no evidence to that fact.
Google Private Peter Thompson, 7th Cavalry. We restored a grave in the Mason's Cemetary in Lead, SD. While it's true no evidence exists of any survivors who rode into battle with Custer, Thompson, no doubt, was in the battle, and was granted the Medal of Honor for his actions. Now, MOH were handed out like Chiclets ( see Wounded Knee) back then, but read the citation and know that Mr Thompson survived, worked the Homestake mine, at the deepest levels for decades afterwards. Not a job for cowards.
I did hear, first hand, from Chief Dave of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, who was educated by being told to sit, by his Grandpa, Chief White Bull, and listen to him visit with his other Grandpa, who's name I can't recall, as they recalled the fight. He said his Grandfathers told him that no one even recognized Custer from any other soldier, so even though White Bull is sometimes credited with killing Custer, truth is, he didn't know who he killed that day. Dave was very clear-minded until he died in 2018. He was a storyteller, so if his Grandpa had killed Custer knowingly, he'd have said so. There are some TH-cam videos of Dave. Search Chief David Beautiful Bald Eagle.
The battlefields topography is hard to appreciate from a map, there is a lot more dead space and line of sight issues when on the ground.
@@revere0311 For sure. If you've read Pvt Peter Thompson's account, as well as other's descriptions of the scene, he was crawling to the river and back to bring water to the few left dying that the Indians didn't butcher. Using terrain as cover. My Father, Uncle and myself restored his grave in Lead, SD and make sure it stays lit.
I believe Finkel's account but I think he is lying about the name he enlisted under. There is a theory that he deserted multiple times under different names which was common at the time. Finkel apparently also had the scars to back up his reported wounds. I think it is plausible that a soldier could escape the battle in the commotion, especially early in the fight on a frightened horse.
An excellent research video again. Sometimes the mystery is as intriguing as the actual facts. Well done Travis
Right Wing US/TV loves to make it in to a mystery, 2118. They got chinned... that's it.
Regarding “Finkel/Hall” it should be further investigated but is there any data to prove or disprove the story?
It’s certainly a very interesting mystery!
Any channel that honors animals deserves a like
The Nathan Short story is very fascinating, I'd like to know more (if there is any more) about it/him. Also, regarding the warriors chasing a soldier on a fast horse that was apparently getting away, what would cause that trooper/officer to kill himself? If he was indeed escaping what could be the reason for that act?
I’m guessing grief, hopelessness or panic.
It may have been unintentional i.e. a negligent discharge, in the heat of the moment during combat things happen when you're in adrenaline overload.
Rest in God's peace to all the men who lost their lives that day. May God's peace reign in the hearts of all people someday soon. In Jesus' mighty name amen.
He may have been down to his last bullet and felt that the Indians on their fast ponies would catch up to him as the army horses were usually a stouter slower type of horse. He just happened to have one that was fast and stout. I read that the Indians pursuing him were just about to give up when he suddenly shot himself in the head.
Read the book, "Save the last Bullet for Yourself" or any information that you find on the Fetterman Fight.
Right in time for chow. Thank you for your work partner.
You bet! Thanks for watching!
You may take leave of the weeds. Your thorough treatment is the best I’ve yet heard.
2 guys I hunted with claimed their grandfather was at the little bighorn and took a Spencer rifle from the battlefield. The. Older brother Billie used that rifle when we would go hunting well until his dad found out.
We were 12-14 years old. They were the only native Americans in Mandan Jr high.
Their uncle was a police detective in Bismarck his house was firebombed . I never learned if he was targeted for being a cop or a ranking cop in a extremely racist town. It was the same winter as the reoccupation of wouñded knee south Dakota.
A very very active time
My understanding is that there was a huge desertion rate . Guys enlisted for the free trip west and on first chance desert .
I guess it was common practice to enlist under a assumed name get west desert and revert back to your real name.
My Mom bought a copy of “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee”, when it was first published. No connection whatsoever!
