The 9in (23cm) long sheath, which is beaded with decorative designs, was collected on the battlefield on June 28, 1876, by William O Taylor who served with Major Reno’s Troops in the 7th US Cavalry.
Reno and Taylor were among the group of survivors who buried General Custer and his men after his famous last stand. Taylor later donated the artefacts he collected on the battlefield to the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association and Memorial Hall Museum, where they remained until they were deaccessioned in the 1980s and sold at the Riba Mobley Historical Ephemera Society auction in 1986. They were acquired by collector Alex Acevedo.
Included in the lot with the sheath is a copy of Collection of Relics in Memorial Hall as well as copies of photos showing the knife and other items collected by Taylor, such as Custer’s blue shirt from the Black Hills Campaign plus a copy of the 1986 auction catalogue and a copy of Taylor’s memoirs. The estimate on the sheath is $30,000-40,000.
