In the middle of the Crow Indian Reservation in southeast Montana stands a solid stone house that has seen its share of ghostly happenings. Mysterious lights, creaking footsteps, doorknobs mysteriously turning, sudden shrieks, and doors slamming—even the terrifying apparition of a headless cavalryman who silently passes through the building’s walls. Little wonder that many have claimed that the building is haunted. Standing at the edge of a national military cemetery, the “Old Stone House” was used to temporarily store the bodies of military veterans awaiting burial. Yet restless spirits roam far beyond the stone house and the cemetery grounds. Supernatural visions of violence, pain, dread, and panic repeatedly materialize across the nearby hills, gullies, and broad river valley beyond.

Listen to the story behind the haunting of the Stone House and the surrounding land — a story that is quite different than the schoolbooks taught us about the battle at the Little Bighorn.

Dig Deeper

• Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and related sites, people, and images
• Episode transcript
• Archaeological Perspectives on the Battle of Little Bighorn (Amazon affiliate link)

Music and FX Credits

• Spooky door, by Snapper4298. 2014. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. https://freesound.org/people/Snapper4298/sounds/254985/
• Native hand drum, by Sandyrb. 2009. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. https://freesound.org/people/sandyrb/sounds/86653/
• Native American style flute in F#4, by Wood_Flutes. 2015. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. https://freesound.org/people/Wood_Flutes/sounds/264942/
• Ghost, by Draconihype, 2010. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. https://freesound.org/people/Draconihype/sounds/100369/
• Haunting Voices, by l_forbes, 2013. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. https://freesound.org/people/l_forbes/sounds/204073/
• Death Scream, by Syna-Max, 2008. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. https://freesound.org/people/Syna-Max/sounds/58793/
• Eagle Feather, by Kerri Lake, 2006. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.  https://freesound.org/people/kerri/sounds/27257/
• Cricket Seasoning by Quarkstar (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/Quarkstar/56509
• Adventure Western Music, by Ross Bugden. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (4.0) International license. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDPMAuv-3nk
• Wasteland, by Ross Bugden. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (4.0) International license. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eAalHA1bAc
• Cavalry, by RT759 2013. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license.  https://freesound.org/people/RT759/sounds/199403/
• Fire Forest Inferno, by Dynamicell, 2006. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. https://freesound.org/people/Dynamicell/sounds/17548/
• Blue Mermaid by Alex (c) copyright 2016 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/AlexBeroza/54820 Ft: Blue Wave Theory
• Indian Songs Of Today – 04 Sioux War Dance Song, Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, American Folklife Center, 2015. Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress, Music Division, Recording Laboratory AFS L36, [1954]