The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-12-23
SORREL CHARGER, G0MAMGHE, ONLY LIVING
CREATURE THAT SURVIVED CUSTER FIGHT

Outside of Alexander the Greats
charger, ~Bucephalus, there are per-
haps no horses mentioned in history
that have lived more exciting and ro-
mantle careers than some four or five
of-the more famous steeds identified
with the pioneer days of Montana.
The best known of these horses to
the country at large was Comanche,
the sole living creature found on the
Custer battlefield by the relief col
umn, two days after the fight. Lieu
tenant Nolan of the Inflated troop of
Captain Keogh was with the men
gathering together the dead when he
came upon the horse standing in a
ravine, covered with bullet and ar
row wounds and half-dead from loss
of blood. Lieutenant Nolan, who
had himself escaped the fate of Gus
ter through having been on detach-
ed service with General Terry's staff,
recognized the horse at once as Co
manche, the "claybank" sorrel charg-
er of Captain Keogh, who had perish
ed with his troop.
Surgeon Summoned
Lieutenant Nolan summoned Dr..
Ii. II. L vi t6l VI llClO . tOd1hiohu "
give the wounded animal first aid
on the field and then led him to the
steamer Far West, which was lying
in the Big Horn river at the junction
with the Little Big Horn to take the
wounded down to Fort Lincoln.
AS the Far West was crowded
with the wounded men who had
fought with Reno, the housing of Co
manche was a difficult problem, but
with such tender interest and affec-
ton was the horse regarded by all
the soldiers and the boats crew that
most of them would almost rather
have been abandoned themselves
than to have suffered him to be de-
serted. Captain Grant Marsh, the
pilot, finally found a place for Co
manche at the extreme stern of the
Far West between the rudders. Here
a stall softly bedded with grass was
made.
Veterinary Panic Stricken
A veterinary surgeon, whom Cap
tain Marsh described as the worst
scared man he ever saw, arrived at
the river with the main column
shortly after the wounded had been
ldh6U dUOdIu. JlG WAS d C1fllldD III
der contract with the army. So com
pletely had this man lost his head
that only by threats of physical vio-
lence could he be quoted sufficient
ly to give attention to the wounded
Comanche. At length, however, he
extracted the bullets and arrowheads
from the horses body, and Comanche
was far along on the road to recov-J
cry when he reached Fort Lincoln.
After the surviving companies OF
the Seventh cavalry had returned
from the field, Comanche was made
the subject of special orders, by
which he became the particular
charge of the regiment. Under these
orders no man vas eve to ride him
again and this injunction was strict
1y obeyed. One man from Captain
Keogh's troop I was detailed to serve
as his keeper and to lead him, bridled
and saddled and draped in black, on
all occasions of regimental ceremony.
went with the Seventh ca
va1ry to Fort Meade, Dakota, 1879;
thence in 1888 to Fort Riley, Kan
sas. He died in the latter year, more
than IL years after the battle of
which he was the sole living survivor
who was "in at the end" He was
buried with full regimental honors.
Horse of Vigilante Days
Then there was the famous horse
'Yellowhammer," winner of many {
races around Virginia City, when
place was the mecca of the ar