As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I do not know if this information is in the archives or not, as I have so much here concerning a wide array of subjects but the Viking asked about the traps of the 7th Cavalry officer found after the battle and away from the field, so in looking for it, I will post it.
The first important part of this is, that too many people in ignorance either have entire commands of Lt. Henry Harrington making brave dashes for freedom or they have the Indians dragging Troopers from horses who were cowards. The reality is the vast majority of Troopers did their duty, and Libby Custer, Annie Yates and General Nelson Miles singled out only one Trooper for castigation, and I believe it to be Harrington.
Harrington was in direct command of Tom Custer's C Company. C company led the charge and must have been the company on point, or the place to hold off the Indians from collapsing the battle lines formed. I will state that 90% of what Indians say is a lie or a fabrication, so I do not pay attention to their accounts, except if quoted by Libby Custer, who was busy rooting all of this out from established people who could be trusted, like Nelson Miles.
Some have Harrington and his company make a brave dash, but what it was apparently was Harrington caused panic, and like Reno fled the field, and it was a sort of dash for fear for the Troopers, who seem to have made it to the timber, where the advance column found them on discovering the Last Stand.
The quotes in this are of interest as it was Lt. Godfrey who located a dead horse with 7th traps and did a short examination, but before he could do a full examination, the evidence was removed.
It must be noted that well known Custer historian E. A. Brininstool (1870-1957), Troopers with Custer and A Trooper with Custer, tracked more than 70 claims of survivorship. All were for naught. Nevertheless, Brininstool, himself, recognized the intriguing possibility that there was a survivor. In May, 1921, General Godfrey wrote Brininstool of the discovery in late July or the first of August, 1876, of a horse on the south side of the Yellowstone near the mouth of the Rosebud::
"I heard a rumor that [some infantry troops] had found a dead horse that was fully equipped, except bridle, and that it was a Seventh Cavalry horse. I went to the steamer at once to investigate. I crossed to the south bank of the stream and found the horse. It was impossible to determine if it was a sorrel or light bay animal. Halter, lariat, saddle, saddle-blanket and saddle bags were intact; and strapped to the cantle was the small grain bag with which the Seventh Cavalry and provided itself. The oats in the bag had not been disturbed. The saddle bags were empty. I was told that when first discovered the carbine of the rider was there. The horse had been shot in the forehead, which must have been fatal on the spot."Gen. Godfrey continued by noting that as he was examining the animal, the sound of the boat's whistle summoned him back and he was not able to continue the examination until the next day. When he returned, the equipment had been removed. The horse was so baddly decomposed that its brands could not be identified. Godfrey was unable to learn anything further of the horse or who its rider may have been.
In commenting on Godrey's letter, Brininstool noted that all officers with Custer had been accounted for but Lieutenants Harrington, Porter and Sturges whose bodies were never found. Brininstool asked,
"Who rode the solitary animal found dead by Captain Godfrey a few weeks after the Custer fight, on the lonely banks of the Yellowstone river, which carried Seventh Cavalry equipments? Was its rider one of Custer's men, and who was he?" Brininstool, E.A: "Was there a Custer Survivor?" Hunter-Trader-Trapper magazine, April 1922.
In this, the horse was without bridle and shot in the head. It would not make a great deal of sense to leave a rifle with a dead horse, so either this person shot his horse as it had fagged out and he did not desire it wandering back without him, and his showing with a Cavalry branded horse in the settlements would have got him hung or the Indians shot both the horse and captured the coward.
It is though what was found and while I have not inquired, I conclude it was the former in he shot the horse and fled on foot. Harrington's wife searched in vain for him, but if he was alive, the guilt of what he had done in causing the deaths of hundreds of men by running away, along with his facing hanging in being a national pariah, would have kept him quite vanished for the rest of his life.
He ran to save himself once, so he was not about to relieve his wife and children's anxiety by giving himself away.
Then again in the back chatter is the finding that the Smithsonian somehow had Harrington's remains and were later identified. This author says the Indians state he was the bravest man they ever fought, but the reality is General Nelson Miles was fingering someone as a coward, and Harrington is the foremost candidate, as only his C company had any wounded survivors while the other companies were dead.
After Custer’s defeat in June of 1876 the remains of three 7th Cavalry officers could not be located. One of those missing officers was Lieutenant Henry Harrington of Company C, 7th Cavalry. For 128 years Lieutenant Harrington has been listed as MIA (missing in action). While researching the anthropological holdings of the Smithsonian Institution, the author discovered the remains of Harrington, unidentified, in the museum’s anthropological collection. Subsequent forensic analysis performed both by the author and the anthropological department of the museum shows that the remains are indeed those of Lieutenant Harrington.
It is all as stated the prejudices of people either looking for heroes or cowards.
There is in this the stories of Crow Indians finding 7th Cavalry equipment on the prairie. It was never followed up as the Grant regime and army desired to bury all of this, but horses did run of, some of those who bolted rode off.
The above Rosebud horse and traps were thought to be some other trooper who had made a mad dash, and once again if the Smithsonian information is correct, then Harrington is there dead having fled and this other trooper made it to the Rosebud.
One other trooper was said to be chased by three Indians and when captured shot himself in the temple. Once again the Indians would have murder tortured him and if rescued the Cavalry would have hung him, so a bullet was the best medicine.
It is though the reality that a horse was found by Godfrey, and who knows who stole the evidence if it was a cover up or a scavenger or the man. I only had interest in bringing the 1876 reality to the forefront again, as Libby Custer knew what took place, and all that has followed has been propaganda cover up or ghouls trying to make their JFK buck off that ride.
I appreciate the re visit though as I will save this again to archives in my email dump box for future reference. I did want to do a book on this, but I have no time or money to waste on books.
Speaking of which, thank you to the faithful few who have donated. I appreciate it on my last stand hill. The more I am put upon, the more I read of that era, the more I just desire to talk my way onto some ranches to ride about for a few months and be restored. I figure with a solar generator and this lap top, I could keep foot in the stirrup to guide you along.
If I missed anything or not noticed anything, I apologize, but I was up till 2 AM and again at 6 AM, as TL was detained from 7 AM yesterday at work, until almost 10 AM this morning. TL is now sleeping with orders from the TL who must be obeyed to awaken at 1:30, and then I get the treat of having a few moments.
Oh and the above photo, I do not give a care about the Indians in it, but the photo is a buffalo wallow, a small one, but I desired to put it here so you would have an idea what one looked like under good grass conditions. Otherwise they were filled with buffalo poo, urine, hair and whatever skeeter wiggler or snail that grew it to a molasses consistency.
Thank you again to the few faithful as at least you give me hope I am not going to die in desert of asphalt and concrete surrounded by modern savages.
agtG
This has got to be the blessedest thing I ever seen. I had no idea someone would go to this length and I just have to enjoy someone who went into this kind of effort and detail.
I love that quart tin cup.
The world would be a better place if most people created models of the things they loved.