She also took me to see “Run of the Arrow”, must’ve been 1958. People have occasionally taken umbrage at my admiration for Crazy Horse - I take no notice of ‘em. That admiration includes his drug adventures, where he got his name. They don’t seem to have affected his military abilities! My Mom, Ida, a Turner before she married, was a bit of a gun moll of the 1940’s. I only found out about this at her funeral
@@lkgreenwellIn my experience, most folks don't study enough history to draw very informed conclusions. Those people from that era had way more integrity than anyone today can imagine; most particularly, those folks imaginations that write for hollyweird. Crazy Horse and Custer both, cared, fanatically, about those souls that were in their care. Unless people read more, and accounts from those times; they will certainly be led astray by the lack of morals and understanding that exists today.
Shame it's not still around. Spencer carbines (not rifles) were few and far between as only the officers carried them. Their serial numbers can be linked to where it was issued and in some cases who it was issued. Custer HATED when the army took their spencers and complained so much they said if they bought their own 56-50 ammo they could keep them. Everyone else was issued trap door carbine 45-70's. My father has what is called a "custer era" carbine. The serial number matches that of a batch that went to cavalry units at the same depot as custers men would have gotten theirs. But without a rack number, there's no way to tell who ever received it. My father and I have a large antique gun collection and he has both a spencer rifle and carbine, I have killed several deer with them.
@@bad74maverick1 memory from history class seems like there were 6 at little bighorn some were bought and carried by seems like there where 6 there .
I'm sure someone in the family still owns it but it's been almost a half century ago
I asked one of the volunteers about Frank Finkel. The word Finkel had barely left my mouth, when he acted like I had asked if I could crap on one of the tombstones.
Love your videos they mean so much to me, helps me feel at home while im living in Europe
🇺🇸Glad I can help 😎🇺🇸
I've been doing some more research on this. (Sorry to revive a dead post) and I'm wondering if anyone thinks there could still be bodies in the side of the ravine.
Chief Gall was one of my great uncles, many of my relatives were there.
So Tom Custer's old Company C was in the Wounded Knee Battle. ( Thomas Greene Clemson- Clemson University) 1st Lt Donaldson West Point was first Commandant of Cadets at Clemson after the battle. He was in C Company at the Battle. Tom-Tom
About 35 years ago I was in the Billings, MT library. They had a room where you could read books but not check them out. I read a small book
about a man in, I believe it was, Spokane who may have been a survivor. Story was a bunch of old-timers were pitching horseshoes one Sunday after church and the topic of discussion was the Custer battle. Speculation abounded and one old fellow says "What the hell do you guys know about it, you weren't even there !" (implying he was) and stormed off. When asked about this later he wouldn't talk about it and everyone just blew it off. A lady reporter, who wrote the book ( booklet I should say) got wind of it and as I recall either he would not talk to her or maybe he had died by then. Anyway, I think she got the story from his wife after he died. I think he was a teenager and was part of the supply train for Custer? Somehow he got into some of the fighting and a bullet struck his horse in the neck, cutting one rein. The horse took off with him being unable and unwilling to try to stop it for obvious reasons. A couple Indians chased him for a time then gave up. He was also wounded and it was a month or so until he found his way to some town or settlement. All the talk was of "NO SURVIVORS!" and he kept his mouth shut for fear of being labeled a deserter.. The account was quite plausible especially since neither he nor his wife ever discussed this with anyone else or ever tried to gain anything, notoriety or money, from it. As I said, I read this about 35 years ago and may incorrectly recall some of the details but that's the gist. I'd like to know if any of you Custer buffs have run across this story and your thoughts.
I'm sure there were a lot of people in the years that followed saying they were at that battle. You can see that just from reading the comments here.
@@gryper1690 Happens after every war and on both sides.
That was the Frank Finkel story mentioned in the video. There's a documentary about it out there, somewhere.
Right, that was the Frank Finkel mentioned in the video here. One thing that set him apart from the other "Survivor" stories was that Finkel was a successful, respected farmer before the Custer connection was revealed. He was not a treasure hunter/fame seeker. Finkel spent decades after the battle just working without mentioning a thing about the little big horn. Yet, when ultimately questioned, again...decades after the battle, he told his story. Another thing that made his story different was that he mentioned some things that were against the commonly known narrative of what happened at the battle. When called out on these things he stuck to his guns and didn't back down. A couple of his claims were corroborated later by Indian accounts of the battle. There is a documentary on the History channel about this I believe.
