Since, Reno and Beteen’s men were stationery and had had a chance to get entrenched in their defensive positions, it was going to be far more difficult for the Indians to overwhelm Reno and Benteen than Custer. (During the night of the 25th, the men used canteen’s and spoons to dig slight impressions to hide in. In fact, some of those depressions still exist). With saddles and dead horses in front of them for protection and the men lying down, it was going to be costly for the Indians to mount a frontal attack. In fact, the Indians tried a charge and it proved costly.

Without water and the river being hundreds of yards away and hundreds of feet below and with the scorching sun, the better strategy was to keep the soldiers surrounded and take long distance shots.

And this is what the Indians did until Terry’s approach from the north.