The Early History of Comanche:
In 1847, the last fur trading post on the upper Missouri River was established and it became an important economic center for the Territory of Montana and the Territory of southern Alberta, located in Canada. The post was named Fort Benton and its port on the upper Missouri River saw steamboats arriving several times a year with goods, merchants, gold miners and settlers coming from places such as New Orleans, Memphis, Bismarck, Kansas City and St. Louis.
By the early 1850s the U.S. government was worried about claims that England and France may have on the Pacific Northwest. In order to solidify their claim and open the country to settlement, the U.S. army built the Mullan Road during the years of 1859 and 1860. This wagon road started at Fort Benton, Montana and ended at Fort Walla Walla, in Washington Territory. Today Interstate 90 follows roughly the same route through the Rocky Mountains.
During the late 1850s a wagon road (125 miles long) was built between Fort Benton and a crude nameless trading post in southern Alberta near present day Lethbridge. In 1869 the derelict trading post was replaced by a new building, which was built by J. Healy and A. Hamilton two fur traders from Fort Benton. The two men named the post Fort Hamilton. This fort burned down in 1870 and was replaced by a more sturdy building, which became known as Fort Whoop-Up.
Since American citizens where prevalent in the area they flew a trading flag, over Fort Whoop-Up. Eventually word got back to Ottawa that this fort in the southern Alberta Territory had an American flag flying over it. Ottawa being concerned about the situation, dispatched the newly formed RCMP police force to Southern Alberta in 1874 to rectify the situation. When the RCMP arrived at the fort they discovered the flag. It had been reported as the Stars and Stripes but was actually a trading flag for the fort, which had some common design features to the U.S. flag. Finding no serious infractions of the law, the RCMP moved on to other western locations. To compliment their heritage, the modern city of Lethbridge adopted this trading flag as their municipal flag. The flag can be view here.
With a name like Fort Whoop-Up, it came as no surprise that various types of whiskey were traded at the fort from its early beginning around 1855 to 1874 and beyond. Many thought the only purpose of this fort was for whiskey trading but there was a substantial amount of other trading happening. Other items sold or traded from the fort were furs, blankets, tools, wagon parts, food, clothing, boots, firearms, building supplies, medicine, horses, mules and more.
One popular type of alcohol sold at the fort was known as Whoop-Up Bug Juice. It was a highly-priced alcohol spiked with ginger, molasses and red peppers. It was then colored with black chewing tobacco watered down and boiled to make “firewater”. The receipt for this mixture was highly priced and kept secret by its inventers, a band of organized outlaws who lived in the area.
These outlaws or businessmen as they preferred to be called had a lucrative business established in southern Alberta. Their trading region included the Territory of Montana and into the foothills of the Rock Mountains in what are now the states of Washington and Oregon. One of their main business ventures was the Healy Horse Breeding Ranch, located about a 65 miles west of Fort Whoop-Up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Horses from this ranch were sold to settlers, supplied to a dealer at Fort Benton, traded to Indians, put on steamships that were headed to the rich cities of the south and sold to the U.S. Calvary.
The U.S. Calvary did purchase many of its horses, which ran wild and unchecked on the U.S. plains, but some of its more intellectual horses came from this horse breeding ranch located in southern Alberta.
In 1868 the Healy Ranch in Alberta Territory, put a dozen of their finest horses on a steamboat docked at Fort Benton, which was headed for St. Louis, Missouri.. These horses were specially prepared for the U.S. Cavalry plus they had been given basic training in accepting a rider and saddle. Also loaded on the steamer were several cases of the famous “firewater” brew. The horses and firewater were destined for St. Louis where they were going to be picked up by the U.S. Calvary. Among the horses was a six year old bay gelding.
The information on this gelding’s bill of sale was as follows;
Height: five feet (15 hands)
Weight: 960 pounds
Sex: male
Breeding stock: Mustang and Morgan horse,
Date of Birth: June 25, 1861
Location: Healy Horse Ranch, southern Alberta Territory,
Color: Buckskin with black accents
Markings: small white star on forehead
The gelding was a good looking, intelligent and feisty horse, which would later become known as Comanche. The U.S. Calvary took possession of the horses and shipped them to Fort Leavenworth. When the Healy Ranch sold Comanche he was seven years old. Since the ranch was in the business of horse breeding, it’s probably safe to say Comanche had off spring.
