The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-17
ONE FAMOUS CHARGER.
Col. Keogh's Warhorse the Sole Sur
vivor Of the Terrible Custer
Massacre.
The Equine Hero of Many Bloody
Fights With Hostile Red
skins.
His Baptism of Blood in 1~868-Failins
Rapidly at the Ripe Old Age of
Twenty-Eight.

Comanche, the celebrated old varhorse
Of the Seventh United States cavalry, still
lives at a ripe old age. He is stationed at
Fort Riley, Kan, with Troop ], 10 which he
has been attached since his advent into the
service. The Seventh was the lamented
Gen. Clusters regiment, which possesses a
most enyiable record. The history of Com
anche is a remarkable one, worthy a place
beside the renowned animals recorded in
the worlds chronicles of notable wars.
Comanche is one of the original mounts of
the Seventh cavalry when the regiment was
organized in 1866 at Fort Riley under the
act of congress authorizing an increase in
that arm of the service. Upon the DISPOSE
ton of the several troops composing the
regiment to the various military posts in
the then district of Upper Kansas by Gen.
Alfred Sully, its commander, TroopI, whose
captain was the gallant Col. Keogh, WAS
assigned to Fort Wallace, in remote west
ern Kansas. on the great central plains.
Comanohe joined the troop in the fall
OF 1866, and has been in nearly every battle
and skirm ish since that time in which the
regiment has participated, says a Topeka.
Kan, correspondent of the Rocky Noun
tain News. His fearless owner, Colonel
KeoRh, rode him into that awful apht of
the "Little Big Horn" where Custer and
his brave followers went down to death in
their last charge, with colors flying and
trumpeters sounding the forward" That
WAS the only time the intrepid regiment
dropped its guidons, and where, with fash
ing sabres. overwhelmed by brute force, it
rushed on to humiliation. Comanohe
has been wounded many times. In the ter
ribly unequal battle Of the 'Little Big
Horn," or "Rosebud,' as it ia generally
called, he was the only animal to escape the
awful fate which befell all else animate
on our side in the hopeless struggle with
death.
HIS first serious encounter with the
savages of the intraeontinent region was in
the autumn of 1868. 1t was immediat ely
preceding the organization of the cele-
brated winter campaign" against the
allied tribes of the whole central plains, in
which General Sheridan commanded in
person. His lieutenants were all famous
Indian fghters-General Sully. the hero of
the Sioux war in 1864, General Custer.
General Carr of the Fifth cavalry, and
many others of less rank, but of equal rep
u%tation. General sully. who was second
to General Sheridan. commanded the dis
trict of the Upper Arkansas, with head
quarters at Fort Harker (now the town of
Kanopolis), on the Smoky Hill. The Ind
inns had been making frequent raids aloue
the Kansas and Nebraska border during
the summer, numbering the settlers and
committing the most outrageous and name
less depredations, 80 Genera Sully deter
mined upon a hurried expedition against
them. Accordingly. with eight companies
of the Seventh cavalry and FIVE companies
Of infantry he concentrated his force at
Fort Dodge, on the Arkansas, intending to
punish the Kiowas, Arapahoes and Chey-