b'By Jim and Bobbi Jeen Olson,WesternTradingPost.comGiven the serial number of the carbine and a ton of other circumstantial evidence found out about the weapon, it was concluded that this very gun had been a Native captured gun from the battle and had wound up with High Eagle! I magine if you will the tale of a gun. It\'s a Springfield Model 1873 carbinehad been close to an old Sioux Warrior named High Eagle and the gun had that was issued in 1874 through the Springfield Armory. A gun that wasbelonged to High Eagle (no connection to the Little Bighorn was mentioned issued to a member of the Seventh Cavalry. A carbine that, as it turnedat the time that we know of).out, was carried into battle on June 25th, 1876 in Montanaat the battle of the Little Bighorn! On that fateful summer day in 1876, every member ofGary Holtus never bothered to find out any further information on High Custer\'s Seventh Cavalry fell at the hands of the Native American warriors.Eagle and he kept the weapon until 1970 when he sold it to a man named It was one of the worst losses the United States Army ever suffered. TheDick Harmon. The history of the Custer battle connection and who High soldier who carries this weapon, just like all other members under Custer\'sEagle had been faded with the passage of time. Both Mr. Holtus and Mr. charge, did not survive. Here is what has been found out about our gun Harmon were just happy to add a Native American used and decorated over the years. weapon to their collections, neither realizing at the time what a piece of history they possessed. As it turned out, in 1984, Dr. Douglas Scott who was The carbine in this tale was picked up from the battlefield by a Nativethen head of the Rocky Mountain Division, Midwest Archeological Center American warrior and spirited away as a spoil of war. The Native Americanof the National Park Service, asked Dick Harmon to join him as the firearms warrior who wound up with this gun was named High Eagle. He was aexpert for the archeological project at the Little Bighorn battlefield, as Dick member of the Sioux tribe, and only about 14 at the time. High Eagle waswas a noted historical firearms expert.later noted by historians as a well-documented participant in the battle. High Eagle is also historically linked to the Sitting Bull arrest during theWhile doing research about the incident, Dick Harmon was shockedGhost Dance uprising at Pine Ridge and also Wounded Knee. High Eagleto realize the gun he had bought all those years earlier fell into the serial obviously cherished this gun as is evident by its tacked decorations andnumber range of weapons issued to Custer\'s Seventh Cavalry. Other serial well-worn appearance. It even has a small "H" tacked into the stock usingnumbers very close to his gun were being historically linked to the battle. brass nails. It also has an old repair using wire and tacks to strengthen theFurther research revealed that the Native American named High Eaglewrist area of the stock, a standard Native American style "fix" in the 1800s. Itwas in fact at the Little Bighorn and then the research began on whois very much a "Native" looking gun from the period. High Eagle was. Imagine his delight and surprise as each piece of the puzzle was uncovered!At some point, after the advent of smokeless powder in 1895, somebody put a smokeless powder cartridge in this gun and tried to use itcausingGiven the serial number of the carbine and a ton of other circumstantial an explosion that blew off the breechblock and rear sight! Most of the brassevidence he found out about the weapon, Dick Harmon and Dr. Douglas casing is still lodged in the barrel (the brass casing being a good indicatorScott were able to put two and two together and conclude this very gunthis accident happened later as copper casings would have been used aroundhad been a Native captured gun from the battle and had wound up with the time of the battle). The gun must have meant quite a bit to High EagleHigh Eagle! They were able to re-connect the story for the first time in because even after it became unusable, he kept the weapon. many years! Dick Harmon kept the gun until the year 2000 when he soldit to a man named Ken Stasiak, who has kept it in his collection for theHigh Eagle lived a long life and in 1951, for the 75th anniversary of thelast 22 years. Ken has been a good steward of the carbine and kept all ofbattle of Little Bighorn, Life Magazine did an article in which High Eaglethe documentation and provenance together with itwhich amountswas mentioned as being one of the last surviving participants of the battle.to a good bit.There is even a photo of him in the article. He is also mentioned in the book, "Sitting Bull - Champion of the Sioux" by Stanley Vestal. High EagleNow, Ken is ready to offer this historical weapon to somebody else. Some was well-known as being one of the last authentic Sioux warriors living intolucky person will have the opportunity, for the first time in over two modern times. Through circumstances unknown to us, High Eagle becamedecades, to become the new curator of this gun. And, the new buyer will close to a man named William Fowler. The story handed down throughonly be the fifth person to own the gun since High Eagle wound up with it the years is that High Eagle helped raise Mr. Fowler. What we do know isafter the battle all those years ago! A stack of letters and documentation/that after High Eagle passed on to the Happy Hunting Grounds, Mr. Fowlerevidence comes with the purchase.inherited the carbine.Western Trading Post is proud to offer this historical Springfield Trapdoor Mr. William Fowler subsequently passed away and in 1965, the weaponCarbine for auction on June 18th, 2022 during the Advanced Collector\'s was purchased at his estate sale by a school teacher and collector namedAuction. Who knows, maybe you could be the one to carry the tale of this Gary Holtus. Gary was told by the local sheriff at the sale that Mr. Fowlergun forward! 46 June 2022'