The Healy Horse Ranch ceased operations in 1874 and was sold to the RCMP in 1876. The RCMP closed the ranch in 1881 and some of the troops stayed in the area to help build and settle the town of Pincher Creek.
When the steamer docked in St. Louis, the 12 horses from the Healy Ranch were put in a separate corral at a holding station. When the Cavalry arrived they purchased the 12 horses from the Healy Ranch along with several others that were captured on the prairie. Each horse was purchased for the going Cavalry rate of $90. The horses captured on the prairie were given an initial break-in, graded and had an identification tag attached to them. The Healy Ranch horses were already broken in so they were tested, graded and tagged. All the horses were then shipped to Fort Leavenworth.
When the horses arrived at Fort Leavenworth they had their first introduction to the 7TH Cavalry. LT. Tom Custer (brother of George Armstrong Custer) picked out 41 horses and had them loaded on a train bound for Ellis Station, where the 7th was encamped. Comanche was one of those horses and his papers indicated he officially joined the 7th Cavalry on April 3, 1868. Comanche arrived at the encampment on May 19, 1868.
When the horses arrived at the encampment, Captain Myles Keogh was their and anxious to look them over for a replacement for his other horse, which had been shot out from under him in a skirmish with Indians. Keogh walked around the corral for a few minutes approaching several horses, while trying to get a feel for them and gauging their reaction. Most of the horses were somewhat shy, but Keogh noticed one horse was very curious and was following him from a distance. Keogh went over to the corral post, stood there for about a minute then made a motion for the curious horse to come to him. The horse immediately walked up to him and Keogh started petting him. The horse was Comanche and the bond between them was already growing. After playing with the horse for a few minutes Captain Keogh left the corral and Comanche whined at him as if to say, “What about me”. Keogh immediately ordered that Comanche was to be his new mount. The two of them quickly became inseparable. Comanche became a loyal friend and partner. Myles Keogh trained Comanche personally and the horse graduated at the top of the class. Keogh in a rare move purchased Comanche from the Cavalry for $90, which meant Comanche was not only his Cavalry horse but also his personal mount. The two remained loyal to each other until that fateful day in June 1876.
It has been discussed on occasion, of how long Comanche would have remember Myles Keogh. Memories do fade over time, but my guess would be the horse had memories of Keogh right up to his death.
Miles Keogh knew Comanche was a special and gifted horse. His main mission with the 7th Cavalry was going to be a war horse. Keogh’s choice for Comanche’s name would become famous and the horse would eventually ride into the history book of Western American Legends.
Keogh’s choice for the name was based on the traits of the Comanche Indian Nation. He had already fought against them and knew they were formidable opponents. They had developed strategies for fighting their enemies on horseback with traditional weapons. These Indians organized raids into Mexico mostly at night during a full moon, which allowed them to see, where they were riding. This is where the phrase “Comanche Moon” came from.
Keogh rode his other mount Paddy on forced marches, choosing to keep Comanche with the extra horses, so that he would be well rested when needed to go into battle. Miles Keogh was also known for spending some of his hard earned money on a special blend of oats and hay for Comanche to keep him strong and in shape. Keogh also made sure Comanche was brushed down daily when on these marches. Comanche responded to his duties and never failed his rider when in battle.
Comanche and the Seventh Cavalry:
The seventh cavalry came into existence in July 1866. During that month congress authorized four new cavalry regiments to be formed number seven through ten.
Comanche first saw action in the fall of 1868, when he and Keogh rode against a Comanche tribe in Kansas. During the battle Comanche took an arrow head in his hindquarters, but his rider did not realize that and kept pushing the horse until the battle ended. Keogh discovered the wound afterwards and had the horse treated. The horse recovered and was praised for continuing to carry his rider, despite his own pain.
Comanche’s next engagement was in 1870, when he rode against another Comanche tribe. He took an arrow in the leg and was sidelined for a month, while his wound healed. In an 1871 battle Comanche was wounded again, this time in his shoulder but he recovered. Comanche over the next three years rode in several more battles and was wounded a couple of times. The brave stallion soldiered on each time he was wounded, never question orders.
