Comanche: The Sole Survivor of All the Forces in Custer’s Last Stand, the Battle of the Little Big Horn

By Barron Brown

Comanche, first published in 1935 and beautifully illustrated by the book’s author Barron Brown, is an account of the U.S. Army horse “Comanche,” who survived General George Armstrong Custer’s detachment of the United States 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.

“Comanche” was bought by the U.S. Army in 1868 in St. Louis, Missouri and sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was captured in a wild horse roundup on April 3, 1868. Captain Myles Keogh of the 7th Cavalry liked the 15 hands (60 inches, 152 cm) gelding and bought him for his personal mount, to be ridden only in battle.

In 1868, while the army was fighting the Comanche in Kansas, the horse was wounded in the hindquarters by an arrow but continued to carry Keogh in the fight. He named the horse “Comanche” to honor his bravery. “Comanche” was wounded many more times but always exhibited the same toughness.

It was on June 25, 1876 that Captain Keogh rode “Comanche” at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, led by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, in which their entire detachment was killed. U.S. soldiers found “Comanche,” badly wounded, two days after the battle. After being transported to Fort Lincoln, he was slowly nursed back to health. After a lengthy convalescence, “Comanche” was retired.

In June 1879, “Comanche” was brought to Fort Meade by the Seventh Regiment, where he was kept like a prince until 1887. He was taken to Fort Riley, Kansas. As an honor, he was made “Second Commanding Officer” of the 7th Cavalry.

“Comanche” died of colic on November 7, 1891, believed to be 29 years old at the time. He is one of only three horses in U.S. history to be given a military funeral with full military honors, the others were “Black Jack” and “Sergeant Reckless.” His remains were sent to the University of Kansas and preserved, where the taxidermy mount can still be seen today in the university’s Natural History Museum.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Borodino Books
• Release date: Jan 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9781787209046

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Text originally published in 1935 under the same title.

© Borodino Books 2017, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

COMANCHE

The Sole Survivor of All the Forces in Custer's Last Stand, the Battle of the Little Big Horn

BY

BARRON BROWN

Illustrated

From Portraits by the Author and

Rare Old Photographs

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 5

DEDICATION 6

ILLUSTRATIONS 7

FOREWORD 9

A BRIEF NARRATIVE OF CUSTER’S LAST BATTLE, JUNE 25, 1876 11

DESCRIPTION AND EARLY HISTORY OF COMANCHE WHOSE MASTER, CAPTAIN MYLES W. KEOGH, WAS KILLED WITH CUSTER. 15

COMANCHE AT THE BATTLE OF THE LITTLE BIG HORN. SOLE SURVIVOR OF CUSTER’S COMMAND. FOUND BY RESCUING TROOPS 19

MILES KEOGH’S HORSE BY JOHN HAY 25

COMANCHE AFTER THE BATTLE. IN RETIREMENT. HONORED BY AN ARMY ORDER. 28

DOCUMENTATION 32

H. L. Scott, Letter 33

John C. Lockwood, Letter 35

Ezra B. Fuller, Letter 39

H. L. Scott, Letter 41

E. S. Godfrey, Letter 45

E. S. Godfrey, Letter 47

Conclusion 50

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 56

DEDICATION

In memory of the late General Hugh L. Scott, and for his notable career as a soldier and his friendship for the Indians this story of Comanche is dedicated.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Comanche

Captain Myles W. Keogh

General George A. Custer

Comanche at Fort Lincoln

Comanche at a Reunion

Rain-In-The-Face

Comanche at Fort Riley

White Bull

Little Soldier

Two Moons

Tasina-Mani-Win

FOREWORD

It seems to the writer that with the advent of mechanized transportation and the consequent passing away, perhaps forever, of the general use and companionship of horses, something very fine in the development of American manhood and womanhood also has passed. Until recent days history does not record a time when men and horses did not share the toil, the danger, the humdrum dailiness and the high emprise of life. Man’s use of the noble animal has been much more than utilitarian: there has been a companionship which has served much more than a work-a-day end. It has, in fact, been a vital factor in our growth up from savagery. Literally, man has come out of the mist