I Fought with Custer - Charles Windolph

“I am now an old man living in the deep shadows.  Next to my family I love my old regiment more than anything else in the world.  And I shall die believing that Colonel Benteen was one of the noblest soldiers who ever lived.  I worship his memory almost as much as I do the Stars and Stripes.  He was a true friend.  He made me a sergeant on the field of battle on June 26, 1876.  He recommended me for the Medal of Honor that I was given.  In 1880 he made me First Sergeant of ‘H’."  [Charles Windolph; I FOUGHT WITH CUSTER; page 114]

I FOUGHT WITH CUSTER is a rare opportunity to ride along with Custer and the rest of the 7th Cavalry with the help of someone who was actually there - Charles Windolph. Windolph was the last surviving member of the Little Big Horn battle veterans, living until March 11, 1950. He won a Medal of Honor for his efforts as a sharpshooter protecting the water party at the battle. He was wounded and was also awarded the Purple Heart for his actions.

The publisher of I FOUGHT WITH CUSTER, University of Nebraska Press under the Bison Books imprint, has the following to say about the book:

"Sergeant Charles Windolph was the last white survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn when he described it nearly seventy years later. A six-year veteran of the Seventh Cavalry, Windolph fought in Benteen’s troop on that fatal Sunday and recalls in vivid detail the battle that wiped out Custer’s command. Equally vivid is the evidence marshaled by Frazier and Robert Hunt on events leading up to the battle and on the investigation that followed."

I've read this book cover to cover around three or four times. My paperback copy is a shambles. I've done all the things librarians and teachers told you NOT to do to a book - dog-eared pages, highlights, underlines, and notes in the margins. There's a coffee stain on page 91 that bled through to page 95. It's a well worn and well used book.

I decided back in 2009 to try and find a first edition hardcover copy. I looked at all the book sites online and I couldn't seem to come up with a decent condition copy with a dust jacket. 2009 was a year for one of our Montana Mayhem trips so I had high hopes of finding a copy at the Little Bighorn Associates conference in Billings. And I certainly did find one. A dealer had a copy that was actually signed by Windolph! It was amazing. But as I had a son in college, I couldn't in good conscience pull the trigger on the purchase. The search continued.

Then in 2016 I was on another Mayhem trip and was at the CBHMA (Custer Battlefield Historical & Museum Association) used book sale in Hardin. Sandy Barnard from Indian Wars Books had a nice looking copy. But like every copy I've ever seen, the dust jacket left something to be desired. Talking to Sandy, he mentioned that for some reason it is difficult to find a Fine copy with a Fine dust jacket. Well, this copy of Sandy's looked decent enough so I popped for the purchase.

So now I have a first edition hardcover on the shelf for posterity and a battered paperback for reading. I have recently had to add a rubber band to my reading copy to keep the pages intact.

Being able to read a book from a participant of the battle is something special. Primary source material from enlisted men who were at the battle gives a unique perspective into what happened. Now I should mention that Charles Windolph is an unapologetic Benteen man. Benteen was Windolph's captain and he loved him. But that doesn't take away from the fact that this book is full of information and you can't get much closer than Windolph as a source. The book is still in print and there's a reason for that.

By the way, if you are ever in the Black Hills and are looking for a place to stay, you can crash at Windolph's old house. It is now listed on Air B&B...

Check here for information and reservations

Charles Windolph page