Despite being wounded several times Myles Keogh and the Seventh Calvary was very proud of Comanche for his bravery in battle. In 1875, Comanche was awarded a bravery metal from the U.S. Seventh Calvary for his stamina and ongoing courage. This was the first time the U.S. Cavalry presented a metal to one of its horses. Comanche knew he was special and although he could not know the future, he was destined to become the most famous horse on our planet.
On June 25, 1876, Captain Myles Keogh rode Comanche into the Valley of the Little Big Horn and the battle known as the Custer’s Last Stand. Against overwhelming odds, Comanche fought with true grit as he took seven wounds. As the end was nearing, several of Keogh’s men put their horse down and took cover behind them. Keogh rode Comanche hard, back and forth in front of his men’s barricade trying to draw enemy fire, while dodging arrows and bullets. There were too many Indians and they finally overwhelmed Keogh and his men. Comanche exhausted and stained with his own blood and that of Myles Keogh, circled the dead soldiers in a show of containment. He witnessed the looting and mutilation by the enemy against the Calvary soldiers, but could do nothing to stop it. He finally went down on his knees and rolled over onto the ground.
Comanche laid there through out the evening and that night. The next morning as the sun rose in the sky, Comanche struggled to his feet and limped over to Keogh who laid there in silence. Comanche tried to move the body with his head, but there was no response from Keogh. By this time, instinct would have told Comanche to find water as thirst would have become a priority for the horse.
On June 26, 1876, reinforcements from other companies of the Seventh Calvary found the battlefield. The weather was clear and very hot and the bodies of the dead soldier were already stating to bloat and smell. The soldiers walked the site looking for survivors, but on this day there was none. In a show of respect, the soldiers bowed their heads for a minute in a silent prayer. Comanche who was a few hundred feet away in a ravine had collapsed, while trying to make his way to the river. The horse probably would not have lasted much longer, but his keen hearing picked up the voices of the soldiers on the battlefield. The horse in a last struggle to survive tried to stand up but couldn’t. His wounds were dirty and some were bleeding again. Comanche let out a shrieking howl several times. The soldiers standing in silence on the battlefield, heard the faint distant cry of a horse. They immediately stated to scan the field for the movement of a horse. Some of the soldiers started to walk in different direction in an attempt to find the horse.
Four soldiers approached the rim of a ravine and there below them was a horse struggling in an attempt to get up. They recognized it as a Calvary horse as it was still wearing the saddle, which had rotated to the belly.
The soldiers immediately clambered down the ravine banks and approached the horse. Private James Severs from Company M of the Seventh, put his hands on the horses head and yelled out, it’s Comanche. The horse was recognizable by the white star on its forehead. Comanche looked deep into each of the soldier’s eyes as he shifted his look from one soldier to another. His eyes were dark with the images of the horror he had experienced the day before. The soldiers reported that Comanche had tears running from his eyes, he was crying.
The commander, T. Nowlan ordered four of his men to attend to Comanche, while most of the others were assigned to bury the dead. Comanche was so weak, the men had to build a make shift host to raise the horse to his feet and support him. They cleaned his wounds, gave him fresh water and made a soup like mixture from oats. The horse slowly ate some food and drank water. The men also washed Comanche down to removed the dried blood from his coat and mane.
The next day, Comanche had gained enough strength that he was able to walk. The soldiers helped Comanche maneuver out of the ravine. Once on the main battle field they tried to lead Comanche to a temporary camp, which had been set up, while the company was identifying and burying the dead soldiers. Comanche kept trying to go off in a different direction. Nolan approached the soldiers and told them to let Comanche go. The horse made his way to the exact spot, where Keogh’s body had been removed. Comanche sniffed and circled the area several times. He then stood there looking around at the battlefield. Whether he understood what had happened, we will never know. Finally, he started to walk towards the temporary camp.
He marched with the soldiers to the junction of the Little Bighorn and Big Horn Rivers. There he was loaded aboard the steamer Far West with the other battle casualties, heading home to Fort Lincoln. He was still weak, so they had to build a special sling to support him on the 950 mile journey. Comanche would never again, charge to the sound of the bugle. As the steamer left the area, Comanche was about to begin a new era in his life. He would become known as the lone survivor left on the battlefield on that June day in 1876. Comanche as the lone survivor of that battle, would spend the rest of his life in silence, keeping the horrors of that dreadful day locked up inside of him.