@@MrRainrunnerthere's also a couple books written fairly recently, one by Dr. Kulhman. Definitely a plausible possibility since he carries the wounds he described and his story of his part in the fight has been corroborated with more recent studies of the action. In the pictures I've seen, you can see the scar on his forehead where his Carbine struck him when it was hit in the stock by a bullet.
Informative and respectful great content respect from Australia
One of the Sioux warriors, Rain-in-the-face claimed that a soldier rode away early in the battle, but the warriors were too busy with the soldiers who were still fighting to worry about a lone trooper.
9
And weirdly Rain also claimed he saw the same man while attending the World Trade Fair at Chicago in 1891...
@@mikelewis1436 I wasn't aware of that. It definitely adds a weird dimension to the story.
And what's even weirder is that the reporter interviewing Rain-in-the-Face didn't produce a follow-up query which may have given him the scoop of his career! Will try and track down the full text if I can...@@JGray1968
@@mikelewis1436 Another thing, I actually served in the Seventh Cavalry in 1990 & 91. If you saw me then and then fifteen years later, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have recognized me.
Fascinating, been at the battlefield. Need to go back
There was another probable equine survivor of the battle, and that was Custer's own horse "Vic" (short for Victory, ironically enough). According to Hunkpapa Chief White Bull, Sounds the Grounds as He Walks, the son of Santee chief Inkpaduta (who conducted the infamous 1857 Spirit Lake Massacre in Iowa) took part in the final moments of the battle in which Custer and his remaining forty or so troopers were overrun and killed on Last Stand Hill. According to Sioux accounts, Sounds the Ground as He Walks took as his share of the spoils Custer's horse Vic and rode him for many years afterwards in Canada. Two of Inkpaduta’s youngest sons-- Little Spirit (Wanagi Ciquana) and Charley Maku--recalled as old men in 1934 seeing their elder brother in Canada riding a sorrel horse a few years after the battle. They described that the horse had with white socks and a white face (muzzle) that resembles a picture of Vic being held by Custer’s orderly John Burkman. While some witnesses claim Vic’s body was among those cavalry horses shot and made into a hasty breastwork by the desperate troopers on Last Stand Hill, Burkman said that he combed the Little Bighorn battlefield looking for the body of Vic and never found him.
No horse was found with Foley...Two Moons said he was shot off his horse by an Indian and had almost escaped into MTC : the rider that escaped several miles to the east apparently was the suicide ( Indians pursuing him were said to have only bows & arrows ) His skull was said to have been found at the time and exists today - DNA could confirm its Lt Harrington .
Indian accounts described such a horse being ridden by the "bravest man" in defense of LSH and the breakout to Deep Ravine( where his body was later seen by Two Moon) A simular horse was described ridden by Cpl Foley - the horse captured and much prized by Indians...perhaps Vic had three soldiers shot off his back that day.
Fascinating. Compelling narrattion. Thank you.
Talking to the rangers at Theodore Roosevelt NP, my GG father Jerry Paddock used to guide Teddy on hunting expeditions, and then eventually guided Custer toward the Little Bighorn. He got them on the trail, and turned back when they were confident they were closing in on them on the trail. So, he wasn't sucked into the battle but did survive. There is a Paddock Creek in the park, and the rangers there are quite aware of him.
Very well done - especially regarding the matter of Sgt. Butler being a member of Company L and not Company C.
great video sir! I'd love to see your take on "Custer's last man", if you'd like to go more in depth and make a video about it. Thanks!
Huge amount of respect for the native war chiefs, and warriors.
Using custers ignorance and arrogance against him, to lure him and his men into a well set up kill box..
Beautifully done !
Hopefully the natives were right, and they made sure to not leave any survivors.
I saw a documentary on the History channel about the battle. A fire had cleared the battlefield of the dense shrubbery covering it, giving archaeologists an opportunity to do the first detailed survey of the battlefield in a hundred years. Using ballistics from hundreds if not thousands of recovered cartridge casings they were able to map individual soldiers movements during the battle. It was absolute chaos and the retreat to last stand hill was not an organized retreat but a chaotic event where individuals and small groups of men were fighting running battles, fighting for their lives. I do not believe anyone from Custers command escaped the battle.
