Comanche

by David Dary

University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History, Public Education Series No. 5, Sept 3, 1976. Booklet, paper covers, 19 pp. Black and white illustrations. Contents The Early Years; Captain Myles Keogh; Prelude to Battle; Comanche Wounded; General Orders Number Seven; Comanche's last years; Comanche Preserved at KU; Notes; Suggested Readings; Comanche. [From Foreword] If General Custer's forces had won at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876, probably no one would remember Comanche today. Such was not the case. Comanche was the lone survivor from Custer's immediate command found on the battlefield two days after the fight. Comanche became well-known only because Custer was defeated. . . As the public clamored for details of the battle, writers sought to provide the answers. But there were different versions of what happened. Many questions could not be answered. "If only Comanche could talk," said some, as they tried to piece together the story of the battle. Failing to find many of the answers, some writers turned to generalizations to satisfy the public's thirst for information on the fight. The label "lone survivor of the battle of the Little Bighorn" soon was firmly attached to Comanche without regard for the thousands of Indians who survived the fight or the soldiers and horses of the 7th Cavalry not in the Custer battle. For the U.S. Army, especially the 7th Cavalry, Comanche soon became a living legend, a reminder of an embarrassing defeat and of an era in military history that was nearing an end in the U.S. . . During much of the first half of the 20th century, Comanche was still thought of as the "lone survivor" of the Custer battle. Following World War II, however, America's changing attitudes caused a gradual change in the symbolism attached to Comanche. That symbolism continues to shift - rapidly and often - with the passage of time. . .

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1976