Frank Finkel Frank Finkel ( January 29 , 1854 – August 28 , 1930 ) was an American who rose to prominence late in his life and after his death for his claims to being the only survivor of George Armstrong Custer ' s famed " Last Stand " at the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25 , 1876 . Historians disagree over whether Finkel ' s claim is accurate ; although he provided several details that would only have been known by someone who was at Little Bighorn , there are inconsistencies in his accounts of events . Finkel was born in Ohio to German immigrant parents in 1854 . He and others claimed that he enlisted in the United States Army in the early 1870s and served under George Custer during the Great Sioux War of 1876 . During the Battle of the Little Bighorn Finkel claims he was wounded early in the fighting and his horse bolted from the battle . After being nursed back to health he traveled to St . Louis , then settled in Columbia County , Washington . Over the next 40 years he amassed a significant estate as a farmer in the town of Dayton , and came to be regarded as one of Dayton ' s " pioneers " . Sometime around 1920 , he began telling companions that he survived the Battle of the Little Bighorn , and for the next several years recounted his alleged experiences in the battle . Historians who support Finkel ' s claim argue that several details in Finkel ' s account could only be known by someone who was at Little Bighorn , including details of events in the battle that were not widely known until after Finkel ' s death , and the location and quantity of streams of potable water in the area . Those who disagree with Finkel ' s claim argue that records at the time do not indicate the existence of Frank Finkel , and that the United States Army knows the fate of all the people who have been suggested as possible false names for Finkel . Early life . Frank Finkel is believed to have been born in Marietta , Ohio to Peter and Magdalena Finkel . His father was a German immigrant who owned a farm with six sons and a daughter . His family spoke German at home , and Peter sent his kids to public schools . Frank Finkel grew up bilingual and fully literate . Peter Finkel died in 1868 . Battle of the Little Bighorn claims . Accounts of Frank Finkel ' s enlistment in the United States Army vary . John Koster , author of the book " Custer Survivor " and a supporter of the Finkel claim , argues that he enlisted under the name " August Finckle " in Chicago in January 1872 . August Finckle ' s reported place of birth was Berlin , Prussia , which Koster argues was Finkel ' s attempt to use his actual German heritage to capitalize on the Prussian military ' s popularity in the United States at the time . Koster also uncovered a document revealing that Finkel ' s widow believed he enlisted in September 1874 in Iowa , under the alias " Frank Hall " . At the time of the Battle of the Little Bighorn he was second sergeant of C Company of the 7th Cavalry under the command of George Armstrong Custer . Finkel claimed that early in the battle , both he and his horse were shot , and the horse bolted from the battle site with Finkel still riding . After riding for several days , Finkel shot his already dying horse and continued on foot . He came upon a white man cutting wood outside his cabin ; the man initially demanded Finkel leave at gunpoint , but when Finkel fell unconscious in front of him , he took Finkel into his cabin . The man , known to Finkel only as " Bill " , helped treat Finkel ' s wounds ; Finkel remained with him for several months , then departed for Fort Benton , where he learned of the deaths of Custer and all of his men . He claims he reported to an Army officer to request a discharge , but gave up on the matter when the officer required him to provide two witnesses to vouch for his identity . Later life . Finkel traveled to St . Louis , Missouri , where he worked in the dairy industry . He returned west in 1878 , and settled in Dayton , Washington . He married his first wife , Delia ( also spelled " Delila " ) Rainwater , in 1886 ; soon after their marriage , Finkel began acquiring farmland and by 1911 he owned a significant amount of real estate in Dayton . Frank and Delia had three children who survived to adulthood , including one , Ben , who served in the Idaho Legislature . A 1906 newspaper article characterized Frank Finkel as someone who " enjoys the respect and confidence of all the good people in the community . " Finkel is not believed to have said anything about the Battle of the Little Bighorn over the course of 40 years living in Dayton . He is believed to have first made his claim of surviving the battle in 1920 after hearing his companions discussing what he believed to be erroneous details about Custer and the battle . Over the next several years he expanded on his claims in local speaking engagements , and in 1921 gave an account to a reporter from the " Walla Walla Bulletin " , the largest newspaper in the area at the time . Delia Finkel died in August 1921 , shortly after the " Walla Walla Bulletin " article was published , and in 1926 Frank married his second wife , Hermie . Frank Finkel died at age 76 on August 28 , 1930 . In 2013 , a photograph described as " August Finckle " was published first in the " Battlefield Dispatch , " a membership - circulation publication for Custer enthusiasts , and then in the December 2013 issue of " Wild West , " a professionally - edited general - circulation magazine of the Weider History Group . The photograph , described as " Sergeant August Finckle " of the Seventh Cavalry in an 1874 cavalry blouse , was widely identified as a photograph of Frank Finkel of Ohio taken 10 years before the familiar Frank Finkel portrait photograph taken around 1886 . The hair color and hairline differed due to age , but every facial feature was identical , as were several mannerisms , including the shirt collar flipped up on the right side inside the coat collar , according to Mike Roncallo , a portrait photographer with NJ Press credentials , Sylvia Groen , a portrait painter , Police Chief Benjamin Fox of Wyckoff , NJ , and Jacques Harlow , a professional engineer with a degree from Dartmouth and a Fulbright Scholar with ID training from NYU . The article in " Battlefield Dispatch " also stated that native - born German speakers reported having trouble understanding " Sergeant Finckle ' s " German pronunciation . Author Koster said that this was obviously because Frank Finkel grew up in Ohio , had never lived in Germany , and had learned the Alemannic Bavarian dialect from his immigrant parents .