At least 4 soldiers were unaccounted for. One of those troopers' bones and accoutrements were found away from the battlefield years and years later by a metal detectorist and eventually identified. There's a documentary about it.
Do you have a link or title?
@@TheStoryOutWestThanks for the reply. I'll try to find it again. Saw it on TH-cam some years ago. I've always been interested in this battle, so I tend to watch these sorts of videos.
@@TheStoryOutWest I've been looking for this documentary for the last couple of hours and haven't yet found it yet. I did find "Custer's Last Officer 2" on Doc Cross's channel and "Custer's Last Trooper" on Acolus 18 Under channel. But so far I haven't found the documentary I saw many years ago. I'll keep trying but I didn't think it would be this hard to find. From other Google searches, one guy claimed that none of Custer's troopers were unaccounted for; however, I have a distinct recollection that 4 were never found initially and at least one of these (the one I mentioned) was found more than a century later some distance from the battlefield.
@@unbreakable7633 A man by the name of Weibert,Who lived in the area of the battle,Claimed he found remains of 2 soldiers or officers several miles away from the battlefield,Ive been scouring everywhere for the site i read it on,But im not having any luck
@@getoffenit7827 When the internet can be quite frustrating, I know what you mean. I'm still looking for the documentary I mentioned myself. I'd be interested if you find the information you're looking for too.
Extremely interesting and very well presented! I subscribed 🙂
Harrington may have escaped approximately 7 miles from the last stand position. A skeleton was found and forensic analysis of the skull indicates it may be him.
I never cease to be amazed how much interest there is in the Custer fight, while the Battle of the Wabash (aka "St Clair's Defeat") of 4th November 1791 which was the greatest defeat ever inflicted on the US Army by Native Americans, is largely forgotten.
Imagine you’re Custer and know that you’re about to be in a fight for your life and the message for reinforcement needs to get through. You are going to send the toughest best soldier you have to try and get that message through. Not some kid that might waver.
As for the unknown trooper he probably rode that horse till it went lame. He was also probably mortally wounded with a gut shot or something of the like. Then having compassion for his suffering horse that had saved him thus far he shot the horse and then eventually passed on himself from his wounds or the elements.
No doubt Custer was pretty upset that he wasn't just facing women and children and old men
I think you're probably right about the horseman.
Linda, you don't know anything about Custer. Even less about the battle. You should zip it up until you learn enough to be entitled to an opinion.
by your own logic, if you are in a fight for your life then which trooper can you afford to lose for the fight? A kid or your top seasoned non com? No way he sent away his 1SGT
@@T0tenkampf the only hope for the unit is if that the message gets through. If it doesn’t then thin being there doesn’t matter since you are about to die to the last man.
@@brianmccarthy5557 Jesus Christ brian, that's quite a scathing response to someone simply making a joke.
if you're going to respond to someone, don't be a little bitch and just say their name, actually respond to them so they get a notification and have a chance to clap back
I understand that there were quite a few horses or more eventually found alive beside Commanche.
I live in North Baltimore and in the Old Govanstown graveyard north of the city there are a number of Custers buried, mostly after 1900. Some earlier. I'm wondering if these folks are related and in what manner. Does anyone posting here have that ability if I provide names and birth/death dates?
Never heard any of this, but it's always interesting. We know that most of the Command survived, except for the Troops scattered closer to the Custer area. And the Finkle story is just silly. And finding a horse very far away is plausible. They scattered form each of the fighting areas. And with all the Army movements around the Rosebud, there are many possibilities.
Two dead cavalry horses were found at the Rosebud - one across the river with no rider... Private Thompson claimed Finkle also dropped behind the column near MTC...
Scouts on the bluffs saw a soldier( with stripes) ride through the village as mentioned in some Indian accounts . Finkle's size : used to identify a body - could not exclude Frank. Also confused were the two riders escaping on fast horses : Harrington got several miles east of LSH while Foley almost escaped into MTC until shot from his horse by an Indian with a rifle (Two Moons.)
Love to hear more Custer stuff, including the Frank Finckle stuff.
The book Custer's lost Officer is interesting reading on what may have happened to Lt. Harrington. Including some statements by Natives that he was the man who shot himself as they were chasing him. Plus some other interesting facts about the 7th Cavalry and the battle.
