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Since the pack train hadn’t arrived yet and he had lost a considerable number of
his men, Reno determined they should regroup and wait for the pack train before pressing on but allowed a smaller detachment under the leadership of Captain Weir
to try to locate their commander. By the time some of Reno and Benteen’s men went back on the initiative, Custer and his battalion may have all already been killed. From Weir Point, some of the troopers may have seen the final moments off in the distance on Last Stand Hill, and soon the warriors concentrated their attacks on the remainder of the 7th Cavalry, forcing Reno to retreat back to the high ground at Reno Hill. During the fighting there, Moylan noted, “I saw a dead Indian very close to [Benteen’s] line... They came up there within 15 or 20 yards. There were a considerable many of them. There was a sufficient number of them to warrant their attempting to turn that end
of the line.”The Cavalry Model Single Action Army Revolvers were used in a counter attack by Benteen and Reno’s men to keep the warriors from closing in on their lines. The fighting continued on into the next day until the Native Americans escaped, and it was only after General Terry’s column arrived on the scene on June 27th that Custer’s fate was discovered.
Moylan survived the battle and continued on in his career. The 7th Cavalry was assigned new men to replace the 242 troopers and 16 officers killed in the battle along with those too severely wounded to return to active duty. The 7th continued
to serve in the West in the Terry Expedition, and Moylan as captain of Company A subsequently fought at the Battle of Bear Paw during the Nez Perce War in 1877 for which he received the Congressional Medal of Honor. His citation reads: “Captain Moylan gallantly led his command in action against the Nez Perce Indians until he was severely wounded.” His wound was a gunshot through the right thigh that put him out of action, but he recovered and continued on and was still in charge of Company A at the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890 where Moylan and some of his men were aiding Captain Varnum’s men in carrying away the confiscated weapons when the gunfire broke out, and he lost four of his men and attributed their loss to fire from
the warriors. Some newspaper accounts incorrectly listed him as mortally wounded in the mayhem. He was later promoted to major and retired in 1893 after more than three decades of service and moved to San Diego, California, where his historic home still stands. He died there in 1909. His obituaries noted him as an Indian fighter and veteran of the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Based on the June 15, 1887, letter noted above, this revolver was already noted
as owned by Captain Frederick W. Benteen and identified as having belonged to Moylan. Benteen has remained a controversial figure for not reinforcing Custer, but
he was remembered by his men fondly. Scout George Herendeen, for example, wrote “Benteen is one of the bravest men I ever saw in a fight.” In contrast, Benteen’s writings indicate Moylan was an unpopular officer, but he did not make it clear why although he claimed Moylan was “blubbering like a whipped urchin” when Benteen and his men came to reinforce Reno’s men after they were battered in the initial counter attacks. Like Moylan, Benteen also fought during the Nez Perce campaign in 1877. He was promoted to a major in the 9th U.S. Cavalry. In 1886, Benteen and several other officers who served in the 7th Cavalry at the Battle of Little Bighorn were sent to
Fort Custer for the 10th anniversary of the disastrous battle before returning to duty trying to maintain peace with the Utes in Utah. He was suspended for 1 1/2 years
on half-pay on April 20, 1887, for drunkenness thus would have been on suspension when the letter was written as alluded to in the letter by the comment “I believe the bottle has gotten the best of him.” He was also actively seeking retirement and was retired for disability the following summer on July 7. As noted in the letter, Benteen did eventually settle in Atlanta in his retirement. His father had previously lived near Atlanta until his death in 1885, and Major Benteen’s youngest child, Frederick Wilson Benteen Jr., was born in Atlanta in 1873. In retirement, he took an active interest
in historical writings about the Battle of Little Bighorn and influenced the early historiography.
CONDITION: Very good with most of the period refinished blue remaining, dark gray patina on the frame and hammer, work at the muzzle, broken hammer roller-pin, some faint oxidation and pitting, and generally mild overall wear. The lightly sanded and re-oiled grip is good and has faint markings, minor scratches and dings, and chips at the toe. Mechanically fine. This is an incredible chance to get your hands on an historic Lot Six Cavalry Model identified as carried by Captain Myles Moylan of the 7th Cavalry! Estimate: 70,000 - 120,000
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