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Custer Survivor: The End of a Myth, the Beginning of a Legend

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The whole contention of this book is that Frank Finkel was really Sgt. August Finckle of Company C, reportedly killed in the Custer fight on the Little Big Horn. But the problem is that Finkel only claimed to be Sgt. Finckle when the original name he gave, Frank Hall, could be found on no known rosters. But author Koster claims Finkel never used the name Frank Hall. He claims it was a lie made up by Finkel's second wife Hermie Billmeyer and offers up a plethora of bizarre reasoning to prove it. CUSTER SURVIVOR drags us through a painful array of genealogist and so called handwriting experts who verify the author's claims. But not so fast. In a 1921 interview with Finkel in the Walla Walla Bulletin, written by W.H Banfill, himself a student of the battle, Finkel said he enlisted under the name "Frank Hall" so that his parents wouldn't find out. In another version Finkel said he "rode back to Ft. Benton and was discharged." He even says so in CUSTER SURVIVOR (pg.109). The 1921 article/interview was given four years before he even met Hermie Billmeyer. So much for research. When no military papers could be found on Finkel he simply changed his story and stated, "I never had any discharge papers from the army for I was never discharged. There was none of my command left to apply to (some 24 soldiers of C Company survived the battle) and I wasn't going to chase all over the country to find some one to discharge me. As far as the army was concerned, Frank Hall was reported dead along with the rest of Custer's men and I let it go at that." That quote comes straight from Finkel himself in 1921. In another version Finkel said his discharge papers, which he said he never had, were "burned in a house fire;" He said he enlisted in Omaha and fought Arapahos "on the Mexican border;" He was transferred to the Seventh Cavalry in 1876; There are no military records anywhere which prove any of Frank Finkel's far-fetched tale. But the author has fallen under the Finkel spell and facts be damned.

Ft. Benton had been closed for over one year at the time of the 1876 battle but Finkel, like any good prize fighter, ducked and dodged any serious questions thrown at him. He made one story up to cover another. Finkel was invited by the city of Hardin, Montana, to be the honored guest at the 1921 Custer Battle Anniversary but was a no-show. His 1921 revelation was run in newspapers from Seattle to Anniston, Alabama. He successfully hoodwinked his wives, children, relatives and friends alike with the tale. According to Koster Mrs. Billmeyer spent years trying to obtain a military pension for a name she invented. This makes absolutely no sense. Finkel had the "facts" surrounding his "sole survivor" story up and running long before Mrs. Billmeyer came on the scene. Over 50 men made the same claim that Frank Finkel made. In the end Frank Finkel was just a better liar and story teller. CUSTER SURVIVOR, like the Billy Heath book and Nathan Short story, is nothing more than fiction presented as history. Save your money on this silliness and buy Roger Williams' 2009 "Military Register of Custer's Last Command" which lists every soldier connected with the 1876 Sioux Expedition. Or James Donovan's "A Terrible Glory." Both great books by serious Little Big Horn researchers.

Let's keep this short...
The "survivor" had a different name, a different place of birth, and an eleven (eleven!!) year age difference than the guy who enlisted in 1872. But, the author tells us, he was about the right height and made his F's (in the "studied" signatures) in an old German style.
Thats the author's premise...now the rest of the book is about the battle and geneological research of the family of the guy who the author believes is the survivor.
Forget the fact the government soundly and repeatedly denies they ever heard of this "survivor" not to mention the fact the imposter himself and his zany, money-grubbing, glory-seeking second wife muddied the waters so bad with their countless lies and cover-ups that it made any chance of a serious investigation virtually impossible. According to the author, they did so because of a wave of anti-German sentiment (give me a break) and the fact that our poor "survivor" might have been deemed a deserter and Custer(Custer was already dead...or was he? Hmmmmmmmmmm)didn't treat deserters nicely.
I've got no problem with the book itself. I enjoyed reading it. Lots of fun.
My only issue is that it should be labeled fiction. PERIOD!

For anyone who has ever seriously studied the Battle of the Little Bighorn don't waste your time reading this book. In fact, Koster doesn't seem to know very many facts about the total engagement. What Koster fails to mention is that there were over 20 soldiers of Custer's detachment that ended up on Reno's Hill with the rest of the so-called survivors. Either through cowardice, lame horses, or a high degree of intelligence, these soldiers sensed that Custer was leading them to their death. And finally, Custer's first engagement with the Indians was at Medicine Tail Coullee by Companies E and F. Which means his boy Frank Finkael, whoever the heck he was, wasnt even a part of that fight. Seriously Ive read better researched books from the comic book stand.

I read this book. Every word. At no point during the reading did I have an "a-ha moment." This book is empty of any real evidence that Finkle survived the battle. As a matter of fact, even if his story was true (which it isn't) he escaped so early that he has nothing to offer. I repeat: NOTHING. Harper's Weekly summed up the Custer survivor stories 135 years ago.

Harper's Weekly, Saturday, September 2, 1876:
Several men who were reported killed with General Custer have come to life again. They were not with his command.

