Alamosa Library, Colorado
Note particularly the last phrase in this sign. Once white men intruded upon Indian hunting grounds it was inevitable that there would be conflicts. And the last major conflict involved the U.S. Army and the Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and several smaller tribes all seeking to maintain their nomadic way of life. [All Little Bighorn Battlefield NM photos taken on 22 July.]
And this was the result.
[Click once to enlarge the Memorial to the 7th Calvary; press ESC to return here.] Note that Brevet Major General George A. Custer was a Lieutenant Colonel. (Brevet commissions are usually granted posthumously or shortly before an officer retires.)
Last Stand Hill. Or, as it might be called now, Monument Hill.
While all of the 7th Cav enlisted men are buried around the base of the monument, the marble headstones mark where they fell during battle.
In 1999 the U.S. Park Service began erecting red granite markers where Indian combatants are believed to have fallen; descendents were allowed to add to the text on the red markers. Additionally, a circular Indian Memorial had been authorized in Dec 1991.
Here's a plaque explaining not only the Indian Memorial but also the change in the Monument's name from Custer Battlefield National Monument to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.
Plaque on the 50th anniversary of the Little Bighorn Battle: "Burying the Hatchet."
A look down at the Little Bighorn River from Battlefield Road, which runs from the Visitor Center/Last Stand Hill area to the Reno-Benteen Battlefield.
I've purposely haven't written much about the actual battle, though there are numerous numbered plaques along the road from the Reno-Benteen Battlefield back to Last Stand Hill explaining the various encounters during the battle.
Clearly Custer made a couple of big mistakes: 1)He underestimated the number of Indians opposing him (1000-1500) versus his 600 and 2)He was overconfident, given his long run of successes during the Civil War. Another factor that could have played a part had the numbers been more equal was that the 7th Cav had single-shot rifles while the five indian tribes had repeating rifles.
One of the survivors on Reno's force was Pvt Charles Albert Windolph, who as awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor for his covering fire even though wounded while some of his comrades made it to and returned with water near or at the Little Bighorn River sometime on 25 or 26 June. One of his daughters married George Clarence Fehliman, brother of Clinton Earl "Doc" Fehliman, longtime U.S. History teacher at Santa Cruz High School as well as head for many years of the SCHS Alumni Association. [See links below.]
[Click once to enlarge; press ESC to return here.] Since Custer was more concerned about the Indians scattering than how many were camped along the Little Bighorn, he skipped doing a reconnaissance and took the offensive.
Major Reno follows Custer's orders, but is forced to retreat almost immediately.
Reno and troops get a break when the Indians receive word that another column [Custer?] is approaching their encampment.
Joined by Capt Benteen and his men and unable to join custer, the Reno/Benteen troops dig in and hold off the attackers until the Terry-Gibbon column approaches on the afternoon of 26 June.
Custer visits a Lone Tipi before continuing toward the Indian encampment.
Custer pauses on this promontory and then continues toward Last Stand Hill to get a better view of the encampment. Later, the well-armed Indians use it to fire upon the Reno-Benteen positions.
Captain Weir and Company D advance to this point to try to see what happened to Custer; however, even after being joined by Reno-Benteen troops, they are forced back to their previous positions.
While this plaque on Custer's moves is largely speculative, we know the eventual outcome.
One last speculative plaque on what Custer may have done.
This granite memorial explains what happened to the 7th Calvary at Little Bighorn on 25 and 26 June 1876: "This area was occupied by Troops A, B, D, G, H, K, and M, 7th U.S. Calvary, and the pack train when they were besieged by the Sioux Indians on June 25th and 26th, 1876."
Links:
- National Park Service webpags on Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
- Wikipedia article on Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
- Wikipedia Biography of George Armstrong Custer
- Wikipedia Biography of Sitting Bull
- Charles Albert Windolph page on the 1957 Santa Cruz HS Faculty & Staff website
- Congressional Medals of Honor adwards for the Indian Wars [Scroll down to W's]
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