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Famous scarred veteran resides on campus
Photo courtesy of KU's Museum of Natural History
Comanche, the only U.S. survivor of the Battle of Little Big Horn, stands in the Museum of Natural History at the University of Kansas.
By Deborah Bohrer
Special to the Kansan
Sold to the U.S. Army for $90, he was in the Battle of the Little Big Horn and has become one of KU's most prized possessions.
His name is Comanche, and he is not who a lot of people think he is.
"The biggest misconception we have is that people come in and say, 'Where is Custer's horse?'" said Tom Swearingen, director of exhibits at the Museum of Natural History. "It's not Custer's horse."
Comanche was the mount of Captain Myles Keogh of the 7th Calvary in Fort Riley.
From 1868 to 1876, Keogh and Comanche engaged in numerous expeditions and small battles. Their greatest battle, however, occurred June 25, 1876, at the Battle of the Little Big Horn in Montana.
All of the officers and men under Custer's immediate command, including Keogh, were killed. The horses were killed or led away, with the exception of Comanche. Wounded in seven places, he was the only living thing found on the battlefield when relief troops arrived two days after the battle.
According to "Comanche," by David Dary, who coordinated the original Comanche display, Comanche was never ridden or put to work after the battle. He was paraded and draped in mourning on all ceremonial occasions of the 7th Calvary.
Comanche died at Fort Riley in November 1891.
The officers' club requested that L.L.
Dyche, of the Museum of Natural History, do the taxidermic work on him. Dyche agreed under the stipulation that he would receive $400 and the opportunity to include Comanche in the 1893 Kansas exhibit at the World's Fair.
Upon return from the World's Fair, Dyche was informed that the officers who had agreed to pay him had dispersed. The new officers of the club were not willing to pay
the fee. Comanche became Dyche's, and upon his death, the horse was left to the Museum of Natural History.
Today, however, Comanche is a desired piece of history.
"We've even had generals and presidents try to get him,"Swearingen said.
Museum hours
The Native-American survivors of the Battle of the Little Big Horn also have
Museum of Natural History's hours:
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday.
The museum gift shop has more information about Comanche.
KANSAN
expressed interest in obtaining him for their reunion, Swearingen said.
"There was nothing around him, so people would come in and pull horse hairs out of Comanche," Dary said in his book.
Comanche originally was displayed on the first floor of the museum.
In 1986, the ceiling caved in. A sink drain in the upper levels of the museum became clogged, and an overflow of water from the faucet caused the ceiling to crumble on Comanche. He received a great deal of damage, but Comanche is a survivor. Swearingen repaired him, and he again stood tall.
He was later moved to the fifth level and placed in a glass case, which provided protection from tourists and the elements.
Comanche's skin originally had been soaked in salt brine as part of the taxidermic process. This makes the skin shrink and crack, causing Comanche to fall apart. Now Comanche has his own humidifier in his case to prevent any further shrinking or cracking.
"He's in a fragile state," Swearingen said.
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INSIDE KU • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN • April 20,1994