“Indians also might have said that they fought bravely in order to placate to the narrative and out of fear of retribution”
After what they did to the bodies after they massacred them you really think they thought they wanted to placate? I doubt it very much.
The Indians were sincere in their praise of the troopers.
They were surrendering and at the end of their rope. The press wanted to hear good tales of heroism and for some ‘fire water’ Indians were more than happy to oblige.
Rain-in-the-face has an account of a few even playing dead and as the squaws were about to go for the family jewels in the typical mutilation method, those guys ran.