Custer’s last stand

Today is June 25^th, 2017.  Let’s rewind to June 25^th, 1876.  It has been known by several names.    Custer’s Last Stand.  Battle of Little Big Horn.  Battle of the Greasy Grass.  Whatever you call it, 263 Soldiers with the 7^th Calvary, including George Armstrong Custer, were killed in this battle in Montana.

From the Battle of Little Big Horn Museum Webpage:

   At mid-day on June 25, Custer’s 600 men entered the Little Bighorn Valley. Among the Native Americans, word quickly spread of the impending attack. The older Sitting Bull rallied the warriors and saw to the safety of the women and children, while Crazy Horse set off with a large force to meet the attackers head on. Despite Custer’s desperate attempts to regroup his men, they were quickly overwhelmed. Custer and some 200 men in his battalion were attacked by as many as 3,000 Native Americans; within an hour, Custer and all of his soldiers were dead.

How could this happen to Custer and his 7^th Calvary?  Let’s look at the beginning.  Tensions between the Indians and settlers coming from the West were heated.  The United States Military began placing the Indians on Reservations throughout the area.  This led to the Sioux Wars between the Indians, the Military and the Settlers.   The main person in relation to this story is George Armstrong Custer.

George Armstrong Custer

From Wikipedia:

    George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1857, where he graduated last in his class in 1861. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Custer was called to serve with the Union Army.

      Custer developed a strong reputation during the Civil War. He participated in the first major engagement; the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, near Washington, D.C. His association with several important officers helped his career as did his success as a highly effective cavalry commander. Custer was brevetted to brigadier general at age 23, less than a week before the Battle of Gettysburg, where he personally led cavalry charges that prevented Confederate cavalry from attacking the Union rear in support of Pickett’s Charge. He was wounded in the Battle of Culpeper Court House in Virginia on September 13, 1863. In 1864, Custer was awarded another star and brevetted to major general rank. At the conclusion of the Appomattox Campaign, in which he and his troops played a decisive role, Custer was present at General Robert E. Lee’s surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant, on April 9, 1865.

     After the Civil War, Custer remained a major general in the United States Volunteers until they were mustered out in February 1866. He reverted to his permanent rank of captain and was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the 7th Cavalry Regiment in July 1866. He was dispatched to the west in 1867 to fight in the American Indian Wars. On June 25, 1876, while leading the 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana Territory against a coalition of Native American tribes, he and all of his detachment—which included two of his brothers—were killed. The battle is popularly known in American history as “Custer’s Last Stand.” Custer and his regiment were defeated so decisively at the Little Bighorn that it has overshadowed all of his prior achievements.

One of the problems associated with this time period, is that Custer led an expedition into the Black Hills where gold was found.  The Black Hills area belonged to the Sioux Indians.  White Settlers flocked to the Black Hills to pan for gold,  Ulysses S. Grant tried to purchase the Black Hills but the Sioux refused.  So Grant ordered them to a reservation.  Conflict between the U.S. and the Plains Indians continued over the Black Hills area.   Grant ordered all Plain Indians to the reservation in 1876.

Custer and the 7^th Calvary was sent to “round up” the remaining Indians and transport them to the reservation.  Unknown at the time, Chief Sitting Bull had gathered the various tribes of Plains Indians at the Little Big Horn Valley to stand and fight against removal to the reservations.

Sitting Bull

On the morning on June 25^th, Scouts reported to Custer of a large Indian presence.  Custer divided his troops into 3 columns with him leading the direct attack, while sending the other 2 columns to flank the Indians.  Crazy Horse led the Indians on the attack.  Custer was not expecting a company of 3,500 Indians being present.    All the members of Custer’s Column were killed in a short period of time.

Reinforcements arrived 2 days later to find the bodies.  All of the members of Custer’s Column were buried there.  Custer was later exhumed and laid to rest at West Point with Full Honors.    The battleground is now a National Cemetery and there is also a Museum.

So, what went wrong?  While doing research for this article I found 3 things that stood out from many Historians:

1. Custer refused the use of Gatling Guns stating that the guns would slow him down.  The superior firepower may have made a difference in the outcome.
2. The dividing of the Calvary.  If Custer had not divided the Columns would he have had a better chance of repelling the attack?
3. Custer had stated that “his Calvary could defeat any Indian.”  Did his ego play a part in the defeat?

My friend Steve Hauck has visited the Battle of Little Bighorn Museum.  He said that it is a spectacular place.  I plan to make a trip there to see it.

Crazy Horse

    Bobby Inman is retired from Law Enforcement after 21 years of Service.  He owns Hammer Down Gun & Pawn located in Sheffield, Alabama.  He has articles published in Law & Order Magazine, Police Marksman Magazine, Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement Magazine as well as several published ebooks on Amazon as well as Nook (Barnes & Noble).  He is owner of Poopiedog, an Animal Rescue Dachshund, who is his constant companion.   He is a Correspondent for the Quad Cities Daily.