Sorry 'bout that, but the evidence simply doesn't back what the troopers said. I suggest you read the book -- and remember that the statements were taken after the battle from soldiers trying to explain or excuse their defeat. Later statements, by Gall, Rain-in-the-face, White Bull, and others were very possibly "telling the interviewers what they wanted to hear" -- something that is not at all unknown even today.

Here's another extract from the book (p. 253) -- it will be my last word on this particular subject:

...the repeaters as an instrument of shcok, coupled with the liability of the single-shot carbine in close-in fighting, probably contributed significantly to the demoralization among the right-wing men and, ultimately, to the entire battalion. The shock effect was magnified by the likelihood, based on archaeological data, that the Indians has at least 200 repeating rifles. (Emphasis mine.)