First, the characterization of Black Kettle’s camp as the source of the Kansas raids is contradicted by the specific evidence available at the time.

Black Kettle had just been at Fort Cobb, trying to arrange protection for his band.

His camp was in the assigned reservation area.

The Dog Soldiers who were actually conducting the raids were in different camps.

Second, Custer’s casualty claims were significantly inflated.

His claim of 103 warriors killed is contradicted by survivor accounts and by the physical evidence of the battlefield, which subsequent investigators found inconsistent with the casualty numbers he reported.

Third, Custer’s account does not address the question of Black Kettle’s identity and his status as a peace chief who had been seeking American protection.