I believe Lt. Harrington's body was found on the battlefield and identified in the twentieth century after archeological investigation.
I have a copy of Frank Finkel's story. It is quite compelling. I believe he was telling the truth.
It is odd to imagine that soldiers could simply gallop away from the Custer field of the Little Bighorn battle. But as I study cavalry tactics of that era, it seems possible. In fact, I'm not at all convinced that Custer himself (or all the "Custers" including Autie Reed) could not have ridden away with good chances of success, had they been so inclined. The Native lines of circumvallation were not evenly manned, nor formal in the military sense. From "Last Stand Hill", it would have been apparent which direction(s) would have offered potential escape routes. In fact, the more one studies the topic, the more remarkable it seems that none of the troopers from Custer's battalion (not formally a battalion, but the term is useful) broke ranks and fled successfully. That a few attempted to do so unsuccessfully toward the end of the battle is attested to by many Native eye witnesses. But earlier in the engagement, e.g., before L-Company's position on Calhoun Hill was overrun, it would certainly have been possible for a small body of men on horses to pick a direction and go for it. At least a few would have made it out alive if that were their only objective. The fact that none is known to have escaped points to the conclusion that discipline did not break down prior to the "last stand" at least.
Excellent research and story telling ! Bravo!
Nobody would have ever known about Finkle except for missing that field goal for the Dolphins in the Super Bowl.
Great game!!
Troopers short,Korn..finkle and a bodyless troopers head in teepee found 2 days after battle stated they crossed lilbig river in intial attack on village...rest 9f 7th were repelled by youngsters not old enough to be braves in attack on reno
Their accounts and released scouts of 7th saw the repelled attack across lilbig and subsequent retreat up bluff to LSH...at least 4 troopers were already into village..1 mita been bugler..as this was found in teepee also
a bunch of Cav horses survived the battle....many badly wounded which were killed by the army before leaving the area....of course there those captured by the Sioux Cheyenne warriors
Great video, I was there in 2014 for anniversary and planning for the 2026 150th Anniversary. What a great story from two sides of people. Your video is good because you have humanized the people. Thank you.
I’m glad my people took one of many wins here. They tried to do us dirty here and paid the price
My grandmother's mother's sister married George Armstrong Custer. We used to have on her fam some letters and other artifacts from General Custer but my uncle probably took them....
A great video once again. I would love more on the Finkel/ Hall story, or on other claimants. Keep up the good work!
Agreed!
At a regular walking pace on level ground, an adult male human can cover about 30 miles in 10 hours. Over uneven terrain that time might double to 20 hours. With injuries on uneven terrain it might triple to 30 hours. This makes 60 miles of travel over uneven terrain by an injured (but mobile) person doable in 3 days.
Frank Finkel ended up living in Dayton, Washington. His son became a state senator. One day he showed skeptics of his claim that yes, he had scars from the Battle of Little Big Horn. 🤠
He showed scars. What about them made them unquestionably linked to Native weapons?
@@T0tenkampf Probably nothing direct but it's certainly better evidence than a lack of scars.
He had been a johnny reb
Cutlass scars from cavalry skirmishes
Absolutely incredible information. Thank you
I guess a lot of Finkel's claim comes down to: what element about it would make you believe him? He sounds like an old man who did his research and then told a tale. If there is more reason to believe him, I'd love to hear it. Solid video as always, full of depth and stories I've never heard. Very well done.
It is possible Finkle relayed Indian tales of the battle, the Army denied the Indians accounts because they painted Custer as a fool with every chance to escape. This would
He said some very detailed descriptions of the terrain and geography, he claimed after the battle he tried to drink from a alkaline water creek and in fact there's one alkaline water creek near the battlefield, one reporter asked him if he was the raider of the dead horse mentioned in the video, Finkel denied it, answering a simple yes to this question would gave him a lot of support to his story but he didn't, also many people supported his story because there is no a fancy epic last survivor story like most of the men that claimed to be the only survivor, one guy talked about how he took off his uniform and pretended to be an Indian so he could escape, other said how he and Custer were the last survivors and how Custer died in his arms, meanwhile Finkel story didn't embellished himself that's why so many people supports his claims, personally I don't think he was the only survivor of little big horn, Finkel story had some flaws but it's impressive how he knew such detailed things
@@georgecruz6262 And Finkel was not a treasure hunter, but a successful, respected man in his community.
same as liar dennis avery who lied about breaking into Auschwitz, swapping with a jewish man for day, seeing the chambers, ovens etc, then going back to his barracks!! Turns out he was just another lying bastard, cashing in on the hell and misery dished out by the nazis.