The Seventh Calvary (CP T. Nowlan) assigned Gustave Korn to care for and look after Comanche. Under the watchful eye of Korn Comanche spent a year in rehabilitation. It was not an easy time for the horse as he had some serious wounds. It is a known fact, if these wounds had brought down any other horse, the Cavalry would have put it out of it misery. But Comanche was special and there wasn’t one single person at the fort, who didn’t volunteer to spend time helping the horse. Comanche slowly regained his strength and mobility. In the summer of 1877, more than a year after the battle, Comanche was declared fully recovered. By this time, Comanche had become the hero of the 7th Cavalry at Fort Lincoln.
Apparently, the daughter of the fort commander (COL. Sturgis) had convinced CP. T. Nowlan to let her ride Comanche around the fort grounds as exercise for the horse. It wasn’t too long before Sturgis became aware of his daughter’s escapades. Sturgis soon put a stop to this, by issuing General Order No 7, dated April 10, 1878. The order in part read;
Headquarters Seventh U.S. Cavalry
Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory
April 10, 1878
General Order No. 7
A) The horse known as “Comanche” being the only living representative of the bloody tragedy of the Little Big Horn, Montana, June 25, 1876, his kind treatment and confort should be a matter of special pride and solicitude on the part of the 7th Cavalry, to the end that his life may be prolonged to the utmost limit. Though wounded and scarred, his very silence speaks in terms more eloquent than words of the desperate struggle against overwhelming odds of the hopeless conflict and heroic manner in which all went down that day.
B) The commanding officer of I troop will see that a special and comfortable stall is fitted up for Comanche; he will not be ridden by any person whatever under any circumstances, nor will he be put to any kind of work.
C) Hereafter upon all occasions of ceremony (of mounted regimental formation), Comanche, saddled, bridled and led by a mounted trooper of Troop I, will be paraded with the regiment. Only at formal regimental functions will he be led draped in black, stirrups and boots reversed, at the head of the regiment. His attire at formal functions shows respect for the fallen.
By Command of Colonel Sturgis:
(Signed) E.A. Garlington,
1st Lieutenant and Adjutant,
U.S. 7TH Cavalry
In addition to the above orders the following orders were issued;
1 Comanche will be fed a special blend of oats and hay, as per Myles Keogh diet for the horse, once a week. There will always be fresh water in the drinking trough.
2 Comanche will be exercised daily in mid morning, before the temperature gets too hot. After his exercise session, he will be wiped down. In the evening, before Comanche retires he shall be rubbed down.
Whenever Comanche had an urge for something sweet, he would wander down to the commanding officers headquarters, where he would be given sugar cubes. Over the years when Comanche desired something a little stronger than water he would saunter down to the officer’s club, where he would beg for beer. The off duty troopers would pour beer in a bucket and leave it outside for him.
Comanche easily won the hearts of the officer’s wives who would feed him biscuits and cookies. The fact is these ladies turned Comanche into a big pet. Comanche followed them around the fort grounds, because he knew there was always a treat to be had. Comanche frequently visited the flower gardens, especially when one of the ladies was working there and you guessed it, they would always bring a treat for their favorite horse. Once a week the ladies would feed Comanche a couple of apples and did he ever like them. The wives would take Comanche just outside the fort, where the parade grounds were two or three times a week. It was there they taught him to fetch a ball. The ladies would throw the ball out as far as they could and Comanche would gallop out and bring it back in his mouth. They also taught him to play a kick ball game. Comanche would keep a ball moving ahead of him by kicking it with his hooves.
Over the next 13 years Comanche led a free and easy life. Gustave Korn his caretaker looked after his every need at Fort Lincoln. He was granted the freedom to wander the fort and parade grounds at will, without fear of a reprimand from a commanding officer. Each time the bugle sounded formation, Comanche would trot out to his place at the head of I company.
In 1888 the 7th Cavalry was transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas. By this time, Comanche was an elderly horse still in moderately good health. He accompanied them and still retained all the privileges he had at Fort Lincoln.
Korn and Comanche became inseparable as Comanche followed him everywhere. The legend tells us that one night Korn did not show up to rub Comanche down before he retired. Comanche walked the fort grounds in frustration. Finally, Comanche trotted away from the fort and headed straight to the home of a lady friend that Korn was sweet on. When Comanche arrived he walked up and kicked the front door. When Korn opened the door Comanche stuck his head in as if to say, “lets go, it’s past my bedtime”.
