Unfortunately, the Little Bighorn is about 2500 miles from home. I’d love to visit it again, buy I don’t know if it’s in the cards. Hastings, I doubt Sheridan would’ve had much praise for Reno or Benteen if he’d been honest. Custer was his fair haired boy who could do no wrong throughout the Civil War and the Indian Wars. Hell, without Sheridan’s influence, Custer may well have been given a dishonorable discharge over the AWOL and ordering deserters to be shot in 1867! At the time he praised Reno and Benteen, everybody from Grant on down the chain of command was in full CYOA mode. Congress was grumbling about the Army’s ineffectiveness against the Sioux. Army Budget cuts were a definite possibility, and that meant everybody would lose. No promotions, fewer commands, less pay and food were a real threat to the Army. There was a full consensus among all the officers to let the dead Custer bear the blame. General Nelson Miles was the only high ranking officer I’ve ever heard of to praise Custer’s actions at LBH. 7mm
"Preserving the Constitution, fighting off the nibblers and chippers, even nibblers and chippers with good intentions, was once regarded by conservatives as the first duty of the citizen. It still is." � Wesley Pruden
The most accurate portrayal of what actually happened I believe is James Donovan’s book “A Terrible Glory”. The chapter notes in themselves are a wealth of information. The clocks were set officially to Ft Lincoln time, the same as Chicago time. It was someone’s job to document the chronology of the days movements and somewhere I have seen a record of what is known of the days movement in Chicago time.
"I was born in the log cabin I helped my grandfather build"
I read that Sherman appointed Phil Sheridan because he hated the Indians as much as he and Grant did. They all wanted them eradicated. There was enough mayhem to go around. The Army would attack villages and murder innocent women and children. They broke every treaty they made with the Indians. The Indians in turn would rape, murder torture and pillage settlers. Custer made a treaty with the Sous a few years I think before Little Big Horn that gave them the Black Hills but the discovery of gold there rendered that treaty null. His mission was to destroy but it got turned upside down. It is a sad part of our history. The Indians won that battle but were destined to loose the war.
I read that Sherman appointed Phil Sheridan because he hated the Indians as much as he and Grant did. They all wanted them eradicated. There was enough mayhem to go around. The Army would attack villages and murder innocent women and children. They broke every treaty they made with the Indians. The Indians in turn would rape, murder torture and pillage settlers. Custer made a treaty with the Sous a few years I think before Little Big Horn that gave them the Black Hills but the discovery of gold there rendered that treaty null. His mission was to destroy but it got turned upside down. It is a sad part of our history. The Indians won that battle but were destined to loose the war.
Sounds like some revisionist history to me...there's a nice timeline of massacres and events leading up to the battle in the ranger's station. And, although everyone seems to vilify Custer...iirc the Crow really liked him because he represented their interests against the Sioux. There's also some talk of an Indian mistress with Custer, I'm not sure if it's a myth or what.
I'm really interested in the whole scenario since I spent some time out there last year. I'll get to reading about it more once I retire next year.
PS Not trying to be argumentative...just throwing my two cents out there. If I'm wrong then Mea Culpa.
I just visited the site a few days ago. It was my first visit to the actual battlefield, and to say I was blown away was an understatement. It is not at all as I had envisioned it all these years. Seeing it in person allowed me to see elevation and big picture perspective. It is very easy to “Monday Morning Quarterback” the entire military operation after the dust has settled. I’m sure some things were probably quite different in real time. A few things that came to mind while on the battlefield, was why in the hell did Custer choose THIS location as his point of ambush? I mean, he had the higher ground and all, but was vastly outnumbered with little to no cover for a stealthy approach. It appears from his final resting place that he was in full view of the entire Indian Camp the second he crested the ridge. So many questions that perhaps will never be answered with anything more than speculation.
Stephen Ambrose addressed the mistress rumor in his book. If I recall correctly, the Indian woman he was supposed to have had an affair with, was several months pregnant before the would have met. Somebody correct me if they know more about that.
Deadlines and commitments, what to leave in, what to leave out...
I read that Sherman appointed Phil Sheridan because he hated the Indians as much as he and Grant did. They all wanted them eradicated. There was enough mayhem to go around. The Army would attack villages and murder innocent women and children. They broke every treaty they made with the Indians. The Indians in turn would rape, murder torture and pillage settlers. Custer made a treaty with the Sous a few years I think before Little Big Horn that gave them the Black Hills but the discovery of gold there rendered that treaty null. His mission was to destroy but it got turned upside down. It is a sad part of our history. The Indians won that battle but were destined to loose the war.
Not entirely true.
Custer never attacked any Indian village without orders from the United States Army. Custer had no dealings with the Black Hills Treaty, he was sent to the Black Hills in 1874 to explore for gold, as there were already whites in the Black Hills looking for gold.
Once gold was officially discovered the United States tried to buy the Black Hills back from the Sioux, but the Sioux wouldn’t sell.
The treaty was made with the Sioux, but if you really want to pick nits, the reason the Crow Indians scouted for the Army was due to their hatred of the Sioux for taking the Black Hills from the Crow, years before.
Manifest destiny was not only a white proposition.
White guilt plays into the philosophy of 21st century critics, claiming poor treatment to the Indians of all persuasions. You won’t find in any historical record of a conquering nation that tried to assimilate the conquered people into that society as America did. Many of the attempts at this assimilation was condemned as trying to destroy the Indian and their culture.
Although not perfect, the attempt created much of the conflict between both cultures that didn’t make either side totally wrong, just vastly different. This battle continues today…
Stephen Ambrose addressed the mistress rumor in his book. If I recall correctly, the Indian woman he was supposed to have had an affair with, was several months pregnant before the would have met. Somebody correct me if they know more about that.
Probably not, Custer had STDs that supposedly left him sterile. After all the years he was married to Libby, she never conceived…
I don't know, but I have an Uberti replica of the sidearm carried by officers and cavalrymen there, i.e., carried by Custer's 7th Cavalry.
Same exact markings and configuration (old style frame, sights, and ejector thumb piece), to include being marked 7th Cavalry, serial numbers in all the right places, inspection marks, etc.. Only marking that's different is that it doesn't have Sam Colts NY address on the top of the barrel. Instead, it has the address of Cimarron Firearms there.
I don't know, but I have an Uberti replica of the sidearm carried by officers and cavalrymen there, i.e., carried by Custer's 7th Cavalry.
Same exact markings and configuration (old style frame, sights, and ejector thumb piece), to include being marked 7th Cavalry, serial numbers in all the right places, inspection marks, etc.. Only marking that's different is that it doesn't have Sam Colts NY address on the top of the barrel. Instead, it has the address of Cimarron Firearms there.
I have one of these. Not a .442 Tranter as allegedly Custer had. But mine is in .450 Adams.
Founder Ancient Order of the 1895 Winchester
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."