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They were overrun and killed in the coulee and on Calhoun Hill. Custer led his
remaining companies towards Last Stand Hill. Aside from the scouts and a few
troopers detached prior to the battle, Custer’s battalion was entirely wiped out
by the much larger combined forces of the Arapaho, Northern Cheyenne, and
Lakota. The warriors then turned their attention back to Reno and Benteen’s
men and kept them pinned down until retiring and making their escape. On
June 27, 1876, Reno and Benteen’s men and General Terry’s relief column
discovered the bodies of nearly 200 of Custer’s men, many unrecognizable,
and hastily buried them.
Given its issuance to Troop C and subsequent recovery damaged, it is very
likely that this carbine was carried into battle at the Little Bighorn by one of
Custer’s ill-fated men. Since the carbine is noted as having the stock broken
but was recovered, it may have been damaged in the battle itself, possibly
after being used as a club or crushed by horse. Unfortunately the exact nature
of the damage is not known. With the stock damaged, it may have been
deemed unworthy of salvaging by the warriors. Another possibility is that it
was damaged by one of Troop C’s troopers that were detached during the
battle. Some of these men were with the pack train and/or participated in
the hill top fight with Reno. One of these men was Peter Thompson. His horse
gave out as they reached the battlefield and fell behind. He and James Watson
joined Reno on the bluff after the initial attack and was wounded in the hand
and arm but continued to take trips outside of the lines to retrieve water for
the many wounded men under Reno’s command and was awarded the Medal
of Honor.
Another possibility is that it was damaged by troopers after the battle when
they were locating and burying the dead. Sgt. John M. Ryan wrote, “We took
all the extra guns belonging to the dead and wounded, broke the stocks off
them, and built a fire and threw them into it. We also destroyed all the extra
saddles and bridles, as we had no way of carrying them. Terry’s men removed
their clothing and carried our wounded men all down from the bluffs to their
camp. After destroying the guns, we examined the horses thoroughly, and any
of them that had been wounded and would not live, we killed. Some of the
men hated to part with their horses, but there was nothing else to do.”
This post-battle destruction combined with the fact that most of the weapon
of Custer’s battalion are believed to have been captured by the victorious
Arapaho, Lakota, and Northern Cheyenne warriors has left very few genuine
7th Cavalry carbines for collectors. A genuine 7th Cavalry documented
trapdoor would certainly be among the most prized possessions for a serious
trapdoor or U.S. military collector. Paired with the relevant accoutrements and
perhaps even a documented 7th Cavalry Colt Single Action Army, this historic
carbine would make for a museum level display focused on one of the most
famous battles ever fought in North America.
CONDITION: Good with traces of original finish, mostly mottled gray and
brown patina, moderate wear, light pitting, and chips and slivers absent from
the stock. Mechanically excellent. This is a rare opportunity to get your hands
on a genuine 7th Cavalry Trapdoor Carbine documented by serial number in
the National Archives as received from Captain Henry Jackson, 7th Cavalry
and collected by the Chief Ordnance Officer of the Dept. of Dakota during the
Indian Wars. This is the best documentation you can ever hope for!
Estimate: 65,000 - 110,000
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