Comanche became the spirit for the Seventh Cavalry, supporting them throughout the remainder of the Indian Wars. Symbolically, he died in 1891, soon after the Wounded Knee conflict, which was the end of major hostilities between Native Americans and the military..
Korn was with Keogh and Custer at the beginning of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Accounts indicate, his horse bolted on him and after chasing it a good distance he managed to retrieve it. By this time he was closer to the Reno-Benteen Company so he joined them and that action by his horse saved his life.
Korn saw action at the Battle of Wounded Knee and was one of the few unlucky soldiers to die there in that one-sided massacre in 1890. When Korn did not return to the fort Comanche wondered the grounds endlessly for weeks. They say, Comanche lost his will to live and died of a broken heart a year later. Comanche died at Fort Riley on November 7, 1891 at 30 years of age from colic.
Comanche’s Rise to Fame
On that June day when the massacre ended, the Indians took everything of value from the dead soldiers including their horses that were alive and unhurt. Comanche was overlooked because of his serious wounds, which meant he was of no value to the Indians. However, the wounded horse turned out to be very valuable to the white man as he became an icon for the U.S. government and the Seventh Calvary.
In retrospect, history tells us Comanche earned his name from an irrelevant battle with a group of Comanche warriors. The history books go on to tell us this horse then earned his claim to fame in the most legendary military engagement in American history. On that June day in 1876, Comanche was ridden into The Battle of the Little Bighorn accompanied by five cavalry companies from the 7th Cavalry. Two days later when found, Comanche was led from the battlefield and was the only living thing the Cavalry recovered. Being the lone survivor of that battle, Comanche would spend the rest of his life in silence.
With Comanche’s return to health, the Seventh Calvary retired the horse from active duty. Orders were given through a special amendment that no one would ever ride Comanche again. However, he would remain with the Seventh Calvary until his death and his only duties would be to walk in parades and meet the pubic and VIPs who may want interviews or take pictures of him.
Comanche received a special honor and was named as “Second Commanding Officer” of the U.S. Seventh Calvary. He was stationed at Fort Lincoln and became a celebrity. Whenever the horse felt a need for something sweet all he had to do was wander up to the commanding officers quarters, where he was given some sugar cubes. The enlisted men in their off time would hang around the canteen located at the fort. It was here they could indulge in a game of cards, drink beer and sing songs. Comanche would often hang around the canteen, so one day an off duty soldier poured some beer in a clean bucket and placed it outside the front door. Comanche would drink some and over time he developed a fondness for the beer. Other legends say he acquired a taste for beer due to all the toasts made to his heroism and valor in battle. However, legend tells us within time, Comanche could drink beer with the best of them.
When news of Custer’s defeat reached the big cities in the east, the pubic was shocked and wondered how such a tragedy could have occurred. They asked many question, which were directed at the U.S. government and the Seventh Calvary. With public rage fuming, news was slowly reaching the public that Comanche was becoming a famous hero. To soften public rage the Seventh Calvary allowed the legend of this horse to soar to unprecedented heights. It worked, as public rage all but disappeared and this legendary horse became a superstar. The public couldn’t get enough, as rumors soared that this horse was given the title as “Second Commanding Officer" of the Seventh Calvary.
A reporter from the Bismarck Tribune went to Fort Lincoln to interview Comanche in person. The horse never spoke a word but answered the reporters question by stamping his hoves, moving his head from side to side or a toss of his tail. However, Comanche’s keeper a trooper from Keogh’s old “I company” saved Comanche’s reputation by expanding the answers more fully.
Children and adults young and old fell in love with Comanche, as he became a living legend. Books were written about him as were folk songs. Newspapers across the country published stories about this legendary horse. News about this famous horse eventually gathered a following in other countries.
When Comanche walked in parades he was often draped in black with his blanket and saddle mounted in reverse with Calvary boots in the stirrups. This was a show of respect for a fallen Calvary soldier. Anywhere that Comanche appeared the crowds were huge, as everyone wanted to see this horse.
In the 1990s an English historian who studies famous people and how they achieve their fame made an unprecedented statement. He said, famous people who have lived and died throughout history, including Elvis Presley, were not even close to approaching the legendary status that had been bestowed upon Comanche. He went on to say Comanche achieved the respect of the public above and beyond stardom as he was actually approaching God like status.
