Curley was about 17 years old when he enlisted as a scout for the US Army and was assigned to General George Custer's Little Big Horn expedition.
The Crow scouts' reports about a large settlement were ignored by General Custer when he decided to wage a battle rather than wait for reinforcements.
Custer sent the scouts away prior to the attack.
Curley watched parts of the battle through a spy glass from a distance of about a mile and a half away.
He made his way through Sioux territory to report the disaster.
He was purportedly the only surviving witness to "Custer's Last Stand".