Book Review: They Died with Custer — Battle of Little Bighorn

Overview of the Book

They Died with Custer: Soldiers' Bones from the Battle of Little Bighorn by Scott et al. is a niche work within the overall scope of U.S. history and the study of Westernized relations with indigenous peoples. The book's focus is not so much on the Battle of Little Bighorn itself — in which Custer, the five companies of his Seventh Cavalry, and numerous civilians were slaughtered — but rather on very specific aspects of the individuals involved. These aspects include who they were, how old they were, where exactly on the battlefield they fell, and in what manner they died. In this regard, the work is more a forensic study of bones which the authors believe "have individual tales to tell" (1) than a historical accounting of the martial encounter. Granted, the authors were able to reconstruct some details of the battle, but their overall focus was on minute particulars that seemingly matter only to the most dedicated history enthusiasts — or to the close family and relatives of those murdered over a century before the investigators set about writing the manuscript.

The authors do pay due diligence to historical accountings of the battle, though these populate the pages of their narrative sparsely at best. The vast majority of the work is centered on hardcore forensics, including facial reconstructions and the excavation and analysis of the deceased's remains. There are extensive details regarding the chemical, photographic, and X-ray analyses conducted on these bones, all for the purpose of determining the particular circumstances that brought about each individual's death with as little ambiguity as possible. The forensic examination is not limited to cause of death, however; the authors also examine the remains to determine facets of the participants' lives, such as what maladies they suffered from and what might have caused them.

Multidisciplinary Approach and Methodology

Although this work is generally classified as history, there is little doubt that it is structured like a scientific text. In addition to the conventional narrative (which includes a preface), the work encompasses references, an appendix, an index, and a glossary of anthropological terminology. The scientific character of what largely amounts to a history text is typical of the cross-disciplinary approach the authors employ, which functions as the general motif of the work. In addition to elements of anthropology, forensics, and historical record, the writers leverage aspects of archaeology, osteology, and socio-cultural disciplines to best discern the facts about how those who died in the Battle of Little Bighorn both lived and met their end.

Because of the "multidisciplinary studies" (2) viewpoint that the authors adopted for their research, this work highlights numerous aspects of their methodology. The crux of their findings is based on the skeletal remains of approximately fifty participants in the battle. This involved analyzing specimens held in museums and in the various burial grounds near the site of what, for the United States, amounted to a massacre. Furthermore, the authors wrote in considerable detail about the mutilation of U.S. soldiers, as practices such as scalping the dead and taking their weapons and valuables were common among Native American tribes that triumphed in military encounters with American forces. From a practical standpoint, it was necessary to address all of these issues in order to convey to the reader the considerable difficulty the authors faced in attempting to obtain reliable forensic information from a battle fought so long ago.

Scientific Evidence and Key Findings

From an academic and scientific perspective, the evidence the authors utilized and their methodology for applying it are sound. Their goal was to identify as much information about the battle's participants as possible. To that end, they made numerous attempts at facial reconstructions and worked to determine the ages of participants. Indeed, some soldiers were identified "by their teeth" (3). To their credit, the authors were even able to identify a few of the participants who fought alongside General Custer — though not definitively, but rather with a high degree of probability that their inferences were correct. It is important to recognize that these inferences were not based on scientific evidence alone, but on a combination of evidence that included historical accounts as well.

Conclusion

Scott, Willey, and Connor's They Died with Custer is a rigorous forensic study that pushes the boundaries of conventional military history. Its multidisciplinary methodology — combining forensic science, osteology, archaeology, and historical record — is commendable, and the authors demonstrate genuine scholarly care in their treatment of the evidence. However, the work's highly specialized focus limits its accessibility and practical relevance for most readers. Those seeking a broader understanding of the Battle of Little Bighorn and its historical significance will likely find this volume unsatisfying, while specialists in forensic anthropology or physical evidence of nineteenth-century warfare will find it a valuable, if narrow, contribution to the field.

Bibliography

Scott, Douglas, P. Willey, and Melissa Connor. They Died with Custer: Soldiers' Bones from the Battle of Little Bighorn. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1998.

Endnotes

1. Scott, Douglas, P. Willey, and Melissa Connor. They Died with Custer: Soldiers' Bones from the Battle of Little Bighorn. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1998, p. 172.

2. Scott, Willey, Connor, p. 17.

3. Scott, Willey, Connor, p. 222.