Comanche died on November 7, 1891, some say of a broken heart. In death as in life Comanche continued to be a national celebrity. His obituary appeared in newspapers throughout the country. The 7th Cavalry sent the body to the University of Kansas, where Lewis Lindsay Dyche agreed to mount the remains (skin and major bones) for a $400 fee. For unknown reasons, the Cavalry did not pay the bill and Dyche kept the horse in lieu of payment.
Over the years, Comanche has survived souvenirs hunters at the University trying to take home a piece of history. He underwent a few restorations, the latest in 2005. Today, he can be seen on the fourth floor of Dyche Hall’s Museum of Natural History in Lawrence, Kansas, outfitted in his riding gear from that period in time. Comanche looks magnificent for a horse that has been dead almost 120 years.
Comanche was one of two horses in United States history to be buried with full military honors. Find a Grave lists Comanche’s burial site as the University of Kansas.
If you’re interested in attending a Battle of the Little Big Horn Reenactment go here
Myles Keogh
Captain Myles Keogh was the man who rode Comanche into the pages of American history. Little did he know when he selected Comanche that this spirited horse would rise to become an icon of American freedom and perseverance. Custer’s inability to grasp the impending disaster sealed a fate, which led to the rise of this unlikely hero.
Myles Keogh was born on March 25, 1840 and he died on June 25, 1876. He was of Irish decent and fought in Italy during the 1860 Papal War. From there, he traveled to America and fought in the American Civil War (1861 to 1865). During those war years, he was promoted from a Captain to a Major and finally to the prestigious rank of Lieutenant Colonel. When the civil war ended, Myles Keogh received a permanent commission as Captain of Company I in the U.S. Seventh Cavalry Regiment, commanded by George Armstrong Custer. During the Indian Wars of the 1870s. Keogh was killed along with Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876.
The complete annihilation of a five companies of soldiers and officers under Custer’s command was probably due to an overzealous Custer, who failed to heed advice from his Indian scouts who told him that an extremely large Indian camp was ahead that probably contained 2500 to 5000 Lakota, Cheyenne and other Indians.
Fort Keogh and Miles City With the defeat and annihilation of George Armstrong Custer and his regiment of the Seventh Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the U.S. army decided to build a fort in the area. The site chosen for the fort was approximately 90 miles northeast of the battlefield. The order for the development of this fort was signed on August 29, 1876. The Cavalry assigned to the fort had orders to bring the Indians in the region under control and onto reservations. The outpost was officially named Fort Keogh in 1878 in remembrance of Captain Myles Keogh who died at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
The fort was also used as head quarters for surveying the land and developing maps as the Great Northern Railway was coming to the region. Today, the grounds where Fort Keogh was located are found on the western edge of Miles City, Montana. Originally a military post, it is now a U.S. Department of Agriculture livestock and range research station.
The modern town of Miles City overshadowed the fort and was named in remembrance of Captain Myles Keogh and General Nelson Miles who was chosen to establish the fort. Captain Myles Keogh’s last minutes in the 1876 battle were every bit as intense as Custers. His body was found surrounded by the soldiers he commanded. Myles Keogh was the owner and rider of the famous war horse Comanche. When reinforcements arrived at the battlefield they found Comanche near death and wandering the site in despair. The soldiers tended to his seven wounds and started the long process of nursing him back to health. He was the sole survivor of this gruesome battle.
On June 25, 1876, Comanche was an ordinary Cavalry horse that exhibited fierce determination and loyalty. By the dawn of June 26, 1876 Comanche was destined to become, the most famous horse in history.
References
A) Comanche: Treasure Hero of the 7th Cavalry vhs
B) Comanche's page at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center
(http://www.nhm.ku.edu/Hdocs/Comanche.html)C) Roadside America
D) Comanche a 2000 movie release staring Kris Kristofferson
E) Comanche Lives
F) The Quest for Comanche
G) Comanche The Horse that Survived the Battle of the Little Bighorn
H) Little Bighorn
I) The Healy Horse Ranch 1874. Article from Fort Benton’s historical paper.
J) Question submitted to the Canada's Star Weekly mid 1960s. Notes taken from a personal lettered received from a relative of a trooper who was killed in the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn.
