Bighorn Battlefield in 1909. Camp, who met with Thompson on other occasions and corresponded him for many years, was unable to reconcile Thompson's account with what he had learned from other participants and records. Thompson published his controversial 26,000 word account in his regional newspaper, the Belle Fourche, South Dakota Bee in the spring of 1914. This was an era when a number of old men (or deceased men, through their obituaries) claimed to have been "the last survivor" of Custer's Last Stand. Thompson would later have confrontations with other battle participants, and be accused of being a liar. He was so labeled by one veteran named William Slaper in a 1925 book, A Trooper with Custer, edited by Earl A. Brininstool. Thompson's attempts to prove his claims were frustrated by the unknown whereabouts of James Watson. Peter Thompson died in Hot Springs, South Dakota, and was interred in the West Lead Cemetery in Lead, South Dakota. Thompson's story has received significant attention in recent years. Daniel O. Magnussen wrote in 1974 that, while Thompson seemed to have been an honest man, his account was riddled with errors. He speculated that Thompson's memory may have been clouded by hallucinations brought on by stress and his wound. More recently, the publication of Camp's notes has again stimulated interest in Thompson's story, and provided corroboration for many controversial parts of the account. Like Curley's stories of the Little Bighorn, Thompson's account remains a fascinating enigma. Medal of Honor citation Rank and organization: Private, Company C, 7th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Little Big Horn, Mont., June 25, 1876. Entered service at: Pittsburgh, Pa. Birth: Scotland. Date of issue: October 5, 1878. Citation: After having voluntarily brought water to the wounded, in which effort he was shot through the hand, he made two successful trips for the same purpose, notwithstanding remonstrances of his sergeant. See also List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars Notes References 1854 births 1928 deaths United States Army Medal of Honor recipients People from Markinch United States Army soldiers People of the Great Sioux War of 1876 Scottish-born Medal of Honor recipients Scottish emigrants to the United States American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor