The Battle Of The Little Bighorn

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).

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.

At midnight on May 3-4, 1864, the Union army of the Potomac and the Independent Ninth Corps, about 120,000 men, left their winter camps in Culpeper County and marched south toward the Rapidan River fords. At early dawn, Union cavalry swam across Germanna Ford, scattered Confederate cavalry pickets there and allowing Union engineers to build two pontoon bridges. General Gouverneur Warren’s Fifth Corps marched across the ford at 6 a.m., entering a dense woodland known as the Wilderness. Meade planned to push through the Wilderness, wheel his army to the right, and attack Lee’s army, which he thought would take up a defensive position behind Mine Run several miles to the west. Confident that Federal cavalry was between him and Confederate army,

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

In the Summer of 1876 the Seventh Cavalry of the United States, led by Lt. Colonel George Custer was dispatched to Montana to put down the defiant Sioux and Cheyenne Indians. On June 25th Custer made the mistake of splitting his force into three, ignoring orders to wait, and attacking the main Indian camp. One group of cavalry forces were led by Captain Fredrick Benteen another by Major Marcus Reno. Benteen was to prevent native escape in the upper valley, and Reno was to follow the Indian forces in pursuit. Reno's forces, however, were attacked and soon overwhelmed. Around 200 of Custer's men arrived to distract the Indian forces, but they too were soon overwhelmed by a large Indian force. While arrows and gunfire rained down on the men, they

At Ft. Ridgely, anger and fear festered after the first attack on the fort as to when reinforcements would come. This also held true for the town of New Ulm which was scrambling to defend itself under the leadership of Colonel Flandrau. While these towns were being attacked, Sibley had gathered an army of 1,340 troops, but still complained about the lack of supplies and training his men had. As the book aptly put it, however, “…neither were the defenders of New Ulm and Fort Ridgley, and they fought with determination, improvised when necessary, and made do without what they could not get and still they bested superior numbers of Indians” (177-178). Sibley’s delays in advancing his troops and attacking the Indians caused heavy responses from the people of Minnesota. Many called for

Custer began exploring careers in railroads and mining. Following the death of his father-in-law in May of 1866, Custer returned to his home in Monroe, Michigan, that is when he had considered running for Congress. He was very involved in the American South in the aftermath of the Civil War such as taking part in public discussion. Later on, Custer was assigned lieutenant of the newly created U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment, headquartered at Fort Riley, Kansas, Custer was also appointed brevet major. He took part in Major General Winfield Scott Hancock’s expedition against the Cheyenne in 1867. Following the Hancock campaign Custer was punished for being AWOL after abandoning his post to see his wife. He was suspended from the service for one year as punishment. It appeared “Custer’s Luck” had finally ran out. But at the request of Major General Philip Sheridan, who wanted Custer for his planned winter campaign against the Cheyenne, Custer was allowed to return to duty in 1868, before his suspension had expired. Custer’s Luck had saved him

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.”

COL Barrett arrived with 200 men of the 34th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. After joining with the 300 men dispatched two days earlier, COL Barrett moved back west towards Palmito Ranch with the force of 500 men. Regularly enduring skirmishes from CPT Robinson’s Cavalry along the way, the unit reached Palmito Ranch at approximately 0730 hours. Where they drove the rebel soldiers again from the property and burned the remaining supplies that had not caught fire from the previous days attempt at destruction. After advancing two miles past Palmito Ranch, COL Barrett’s men engaged in a fight from CPT Robinson’s men situated in a thicket along the banks of the Rio Grande, COL Barrett decided to stop his advancement and return east approximately one and a half miles to a bluff on the edge of the river about one mile from Palmito Ranch. From that point, the Union forces intended to eat dinner and rest for the

The Battle of Little Bighorn and the Massacre at Wounded Knee were both significant and terrible events that took place in American history during the 1800’s. These two eyewitness documents provide information and details about two important Indian battles against American troops. These events occurred 14 years apart but both were the result of the Sioux Indians being unsatisfied with their freedom taken from them.

“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.

As previously mentioned, the militia were already expecting the arrival of the British Troops. Six troops were being led by Major John Pitcairn while reinforcements were being requested. The militia that awaited Pitcairn and his troops consisted of 137 men who were assembled by Captain John Parker. The militia waited in taverns while a few men were sent out to locate the British troops and figure out their estimated time of arrival. Unfortunately, many of these men did not return. They were mostly arrested by the British.

Moving east was a column led by Col. John Gibbon from Fort Ellis Montana. Under the command of Gen. George Crook from Fort Fetterman Wyoming, a column was deployed from the south near Wyoming Territory. On May 17th, Brigade General Alfred Terry moved west from Fort Abraham Lincoln Dakota. Gen. Alfred Terry’s column consisted of 879 personnel, the majority being of the 7th Cavalry under LTC George A. Custer. On June 22nd, Gen. Terry detached Custer and the 7th Cavalry to flank from the southeast and force the Indians upstream where he planned to engage them with a smaller force along Little Bighorn River. Custer moved to the headwaters of the Tongue and Bighorn Rive and on June 25th Custer’s Soldiers were approximately 25 miles out from a large Indian encampment southwest of his position. Custer sent out scouts, along with Crow scouts (Indian scouts/linguist) to gather intel on the native encampment. Scouts reported a larger number than expected, an estimated 8,000 personnel including 1,500 native warriors present in the village. They also reported that the unit’s fires could be spotted from the crow’s nest, giving away Custer’s position. Assessing the situation, Custer decided to advance on the enemy’s position towards Wolf Mountain which was 12 miles from the encampment. With the information gathered by the crow scouts weighing heavily on Custer’s mind, he decided to attack the encampment the next day to prevent losing contact of the Sioux. Custer split his Regiment into three squadrons: a supply train consisting of 125 personal, commanded by Cpt. Frederick Benteen, a three troop force consisting of 175 personnel, led by Maj. Marcus Reno, and a five troop force consisting of 210 personnel with

The shocked militia, not expecting the Indians to fight back, abruptly turned and fled, many dropping their weapons and supplies in the panic. Black Hawk's band gleefully collected what they had left and retreated up into present day Wisconsin to begin trying to get back safely across the Mississippi River. This Indian victory was a major demoralization to the United States (“Black Hawk War begins”).

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.