This is the 15th review of this book so I doubt if get read or not. But I'll stick in my two cent worth. First of all, I thought that comment exchange between the author and Michael Nunnally to be quite fantastic. But I think Mr. Nunnally won his debate. I would think that if there was a white soldier racing through the Indian camp, there will be pursuit. My guess is that if Finkel was a member of the 7th Cavalry, not only was he a deserter but a coward and ran before the battle. If he ran before the battle, then he is not really a Custer survivor. Closest person would still be Trumpeter Martini who was the last white dude to see Custer alive. His entire story of what happened to him after the battle is simply not believable. Other reviewers have shown numerous inconsistency in Finkel's story. I have read that book Stolen Valor and I believe after reading this book that Finkel is a pretty good example of such a man who stole valor.

However as the book goes, it is very clear that the author buy into Finkel story heart and soul. He write with clarity, with passion and with full zeal as if he feel that this is one story that must be told. And whether you believe him or not, I think that should be commended. His research is geared toward supporting his position and I have to admit that if my own knowledge of Little Big Horn was less then what it is now, I may have brought into this book. I am not sure since I don't any of the reviewers but it seem like people who don't know much about Little Big Horn buy into this story more then people who got more knowledge. The author's reasoning sound logical, until you poke it with a wet finger and realized it may not hold water. Of course, Finkel is NOT the only one to claims that he is a "Custer survivor". I think there are about 20 other white men, plus few Indian scouts who also claims that honor. But for me, I simply don't believe that he rode through an entire Indian village in the midst of battle and there was no pursuit. Not in battle like this where Indians were shooting, killing and hunting down whites like a buffalo hunt. There would definitely be a pursuit even if it was done by teenagers or old men. That is the killer of all fantasy. If the first part don't sound right, rest don't really matter at all.

A good book full of good ideas...
some of the traveling narrative is fictional.

Is based on the theory that Frank Finkel
served with Custer at Little Big Horn.

Well set out with good reasons for the theory.

The thesis of this book is that one man--Frank Finkel--survived the Battle of the Little Bighorn. This is controversial and likely to provide historians of the American West with fodder for debate for the next century. Does the author make his case? I'm still undecided but I enjoyed reading the book immensely.

Of course, there were a surprising number of other survivors of Custer's force, who either were sent away from their units as messengers just before the battle or were left behind in the confusion of maneuvers. So...in reality, there were other US military survivors, including Reno's entire surviving force, and the thousands of Native American combatants who survived the battle.

Having read and studied this book, as a completely amateur historian, I have to say this is very believable, and his research seems reasonable but sparse. Also oral histories of Native American surviving veterans related that at least one of the US cavalry troopers escaped on a runaway horse, although some of those records state that the trooper inexplicably killed himself after a successful escape.

I also just got through listening to Nathaniel Philbrick's new book on the Little Bighorn, The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn. This book takes a much broader view, and thus it added a lot to my understanding. Mr. Philbrick's compilation on the subject indicates that individual troopers were scattered all over the terrain by confusion, Native American attacks, and worn-out horses. Most notable were the almost surreal experiences of James Watson and Peter Thompson who lagged behind Custer's column and took refuge with Reno's nearby shattered force. With such confusion in mind, it's within the realm of reality that one other horse-soldier might escape the carnage.

I'm sure the debate will rage on. At any rate, this book is well worth the reading.

Custer Survivor: The End of a Myth, the Beginning of a Legend dares to challenge the long-standing historical assumption that the 210 troopers under Custer's command were exterminated to the last man. Drawing up extensive research and forensic evidence, Custer Survivor reveals the untold tail of one trooper who escaped, the Second Sergeant of C Company. Following his ordeal after his escape and the successful life he pursued thereafter, Custer Survivor is a thought-provoking addition to American history shelves with a focus on intense historical scrutiny and re-examination.

Excellent book. I like the narrative style John Koster used to tell the story of the actual survival of the Custer survivor, Sergeant Frank Finkel. He makes the story come alive as an adventurous experience, then adds documentation and the conclusions of five handwriting experts to establish credence. As a Western history enthusiast, I found the debunking of the popular myth of no survivors ay Custer's Last Stand engrossing. As a financial writer, I deal in hard reality and Koster presents facts, data, and forensic evidence that is most convincing. I enjoyed reading the book and I believe that the hard reality of the battle at the Little Big Horn is that there was a survivor named Frank Finkel at Custer's Last Stand. It also left me thinking how easy it is to accept things we are told without questioning them.

John Downes, Poughquag, New York

I enjoyed this book very much. I have been reading American history since my college years two decades ago, and the battle at the Little Big Horn always intrigued me. The author put together a fascinating book that got my attention and held it as well. He provided some very new and interesting information. As a professional electrical engineer, the clear presentation of data is important to me and John Koster has done an excellent job of providing his material and forensic evidence in a readable and convincing way. He left no doubt in my mind that Sergeant Finkel did indeed escape from Custer's Last Stand.