The Battle of the Little Bighorn is so woven into the fabric of westward expansion and the Wild West that the massacre and the legend of George Armstrong Custer might be one of the most famous events in American history.

For more than 140 years, the curious and the studious have visited the battlefield in Montana. Archeologists trod the site to find artifacts like cartridge casings, spurs and other relics. Based on what has been found, nearly 50 types of firearms, from muzzleloaders to revolvers have been identified as used by the Native American warriors in the battle. The 7th Cavalry Regiment was issued Springfield Model 1873 carbines and Colt Single Action Army revolvers, but soldiers also carried personal firearms.

Four firearms -- a Springfield 1873 and three Colt SAAs – with connections to Custer’s 7th Cavalry and the Little Bighorn are among the offerings in Rock Island Auction Company’s Dec. 6-8 Premier Auction.

A Springfield Model 1873 Trap Door and a Colt Single Action Army connected to George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry will be offered in Rock Island Auction Company's Dec. 6-8 Premier Auction in Bedford, Texas.

Soldiers of the 7th Cavalry

When the 7th Cavalry set out in June, 1876 to pursue the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho that had left their reservations, the unit was part of a three-pronged approach to ensnare the Native Americans. The U.S. Cavalry had about 2,600 men. Custer, a lieutenant colonel and daring commander, was allowed by Gen. Alfred Terry to take 600 men to find what was believed to be a force of no more than 800 to 1,000 warriors.

Custer’s scouts found the Native American encampment in the Little Bighorn River valley. From an overlook, the Crow and Arikara scouts tried to show Custer the surprisingly large village set up along the river, but he couldn’t see up the valley 10 miles away. The scouts told him it was the largest native village they’d ever seen. One of the scouts told Custer, “There are more Sioux than you have bullets!”

George Armstrong Custer talks to Native American Scouts.

Fearing that his column had been detected and that the Native Americans would slip away, Custer ordered his travel-weary soldiers to prepare for battle. Each soldier was to be armed with 100 rounds of carbine ammunition and 24 rounds of revolver ammo. Custer divided his men into three groups for the attack, not expecting staunch resistance.

The cavalrymen would be outnumbered and outgunned. The village of about 8,000 people included 1,200 to as many as 2,500 warriors. The tribal warriors, some armed with Henry rifles, Winchester Model 1866 and 1873 rifles as well as Spencer and Sharps rifles, immediately engaged with two of Custer’s detachments that had to fend off a ferocious assault for several hours while Custer’s five companies were cut off.

When the gunsmoke dissipated, 268 of the 7th Cavalry were killed, including Custer, his brothers Thomas and Boston, nephew “Autie” Reed and reporter Mark Kellogg. Native American casualties were estimated at 38. Sixteen firearms are documented as having seen service at the Little Bighorn.

General Custer's Death Struggle The Little Bighorn, by Henry Steinegger.

Guns of the 7th Cavalry

Following the Civil War, the cavalry on the Great Plains was poorly armed due to financial constraints in place on the Ordnance Department. However, things changed in 1873 when new firearms arrived. A .50 caliber carbine from Springfield Armory started development in 1870 but didn’t appear until nearly the same time as the Colt Single Action Army. The Springfield 1873 and the Single Action Army were standard issue to the 10 regiments of cavalry. Among the most desirable in firearm collector circles are SAAs in the four digit serial number range of the 921 issued to the 7th Cavalry and the 632 that rode to the Little Bighorn, according to “Cavalry & Artillery Revolvers… A Continuing Study,” by John A. Kopec and H. Sterling Fenn.

Along with the moral victory of routing the 7th Cavalry, the Native American warriors departed the field of battle with hundreds of Springfield carbines and Colt revolvers and thousands of rounds of ammunition.  Few of the captured guns are known today, most lost or discarded, or left in Canada where Sitting Bull fled before later returning to the United States. Few of the SAA revolvers bear the provenance linking them to the battle but some are still to be discovered.

This Springfield Model 1873 Trap Door is documented and attributed to the 7th Cavalry and is reported as unservicable from the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Guns of the 7th Cavalry: Single Action Army

The classic Cavalry Model of the Colt Single Action Army is defined by its 7 1/2-inch barrel which was standard military issue with the first delivery of 1,000 revolvers in November 1873.  Shipped from the Colt factory to Springfield Armory in lots of 1,000 they were distributed to five designated Arsenals. By the end of 1874, every one of the U.S. Army’s 10 cavalry units had been outfitted with the SAA.

