From: firstinitiallastname@texas.net   
      
   tonymsmith@blueyonder.co.uk wrote:   
      
   > Recently finished Stephen Ambrose's Crazy Horse and Custer : The   
   > Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors, which I thouroughly enjoyed.   
   >   
   > I was wondering if any indian claimed responsiblity for the slaying of   
   > Custer?   
   >   
   > Many years ago I read Custer's Fall: The Indian Side of the Story, I   
   > forget the author's name and I believe he said that some time after the   
   > battle a rich American offered several thousands to Custer's slayer.   
   >   
   > If memory serves correct, it went on to mention that although Custer's   
   > slayer was generally known to some indians, lots were drawn amongst   
   > quite a few to see whole would collect the 'prize'.   
   > I'd be grateful if anyonr could expand or deny this.   
   >   
   Like most everything else about the battle, the only real answer can be,   
     "Who knows?" The Cheyenne, Brave Bear, was probably truthful, and I   
   think anyone who's been in a melee fight would understand. He supposedly   
   said anyone in the group could have done it. Besides, he said, he   
   wouldn't have recognized Custer, having never seen him, which I suspect   
   would be the most common response from most of his fellows.   
      
   It's not like I've done a bunch of research, but stories about suicide   
   strike me as fanciful. One account has the Indians planning to leave him   
   alive to send home in disgrace and Custer killing himself to avoid that.   
   It would have been an operation the SAS or Shin Bet would have been   
   proud of to have gotten calm, briefed fighters, all of whom would have   
   to recognize Custer, to fight their way to him and keep him alive.   
   Things just never work out like that, and it's no more likely that any   
   one fighter would have been aware that he had killed Custer.   
      
   Or, you can believe the tabloidesque tale that Custer was captured alive   
   by Gall and hauled off to Canada to go crazy and die years later while   
   living with the Hunkpapa.   
      
   --   
                          Gerald Clough   
       "Nothing has any value, unless you know you can give it up."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)