MEDIUM SIZED COFFIN HANDLE BOWIE THAT BELONGED TO TOM CUSTER TAKEN AT THE LITTLE BIG HORN.

Medium sized English Bowie with 7-1/2″ flat ground blade with 4″ back grind, 11-3/4″ overall. Handguard is nickel silver 3/16″ thick and elliptical in shape. Handle is coffin shaped from two slabs of ivory secured with six steel pins and with a nickel silver frame and ferrule. This knife was taken from Tom Custer’s boot after he had been killed at the Little Big Horn by Monahseetah, a Sioux woman who had allegedly been the mistress of George Custer in 1869 at Fort Supply, Oklahoma Territory. She allegedly bore him a son she named Yellow Bird, a boy of fair complexion and light colored hair. At the end of the battle one of the warriors, Dives-Backward, was looking for horses and rode by two women “who were standing over a dead soldier-chief. It was Mahwissa, Chief Two-Kettles’ sister and Monahseetah, Chief Two-Kettles’ daughter. They were accompanied by a young light haired boy named Yellow Bird. The women were crying “Ouches” over the body, a name given to Custer by Two-Kettles which means “Creeping Panther”. Dives-Backward stopped his horse and heard Mahwissa talking to the dead soldier-chief. She said “only one thing will we do” and then she took a bone sewing awl from her belt, bent over the body and jammed the sewing awl into his ears. Then she said “so that you, Long Hair, the creeping panther, will hear better in the spirit land. Many told you and you must not have heard that if you break your word of peace promise, the everywhere spirit would surely cause you to be killed”. It was reported that earlier in the day Monahseetah had stopped White-Cow-Bull from cutting off this dead soldier’s finger for his ring. In an interview of White-Cow-Bull, he verified that he saw Monaseetah on the battlefield guarding Custer’s body and witnessed the other woman driving the awl into Custer’s ears. Dives-Backward said that the women were covered with the blood of Tom Custer, George Custer’s brother. Apparently Tom Custer had treated the two women badly at Fort Supply during the Winter of 1869 and they took their revenge. Monahseetah had taken a turnip masher club and crushed Tom Custer’s head in. She took his Bowie knife from the sheath in his boot, then the two women cut Tom Custer’s body apart so he could not make it to the spirit world. The women’s brother & father, Chief Two-Kettles, had been killed so they were taken in by two other families and all surrendered in May 1877 at Red Cloud Agency in Nebraska. Monahseetah kept the knife and passed it on in her family. Consignor purchased it directly from a family member. PROVENANCE: Wendell Grangaard Collection. CONDITION: Blade is nearly full length, shows evidence of having been sharpened and has heavy pitting as though it had been buried for a long time; ivory handle has numerous age lines with a dull ivory patina. 4-49348 JR540 (3,000-5,000) – Lot 2259

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2259	$21,850.00	MEDIUM SIZED COFFIN HANDLE BOWIE THAT BELONGED TO TOM CUSTER TAKEN AT THE LITTLE BIG HORN. Medium sized English Bowie with 7-1/2″ flat ground blade with 4″ back grind, 11-3/4″ overall. Handguard is nickel silver 3/16″ thick and elliptical in shape. Handle is coffin shaped from two slabs of ivory secured with six steel pins and with a nickel silver frame and ferrule. This knife was taken from Tom Custer’s boot after he had been killed at the Little Big Horn by Monahseetah, a Sioux woman who had allegedly been the mistress of George Custer in 1869 at Fort Supply, Oklahoma Territory. She allegedly bore him a son she named Yellow Bird, a boy of fair complexion and light colored hair. At the end of the battle one of the warriors, Dives-Backward, was looking for horses and rode by two women “who were standing over a dead soldier-chief. It was Mahwissa, Chief Two-Kettles’ sister and Monahseetah, Chief Two-Kettles’ daughter. They were accompanied by a young light haired boy named Yellow Bird. The women were crying “Ouches” over the body, a name given to Custer by Two-Kettles which means “Creeping Panther”. Dives-Backward stopped his horse and heard Mahwissa talking to the dead soldier-chief. She said “only one thing will we do” and then she took a bone sewing awl from her belt, bent over the body and jammed the sewing awl into his ears. Then she said “so that you, Long Hair, the creeping panther, will hear better in the spirit land. Many told you and you must not have heard that if you break your word of peace promise, the everywhere spirit would surely cause you to be killed”. It was reported that earlier in the day Monahseetah had stopped White-Cow-Bull from cutting off this dead soldier’s finger for his ring. In an interview of White-Cow-Bull, he verified that he saw Monaseetah on the battlefield guarding Custer’s body and witnessed the other woman driving the awl into Custer’s ears. Dives-Backward said that the women were covered with the blood of Tom Custer, George Custer’s brother. Apparently Tom Custer had treated the two women badly at Fort Supply during the Winter of 1869 and they took their revenge. Monahseetah had taken a turnip masher club and crushed Tom Custer’s head in. She took his Bowie knife from the sheath in his boot, then the two women cut Tom Custer’s body apart so he could not make it to the spirit world. The women’s brother & father, Chief Two-Kettles, had been killed so they were taken in by two other families and all surrendered in May 1877 at Red Cloud Agency in Nebraska. Monahseetah kept the knife and passed it on in her family. Consignor purchased it directly from a family member. PROVENANCE: Wendell Grangaard Collection. CONDITION: Blade is nearly full length, shows evidence of having been sharpened and has heavy pitting as though it had been buried for a long time; ivory handle has numerous age lines with a dull ivory patina. 4-49348 JR540 (3,000-5,000) – Lot 2259 Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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MEDIUM SIZED COFFIN HANDLE BOWIE THAT BELONGED TO TOM CUSTER TAKEN AT THE LITTLE BIG HORN.