The first 50yrs
No one linked or heard of the improbalbity
Of riding thru the camp to escape...but this was finkles story??
If ur a liar..u would embelish whats been in the news.
Since u weren't there
But No
Finkle tells the improbable
And 150yrs later
We hav 4 criteria
Troopers who did ride thru a 1000 teepee village with Zero warriors in it...squaws or youth did get 1 and his head found days later
I sincerely appreciate your questions, and reasoning on this issue. I do still believe that some/s, escaped this horrific battle. Its my belief too, that Custer was the first casualty in that he was killed while riding in front of the grey troop down to the river. The other troopers in my opinion stabilized Custers body on his horse until able to rest him to the ground at last stand hill.
I am another vote for digging deeper into the Frank Finkel story. It's one of those tales you kind of WANT to believe, but in the end it's best to learn if it is provably false or at least unlikely. This reminds me of the Brushy Bill Roberts story, that he was actually Billy the Kid. If you only hear the story as told by Wm. V Morrison and C.L. Sonnichsen, it can seem fairly convincing. A parallel with Finkle's Little Bighorn story is the suggestion that Roberts demonstrated a knowledge of details only someone involved in the Lincoln County War could know. Upon closer examination, however, it turns out that all those details were available in published reports Roberts could have read, and too many specifics clash with well documented history. Brushy Bill's claim falls apart in the end. I wonder if the same can be determined with Finkel's story.
These comments mention another trooper korn riding thru village..finkles claim..headless trooper in teepee days later
If u made it up...no one would say they rode thru village in intial charge..not public knowledge at that time
Not plausible..newspapers never mention anyone
Decades later historian sluths found trooper korn and beheaded trooper...finkle wouldnt hav known any who had been reported to hav riden thru...yet thats his tory
Another good one! Thank you!
Walking this battlefield was epic. Peace to all my Brothers at Lame Deer and Lodge Grass. A'ho.
It's hard to believe that
not a single soldier in
Custer's command would
have survived; but, it's
understandable that any
survivor would have
been afraid to come
forward because they
would have been afraid
to have been labeled a
coward and to have to
live with that stigma the
rest of their life.
🤔 ❓
The book, "Custer's Lost Officer: The Search for Henry Moore Harrington, 7th U.S. Cavalry", by W. Cross, rather definitively solves the mystery that surrounded the final moments, end, and remains of Lt. Harrington.
There are detailed articles published in 'Custer' research journals that answer many questions surrounding Butler & other troopers, even 'Finkel'.
What was Harrington's fate? Was his body ever found?
Per the book, the short version is that Harrington, possibly wounded, was chased, IIRC, in a ESE direction, for several miles by a small, pursuing group of Indians. His horse gave out/was hit, and Harrington was shot & killed, his pursuers then returning to the battlefield. In late summer 1877, a small Army contingent was approaching the battlefield area when they discovered Harrington's skeletal remains, which could be identified only as far as the lieutenant's epaulets found near the body. The story now takes a sinister turn with the Army physician with the contingent surrepeticiously taking Harrington's skull, and hiding it from the rest of the group. Several years later, increasingly aware of the career-ending liability of "stealing" a fallen 7th soldier's remains, the physician donated the skull, with an intentionally vague & murky provenance, to the Smithsonian. So, without skull, Harringtons remains were never identified in the post-battle cleanup of the battlefield. And, without provenance, his skull languished, unidentified, in Washington, D.C. in the 21st century, the book's author, aware of the elements to this story, decided to test his suppositions, and worked with Smithsonian officials to extensively forensically analyze the skull, and the results were conclusively it was Harrington's.
Had this doctor, who eventually showed manifestations of psychotic behavior, not stolen the skull, the Harrington mystery may have been resolved in the 19th century, which would have provided the peace of mind the family, especially his mother, sought.