Curly (army scout)
Curly was a Crow Indian scout born along the Rosebud River in Montana, known for his role during the U.S. Army's campaigns in the late 19th century. He became notable as one of the scouts enlisted by General George Armstrong Custer during the Yellowstone expedition in April 1876, tasked with leveraging their local knowledge to locate hostile tribes. Curly was present at the infamous Battle of Little Bighorn, where he emerged as the sole survivor among Custer's men. His account of the battle is controversial; Curly claimed to have fought until the situation became dire, then disguised himself to escape undetected. However, other Crow scouts contend that they were ordered to remain behind and observed the conflict from a distance. This discrepancy has led to ongoing historical debate regarding the true events of that day. Curly lived until 1923, after which he was buried in Montana's National Cemetery on the Custer Battlefield, leaving behind a legacy shrouded in both valor and controversy.
Curly (army scout)
- Born: c. 1859
- Birthplace: Along the Rosebud River, Montana
- Died: May 22, 1923
- Place of death: Place unknown
Category: Army scout
Tribal affiliation: Crow
Significance: Curly served as scout for General George A. Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn; after Custer’s defeat, he escaped and reported the annihilation of Custer’s army, but questions later arose concerning his involvement in the battle
Curly was born in Crow country along the Rosebud River in Montana. There is little knowledge of the thin young brave with long black braids prior to his service as an Indian scout for the Seventh Cavalry. In April of 1876 Curly and several other young Crows were recruited for the famed Yellowstone expedition. Enlisted for their intimate knowledge of the region, their mission was to aid in the search for hostile tribes. Curly and five of his Crow scouts were assigned to General George Armstrong Custer’s ill-fated detachment.
Like Custer’s ominous battle, Curly has become embroiled in controversy. None of Custer’s men escaped the Battle of the Little Bighorn; however, the Crow scouts did, including the seventeen-year-old Curly. He claimed to have remained with the battle until it appeared hopeless, then, tying his hair similar to the Sioux and wrapping himself in a fallen Sioux’s blanket, rode away undetected. He journeyed to the fork of the Bighorn and Yellowstone Rivers where the Far West, an Army supply boat, waited. There he delivered the first news of Custer’s terrible defeat.
The other Crow scouts tell a different story. They claim they were instructed before the battle began to remain in the rear; they watched from a distance as Custer led his troops to their death, and when the outcome seemed apparent, Curly rode to the supply boat while the rest rode home. Many historians, in search of the true story, sought Curly in his later years; unfortunately, his reluctance to talk and seeming inconsistencies only added to the debate. Curly died in 1923 and was buried in Montana at the National Cemetery on the Custer Battlefield.