The shipment of Lot Five was designated for the 7th Cavalry in February 1874 but didn’t immediately ship due to an acute shortage of ammunition for the revolvers, finally shipping in late March to Rock Island Arsenal. Colt experts John A. Kopec and H. Sterling Fenn, believe that the majority of Lot Five revolvers were in the 4500-5404 serial number range though beginning with this lot, broken or partially separated production lots were included.

The Colt Single Action Army was issued to the 7th Cavalry before it went on its Black Hills Expedition in 1874. The serial number for the revolver at top has been documented as being in the range of Lot 5 revolvers distributed to the 7th Cavalry, while the SAA below has a serial number in the Lot 6 range also issued to the 7th Cavalry.

These Lot Five revolvers, among the most desirable and rare Colts to collect, were issued shortly before the unit trekked into the Black hills on July 2, 1874 when 755 revolvers went out to 10 companies at Fort Abraham Lincoln in June 1874. Major Marcus Reno’s Companies D and I were issued new revolvers while on detached duty with the Northern Boundary Survey party.

After the Little Bighorn, 302 of 632 revolvers were reported lost. Captured revolvers would’ve been used to rout Custer’s men before turning their guns to Major Marcus Reno and Capt. Frederick Benteen’s companies that held off the Native American warriors. Revolvers with serial numbers 5743, 5773 and 6559 were reported as turned in by Benteen in 1877 as being unserviceable.

Guns of the 7th Cavalry: SAA Serial Number 5337

The Colt Single Action Army with serial number 5337 falls between revolver serial number 5147 issued to Troop L of the 7th Cavalry and revolver serial number 5360 issued to Troop G of the 3rd Cavalry, known in 1888 and 1886 respectively. Three revolvers with serial numbers 5349, 5367 and 5395 were returned for refurbishing in 1895, “indicating that these revolvers had served with a cavalry unit during the Indian Wars," according to Kopec.

The revolver’s cylinder serial number is 4870 that Kopec believes to be “field mixed.” A Single Action Army serial number 4865 was issued to Company H of the 2nd Cavalry, and a revolver with serial number 4878 was turned in by a Native American, “Fool-Bear,” about three months after the Little Bighorn battle. Kopec also notes the revolver is marked with an O.W. Ainsworth sub-inspection revolver.

This historic Colt Single Action Army fell within Lot Five from which 7th Cavalry revolvers were issued prior to the Regiment’s departure for 1874’s Black Hills survey that confirmed the discovery of gold and “has the look of an Indian Wars survivor.”

Guns of the 7th Cavalry: Springfield 1873 Trapdoor

Life on the frontier wasn’t easy for cavalry soldiers. The post-Civil War Army left them to be under-trained and poorly equipped. In 1866, as attacks around Fort Phil Kearny in Wyoming increased during the fort’s construction. In December, a cavalry detachment escorting a lumber wagon train fell into a Native American trap drawing out the soldiers protecting it as well as reinforcements sent to help, many still armed with muzzle-loading rifles and lacking ammunition. A large group of Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho led by Red Cloud rained down arrows, killing 81 soldiers. It was the worst Army defeat in the West until the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Realizing troops in the west were under-gunned, Army officials ordered an examination of the firearms and ammunition its troops needed. The Army started in late 1865 converting its muskets to “trap door” breechloaders for metallic cartridges done under master armorer Erskine S. Allin. An improved model was issued with the Springfield Model 1866 and the Model 1868. In 1872, another trial was led by Brig. Gen. Alfred Terry who would later lead the 7th Cavalry and unleash Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer to disastrous results at the Little Bighorn.

Terry’s board first examined ammunition loads and came to the recommendation of what would be the .45-70 Government cartridge. Considering a rifle, the board looked at about 100 breech-loading rifles including the battle rifles of leading European powers as well as many American manufacturers like Winchester, Remington, Sharps, Spencer, Springfield and others. All but 21 were rejected immediately. The board’s military experience was fighting in the Civil War, and not the guerilla insurgency of the Native Americans so that repeating or magazine rifles fell to the side.

The board settled on the Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor rifle and carbine. The Model 1873 was manufactured until 1893 with variations made throughout the production run. The carbine had a 22-inch barrel and weighed nearly 7 lbs. A complaint with the rifle was that the cartridge cases were too soft and got stuck in the barrel. While the rifle had a cleaning rod, the carbine, issued to the 7th Cavalry, didn’t. There was evidence the cartridge extraction issues occurred during the Little Bighorn Battle that could be solved with something like the cleaning rod, but not to an extent that would’ve changed the outcome. Another complaint of the Model 1873 Trapdoor was that the gun’s stock had a thin wrist that resulted in breaks. That was the issue of the gun shown below.

