[Eternal_Bear]

I doubt Lakota warriors or the women could recognize a Papal medal. Were they able to read Latin? The stripping and mutiliating of the bodies was a haphazard affair. George Custer was not scalped because he was balding and cropped his hair short for the campaign. His brother Tom was almost unrecognizable.

[Burkeman1]

That is the legend. Keogh's horse, Comanche, was no legend as it lived for years afterwards and was an insparation to the troops.

[Burkeman1]

The only mutilation reported on Custers body was said to be the puncture of his ear drums- possibley by sewing awls from Indian women who wanted to "remind" Custer of his past promise never to war against them again.

Sitting Bull had tried to stop the looting and mutilation of the American dead but was ignored. His thinking was that if they took from the white man dead and mutilated their corpses that they would be dependent on the white man ways and haunted by them forever. He was a wise old Injun.