Today's blog demonstrates the importance of that amended sentence.
General Armstrong Custer, whose early career showed little promise, (Custer graduated last in his West Point class of 1861), soon made up for his lack of scholastic achievement in bravery and skill in the heat of battle. He fought in the First Battle of Bull Run and Gettysburg and by the time the war had ended he had been promoted to Major General in charge of a Cavalry division. He supposedly had over 11 horses shot out from underneath him in the Civil War and unlike most generals of that era, he led his troops from the front rather than the rear. He was also known to be hot-headed and often made rash decisions during battle as well as in his civilian life. This trait would arguably end up costing him his life . . .
In February 1864, Custer married Elizabeth (Libbie) Bacon. In 1866, he was promoted to Lt. Colonel in charge of the 7th U.S. Cavalry Unit and went with Libbie to Kansas to fight in the Plains Indian Wars.
The Great Plains were the last Native American holdout in America. As settlers colonized the far west before the Civil War, few had put down roots in the Plains due to its dry weather and large Indigenous populations. You can read about the history of this conflict in many places online but suffice it to say that the Plains Indians were forced into rebellion by the decisions of the United States Government. By the late 1860s, most Native Americans had been forced onto so-called Indian reservations or killed outright. Vowing to avoid the same fate, the Plains Indians settled in for a long and fierce holdout.
By the time Custer arrived on the scene in 1866, the war between the army and the Plains Indians was in full force. Custer’s first assignment was helping Major General Winfield S. Hancock carry out a shock-and-awe campaign to overwhelm the tribal nations. At the end of the campaign, Custer deserted and joined his wife at Fort Riley. He was court-martialed in 1867 and suspended without rank and pay for one year.
The fact that Custer—a highly-decorated and well-respected commander—deserted perplexed many of his men and his superiors. It also demonstrated his inclination to make rash decisions, a trait that some say would have deadly consequences later.
Despite Custer's court-martial the United States needed an experienced leader to fight the Indians. He was returned to duty and resumed his command of the 7th Cavalry in September of 1868. He soon proved his process by leading an campaign against a village of Cheyenne led by Chief Black Kettle, killing all Native American warriors present and earning himself a reputation as a ruthless fighter. He continued to lead the fight against Indians for the next nine years. This fact is important as a lot of historical accounts speak of Custer being unfamiliar with Indian fighting techniques and leading his troop into a trap at Little Big Horn. Yet here we have a General who has been fighting in battles for over sixteen years and has accumulated a ton of real-life battle experiences. Unfamiliar with the Indians fighting techniques? That is not true.
He spoke of his admiration for the Indian's fighting skills, the way they spread their forces out to bait their enemies, and their use of their fast ponies to quickly change the dynamics on a battle field. He had even faced Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse in battle in 1873 at Yellowstone. It would not be his last meeting with those two men.
In 1868, the U.S. government had signed a treaty recognizing South Dakota’s Black Hills as part of the Great Sioux Reservation. It appeared that the Indians fight to retain their homeland was over. However, the government had a change of heart and decided to formally break that treaty in 1874 when Custer led an excursion of miners who had been looking for gold into the Black Hills. Finally, in 1876, the government proclaimed that all Indians would be forced back into their reservations and that anyone not complying with this order would be declared hostile to the United States government.
The Native Americans, however, didn’t take this deception lying down. Those that could, left their reservations and traveled to Montana to join forces with Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse at their fast-growing camp. Thousands strong, the group eventually settled on banks of the Little Bighorn River.
Here we need to pause to explain that the Indians didn't just settle in one place, they were constantly relocating, to the point that the U.S. forces had yet to locate their location despite months of scouting the Plains. This would prove to be an important factor in General Custer's decisions at Little Big Horn.
The U.S. Army dispatched three columns of soldiers, including Custer and his 7th Cavalry, to round up Indigenous people and return them to their reservations.
The plan was for Custer’s cavalry and Brigadier General Alfred Terry’s infantry to rendezvous with troops under the command of Colonel John Gibbon and Brigadier General George Crook. They’d then find the Native Americans, surround them and force their surrender.
Crook was delayed but Terry, Custer and Gibbon met-up in mid-June and after a scouting party found a trail headed toward Little Big Horn Valley, they decided Custer should move in, surround the Indians and await reinforcements.
