He was defeated and killedattheBattle of the LittleBighorn in 1876, against a coalition ofNative Americantribes, an event popularly known in Americanhistory as "Custer'sLast Stand".
The gelding gained legendary status as the sole survivor on the U.S. Cavalry side of the 1876 Battleof the LittleBighorn -- fought between General Custer's troops and native American Indians.