This Springfield Model 1873 saddle ring carbine was manufactured in 1875 and is documented to Troop C of the U.S. 7th Cavalry. It was turned in as unserviceable in 1877 due to a broken stock, going to Springfield Armory for repair. It was one of nine unserviceable Springfield carbines turned in by Capt. Henry Jackson, of the 7th Cavalry. Jackson had been detailed to Washington, D.C., at the time of the Battle of the Little Bighorn but served for more than 14 years with the 7th Cavalry. It is very likely the returned carbines were rendered unserviceable during the battle and is identified by serial number in published lists of 7th Cavalry carbines returned after the battle.

This carbine may have been damaged during the battle – used as a club or crushed by a horse – and considered unsalvageable by the Native American warriors. It is also possible it was damaged after the battle when cavalry arrived at the battlefield to bury the dead and retrieve equipment. 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 gun was salvaged and returned for repair, rather than burned.

Guns of the 7th Cavalry: Lot Six Single Action Army

As stated earlier from Kopec and Fenn, the lots of Single Action Army revolvers starting with Lot Five were broken up so that some lots were comingled and that Lot Six was also a “prime” lot from which revolvers were issued to Custer’s 7th Cavalry troopers.

The SAA revolver shown below is accompanied by a Dec. 3, 1994 notarized letter of provenance that state’s the gun had been in the writer’s family for 75-80 years, given to his grandfather by a Hungarian emigrant during the Ludlow Massacre where 25 people were killed that took place during coal mine strikes near Trinidad, Colo. in 1914. The emigrant man had stayed with the letter writer’s family and only had the revolver as anything of value to share for his appreciation of the hospitality.

The revolver’s serial number is 6474 and falls between revolvers with serial numbers 6472 and 6476 of Kopec’s survey of 7th Cavalry revolvers. The serial number is also close to a SAA cylinder serial numbered 6450 recovered from the battlefield in 1978.

This Colt Single Action Army revolver falls between serial numbers for Lot 6 distributed to the 7th Cavalry. It is marked with O.W. Ainsworth’s “A” on the cylinder, trigger guard and top of the back strap, as well as a “P” proof mark on the cylinder.

Guns of the 7th Cavalry: Custer Avengers

As the 7th Cavalry regrouped following the massacre, replacement troops were needed. By the end of September 1876, the unit was back to regimental strength of 938 officers and men, including 18 replacement officers. These new recruits were known as “Custer Avengers.”

The unit had to wait out the bitter winter cold before leaving Fort Abraham Lincoln on May 2, 1877. The Custer Avengers were undisciplined. Lt. Hugh L. Scott, recalled, “They were a rough lot who had enlisted in cities under stress of the excitement caused by the Custer Fight, and were called the Custer Avengers.”

The unit was tasked with pursuing the Sioux and Cheyenne. The 7th Cavalry also fought in the Nez Perce War as Chief Joseph and his tribe tried to reach Canada, engaging the Native Americans in the Battle of Canyon Creek in September of that year. The U.S. Cavalry finally won the tribe’s surrender a short time later after the Battle of Bear Paw.

This Colt Single Action Army revolver manufactured in 1875 is a known 7th Cavalry revolver issued to replacement troops assembled in Bismarck, N.D. These replacement troops, eager to enlist after the massacre, were nicknamed “The Custer Avengers,” by the residents of Bismarck. This revolver was returned to the Colt factory in 1895 for refurbishment and sold to the State of New York. These refurbished guns had a “1” added to the revolver’s serial number so its serial number reads 17561. It bears Sub-Inspector W.W. Johnson’s proof mark and the gun is listed on page 43 of Kopec and Fenn’s “Cavalry & Artillery Revolvers… A Continuing Study.”

Guns of the 7th Cavalry for Sale

The Battle of the Little Bighorn was a tragic and disastrous moment in American history that has fascinated people for nearly 150 years wanting to know about “Custer’s Last Stand.” Rock Island Auction Company's Dec. 6-8 Premier Auction offers four guns of the 7th cavalry – three Colt Single Action Army revolvers and a Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor carbine – related to the ill-fated moment that indelibly wrote George Armstrong Custer into the fabric of westward expansion.

This 1898 painting of the Battle of the Little Bighorn is by Sioux chief Kicking Bear.

Sources:

“Boots & Saddles of the Little Bighorn: Weapons, Dress, Equipment, Horses & Flags of General Custers’s Seventh U.S. Cavalry in 1876,” by James S. Hutchins

“Uncovering History: The Legacy of Archeological Investigations at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana,” by Douglas D. Scott

“Cavalry & Artillery Revolvers… A Continuing Study,” by John A. Kopec and H. Sterling Fenn