So that brings us to June 25th, an especially hot day with temperatures over 100 degrees. Custer's Indian scouts finally located Sitting Bull's camp and armed with this knowledge Custer decided it would not wise to wait on reinforcements and risk losing the camp again in the Black Hills. He made the decision, without waiting on his superiors orders, to launch a surprise attack on the Indian camp the next day. He then changed his mind and decided to attack that same day when he heard rumours that the Native American forces had discovered his position.
Custer divided his more than 600 men into four groups. He ordered one small battalion to stay with the supply train and the other two, led by Captain Frederick Benteen and Major Marcus Reno, to attack from the south and prevent the Indians from escaping. Custer would lead the final group—210 men strong—and planned to attack from the north.
Reno’s group attacked first but swiftly embarked on a disorganized retreat after realizing they were completely outnumbered. By the time they’d regrouped, at least 30 troops were dead.
Benteen’s troops came to Reno’s aid and the combined battalions joined forces on what is now known as Reno Hill. They remained there despite Custer’s order: “Benteen. Come on, Big Village, Be quick, Bring packs. P.S. Bring packs.” (Packs are referring to more ammunition) Custer was making it clear that he wanted everyone to participate in his attack and time was of the essence. It is ironic that Custer's destiny would now be linked to his commanders ignoring his direct orders.
The exact events of Custer’s Last Stand are unclear. What is known is that neither Benteen or Reno helped Custer despite admitting later they’d heard heavy gunfire coming from Custer’s position. Custer and his men were left to face scores of Native American warriors alone. Some historians believe many of Custer’s men panicked, dismounted from their horses and were shot dead as they fled.
No one knows when Custer realized he was in trouble since no eyewitness from his troops lived to tell the tale. The Sioux and Cheyenne warriors led by Crazy Horse attacked with Winchester, Henry and Spencer repeating rifles as well as bows and arrows.
Most of Custer’s men were armed with Springfield single-shot carbine rifles and Colt .45 revolvers; they were easily outgunned. Custer’s line and command structure quickly collapsed, and soon it was every man for himself.
In the end, Custer found himself on the defensive with nowhere to hide and nowhere to run and was killed along with every man in his battalion. His body was found near Custer Hill, also known as Last Stand Hill, alongside the bodies of 40 of his men, including his brother and nephew, and dozens of dead horses.
In less than an hour, the Sioux and Cheyenne had won the Battle of the Little Bighorn, killing Custer and every one of his men. The battle has been ennobled as “Custer’s Last Stand”—but in truth, Custer and his men never stood a fighting chance.
The "if's" are hard to ignore when discussing this battle. If Custer had just waited for reinforcements as he was ordered by his superior officer. If Custer had better intelligence and realized that he was massively outnumbered by the Indian forces. If Custer's generals had obeyed his orders and joined him on the battle field, rather than passively watching his destruction from their hilltop position. If the United States government had simply honored their treaties with the Indians rather than discarding this binding agreement when it no longer benefited the government's situation.
The American reaction to Little Big Horn spelled doom for the Plains Indians. This battle became a rallying cry as Americans demanded retribution against the Indians who had massacred an entire division of United States soldiers.Within less than a year Crazy Horse had surrendered and Sitting Bull had fled to Canada. The U.S. army intensified their efforts and all resisting Native Americans were either wiped out or forced back onto their reservations.
So where did the myth about ‘Custer’s Last Stand’ originate? It is obvious that he was the aggressor, that he attacked the Indian village by surprise, knowing that the camp included women and children, and that the Indians were forced to regrouped in order to win this battle, not as the story goes, setting up an ambush for the U.S. forces.
While Custer never had the chance to defend his actions at the Battle of Little Big Horn, he needn’t have worried about his legacy because his widow Libbie had it safely in hand: She wanted her husband to go down in honor and boldly promoted him as a brave hero cut down in the prime of his life while defending his country. She led the efforts to erect a memorial to the U.S. soldiers who died that day, and her efforts paid off in 1881 when that site was declared a National Monument. She tirelessly proclaimed the narrative that her husband had been ambushed by the Indians at Little Big Horn and that being the heroic leader that he was, fought to the end beside his brave troops. Of course missing from her narrative were the facts, but as we have seen, history is written not just by the winners, but by the surviving winners who possessed the passion and resources needed to tell their story. Facts can be discarded when they conflict with the narrative put forth by the winners.
It seems Libbie Custer’s efforts paid off. No matter how it’s interpreted over 150 years later, the Battle of Little Big Horn is still one of the most recognized events in U.S. history.
