The reason I asked for the information about when and were the pictographs were made is that many Indian pictographs were made after the Indians came in to reservations. Very often there were Army garrisons at or near reservations. Indians drawing of flags could as easily be based on flags they saw at the reservaton (I don't recall any pictograph depicting a swallow-tailed guidon).The same can be said of unforms and saddles. I have seen pictographs that depicted Custer with long yellowish hair. I always assume there is a possibility of prompting and giving the customer what he wants. Sitting Bull gave an account of Custer's death that had Custer rising from the ground after an initial wound and then, the last man standing, laughing as he died.
Custer was never an officer of the 7th Mich Cav.
He graduated last in his class at West Point and was commissioned a 2nd Lt in the 2nd Cav (later the 5th Cav)effective Jun 1861.
He was promoted, apparently under the rules of seniority, within his regiment to 1st Lt in the summer of 1862, and Capt effective May 1864.
While on the staff of General McClellan, he held rank as a Capt, Additional Aide de Camp. This was a special classification that existed during the Civil War and could be held by officers of the Regular Army and men appointed to the position from civilian life).
He was appointed Brg Gen of Volunteers in Jun 1863. This was not a brevet promotion. It was no more a temporary promotion than Grant's was in 1861.
He was appointed Brevet Maj Gen of Volunteers effective Oct, 1864. By 1864 this type of brevet promotion was used to avoid the statutary limit on the number of general officers of volunteers.
Effective Apr 1865, Custer was appointed a full Rank Maj Gen of Volunteers.
Custer was appointed Lt Col of the 7th Cav effective July, 1866. In the nearly 10 years between then and the Last Stand Custer commandered the regiment or signed the returns as senior officer present for less than 900 days.
The photo of a cavalry column is a photo mainly of Lt A. E. Smith's wagon train returning from the Custer's Black Hills Expedition in 1874. The head of the column has crossed the Heart or Hart River. Cavalry companies are on the right and left flanks.