The Battle Of The Little Bighorn

The sound of gun fire echoed across the central plains like deafening crashes of thunder. The rich green grass was slowly turning red with blood, as Native Americans and the United states army were waging war at the battle of the Little Big Horn. Many people know that the Native Americans were victorious over the United states army, which was under the command of General George Custer, but few people know that Custer’s long journey to the Little Big Horn started in the heart of North Dakota, at Fort Abraham Lincoln. Today this beautiful Fort has been reconstructed to have both historical significance as well as a variety of recreational activities, and has been renamed Fort Abraham Lincoln state park. I will be talking about the reconstructed

On June 25, 1876, The Battle of Little Bighorn took place near the Black Hills in Montana. This was one of the most controversial battles of the 20th century and the line between good guys and bad guys was grey at best. Gen. George Armstrong Custer (reduced to LTC after the civil war) had 366 men of the 7thU.S. Cavalry under his command that day. Sitting Bull (A Medicine Man) led 2000 braves of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes (Klos, 2013). At the conclusion of the battle, the stories of the Indians savagery were used to demonize their culture and there were no survivors from the 7thcavalry to tell what really happened.

Following the civil war the Army was downsizing. Custer was a captain in the regular army. In July 1866 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel made second in command of the 7th Calvary at Fort Riley Kansas. As the settlers, along with the railroad, were pushing west, there were conflicts with Indians. Custer’s mission was to tract down these roving Indian, war parties. This was a new type of war for Custer. It was guerrilla warfare. Custer tried to track down the Indians as if they were the confederates. He would camp on hill tops so he could see all around him. At night, his men would build big fires. The Indians would see this and flee. This lack of success drastically brought the morale down in Custer and his men. Before long, a group of 15 men deserted, Custer ordered them to be tracked down and shot. He then went on a forced march with his men just so he could spend a day with his wife regardless of the repercussions to his career. Major General Hancock gave a court martial to Custer for the execution of his men without trial. Custer was suspended in pay for one year.v

George Armstrong Custer was a United States cavalry officer who served with distinction in the American Civil War and was the youngest ever brevet brigadier general at age twenty-three (History.com Staff, 2009). Custer had various disciplinary issues throughout his career ranging from abandoning his post for romantic reasons to leaving the field without searching for a slain reconnaissance unit (History.com Staff, 2009). His expedition in 1874 that led to the discovery of gold, was in violation of the treaty of 1868 wherein the Black Hills were recognized to belong to the Sioux Nation. Custer was known to have a reckless temperament and was often at odds with superior officers. Nevertheless, as a Lieutenant Colonel assigned to the Seventh Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Riley, Kansas, Custer was tasked to lead the force against Sitting Bull’s alliance (History.com Staff, 2009).

After the Civil War ended, Custer was offered the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with the command of the 7TH Cavalry Regiment4. Custer served in many campaigns the U.S. Cavalry conducted including Major General Hancock’s campaign against the Cheyenne and the Battle of Washita River against the Black Kettle5.

Source C Textbook Entry About Little Bighorn, Source B: Kate Bighead Interview (modified), and Source A: Cameron Report (modified) were the most helpful to me. In Source C Textbook Entry About Little Bighorn would be the most helpful to find out why there was conflict between the US Army and the Lakota Sioux in the late 1800s because it gives facts about why the war was started. An example is “For years the Lakota Sioux conducted raids against white settlers who had moved into Sioux lands.The U.S. government ordered all Lakota Sioux to return to their reservation by January 31, 1876. They refused. The situation was turned over to the military." The second most helpful to me was the Source B: Kate Bighead Interview (modified) because it told

Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer led an Army expedition in the Black Hills (present-day South

George Custer led the Seventh Cavalry in several skirmishes against the Indians in Kansas & Nebraska. In 1868 Phillip Sheridan Replaced Hancock & soon after arranged for Custer’s reinstatement. Custer was suspended for one year because he made a hasty journey to Fort Riley to go see Elizabeth instead of remaining with his troops at Fort Wallace as ordered. Throughout the war he continued to distinguishing himself as fearless,aggressive & ostentatious.

“Custer’s luck! The biggest Indian village on the continent!” Supposedly, these were the last words recorded to have been uttered by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer before the infamous battle that would claim his life and the lives of hundreds of soldiers (Dippie 2). Nearly a century and a half later, this conflict is immersed in just as much controversy as it was the day it occurred. The Battle of Little Bighorn and Custer’s Last Stand is perhaps more famous due to the difficulty of differentiating the myths versus the facts, rather than its actual historical significance in the 19th century. The different interpretations via historians, archaeologists, and Native Americans have contributed to the positive and negative versions of the battle that exist today. However, by understanding the basics, conflict, and research that surrounds the Battle of Little Bighorn and Custer’s Last Stand, one can form their own opinion and better interpret the ways in which it is portrayed in media and throughout time by interested persons and descendent communities.

When Reno and his company crossed the river the lakota and cheyenne was surprised and rushed to defend their village from the oncoming attackers. Reno then held his troops and formed them into a skirmish line, in which they began to fire upon the oncoming attackers. Reno had to retreat two times, the first time was when his left flank was endangered, and the second time he had to retreat to the east side of river. During the retreat Lakota and Cheyenne warriors rode down the troops inducing heavy casualties to Reno’s men. Reno’s company regrouped with the main the group after Benteen confirmed that there was no Indians following. A written message from Custer was sent by a messenger to Benteen stating “ Come on, Big Village. Be Quick. Bring Packs. P.S Bring Packs.” para. 11 (Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument). Captain Weir’s company made an effort to locate and communicate with Custer’s men after heavy gunfire was heard. (Little Bighorn Battlefield National

After moving 42 miles in three days, Custer realized that “directly west, in his front, are the very Indians the columns [were] searching for.” He massed his forces and deployed scouts to confirm the enemy's position. Before dawn on June 25th, they found “6,000 to 7,000 natives . . . encamped about 15 miles away . . . in the expansive Little Bighorn Valley.” Post-battle analysis confirmed “at least 2,000 warriors” in a settlement that “cover[ed] nearly two miles.” During this reconnaissance, Custer believed the enemy had discovered his column, and hastily began his attack, “fearing the natives might escape.”

Mexican soldiers advanced in four successive waves, with cavalry standing by in a ring outside the fray, waiting to round up any who attempted to escape. Three hours later, it was over. Nevertheless very few Texians were spared. Those who weren't killed were either women or children. The Mexican losses exceeded the entire Texian force: about 300 dead and more than 500 wounded.

The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as “Cluster’s Last Stand,” which was fought on June 25, 1976 in Montana, U.S. The outcome was indulged for the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne tribes, who presumably will defeat the U.S Army under Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and its 7th Calvary. This trounce defeat by the tribes, will consider Indians bloodthirsty by the demise of their enemy. The Indians overwhelmed the 200 men by a cluster of 3,000 men. This insisted the battle was lost by the west, and will always be known as “Cluster’s Last Sand.” A battle that only lasted shortly, and took part of the “Great Sioux War of 1876,” will consider Indians unpredictable in the battle field.

Cavalier in Buckskin, a book about George Armstrong Custer’s life up until his death on June 25, 1876 at the Battle of Little Bighorn, taught me many things about how Custer lived and acted. It also taught me a lot about Custers personality in battle which made me come to the conclusion that he was a very confident man in what he did and how he fought his battles which in turn possibly could have ended his life because overconfidence can be deadly.

The assault began in the early morning hours of November 29, 1864 on the camps that extended for several miles along the valley of the Big Sandy. By the end of the day, an estimated count of 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho lay dead. (Campbell, 2006).