The Battle of the Little Bighorn Gunshot Trauma Analysis: Suicide Prevalence Among the Soldiers of the 7th Cavalry

Summary

The Battle of the Little Bighorn cost the U.S. army 268 men, which accounted for just over one percent of its entirety. Many of the men were killed during battle by Native American firearms and bow and arrows (Scott et. al, 2002, pg. 12). It is possible that some men perished by their own hand or by friendly fire. Through osteological data provided by the State Historic Preservation Office of Montana as well as historical documentation, this presentation will provide an analysis of gunshot wound trauma sustained by the soldiers. I will also examine the possibility of suicide among the U.S. 7th cavalrymen. To do so I will compare calibers of firearms used during the battle and the type of wounds sustained by firearms through an extensive literature review of the weapons from this time period. In addition, an analysis of military recruitment and procedures for admittance into the 7th Cavalry will be done to assess mental preparedness for battle. A review of ballistic analysis and typical locations of trauma caused by suicide in a forensic context will also be included. Using historical documents combined with forensic methods will illuminate the possible causes of death for the US 7th cavalrymen.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21730