Interestingly enough, there were some conflicting accounts from Indian eyewitnesses of the Last Stand. At least one of them claimed that Custer was hit very early in the battle. If so, it no doubt contributed considerably to the rout of his troops. Another warrior claimed that Custer was killed just toward the end, among his dead and dying soldiers, "standing like a tall shead of corn among the fallen". It was a very confused melee, and it is not unusual to hear conflicting accounts of such incidents.

I also heard that the Cheyenne women asked that Custer's body not be mutilated, because they admired him, but that they simply stuck knitting needles into his ears to open them, so that he would hear better in the Spirit World (he had been warned not to lie to the Sioux during treaty negotiations...or they would kill him...and he did lie to them, and later broke the treaty...which was par for the course in the US Army's wretched record of dealing with the Indians). The knitting needles in the ears, from an Indian point of view, could be looked at as a helpful gesture, rather than a horrible one.

Melani - you're right about the "brevet and coffin" statement...it was made by Major Elliot. In the excellent TV special series "Son of the Morning Star" they had Custer saying it...and I got fooled by that. Despite that small inaccuracy I hugely recommend "Son of the Morning Star"...it's an even-handed and fascinating film of Custer and Crazy Horse, and all the other principle characters...well work seeing, and out in video now.

If we're going to discuss ultimate moral responsibility, then I think that the bravest moral stand is this...do not kill another human being...not ever...no matter what the excuse. That kind of courage could bring all wars to an end. You could make a good case that all killing is murder...whether or not it is legally sanctioned. I consider war to be legalized murder, and I am a pacifist by nature.

Everyone finds their own definition of what it is to be brave, and then they do as best they can within that understanding.