I ran where Custer fell…

On the 5th of June I ran where lieutenant-colonel Custer fell at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. It was an emotional moment for me since this battle and geographical area is of great importance in American history from the perspective of the native Americans, and of the whites too. There is some controversy about Custer’s actions, some interpreting him as merely trying to prevent the Indians from escaping, others interpreting Custer as seeking glory by attacking and defeating the Indians all by himself. I make no judgments about this since there is a lot of literature available for you to make your own judgments.

As a boy, I read a lot about the history of the west and was very fond of the native American lifestyle and culture (which I idealized), especially that of the Sioux and the Cheyenne peoples. Of course now that infatuation has resolved itself into a more realistic understanding of that lifestyle and its limitations, and of course of the inevitability of what happened.

As I ran this 9 km route in the blistering heat, I was overwhelmed by the power of the place, and prayed silent prayers to the dead from both sides. The path was paved and it is illegal to step off of it for any reason in order to preserve archaeological resources both known and undiscovered. In spite of the modern visitors center and the various farms and buildings here on the Crow Indian Reservation, it was still a profound feeling of awe to know that this battle was so recent in our history. It is especially interesting that there were survivors who pointed out where their comrades were slain and where they lay before burial. As late as the mid 1900`s, the last survivors of the battle (both Indian and White) were able to help historians by pointing out where their comrades had died while fighting alongside them. It is so weird to know that I was born before the last survivors of that battle died.

I learned the US Cavalry required their horsemen and all the gear they would carry including rations, weapons and ammunition, and riding tack to weigh no more than 240 pounds. So the cavalrymen were very small people (5 foot 5). Most were of recent European descent and did not speak English very well (about 43% of the total number of men in the US 7th Cavalry). That is why the bugle was so important, so that the bugling of commands in the heat of battle would send a clear message in spite of the din of battle and of the language barrier.

I also learned that the Indians were relatively very tall (6 feet not uncommon) and larger and more muscular than the small cavalrymen. I assume the US infantry soldiers which were not present at the battle would have been a better size match for the Indians. The cavalry`s main rations included hardtack which had been packaged for the civil war which had ended 10 years before. It was a very hard life for these cavalrymen, yet for the large number of new immigrants looking for an opportunity to earn a few dollars in the new world and to make a living, the cavalry was their best hope.

Custer`s main orders were to locate the main camp of the Indians so that they could be prevented from fleeing and be brought back to the reservation. Because Custer feared the Indians knew he was coming (he had been spotted by some traveling party of Indians), he was worried they would flee. The Indians could quickly pull up camp and disappear like smoke, scattering in all directions. If that happen, Custer would never catch them because he was bogged down by pack trains, civilians, etc.

So Custer split his command, sending Reno to hold back the Indians from escaping. The idea was to not provoke a fight, just hold them back. To keep a long story short, a lot of warriors rode out to meet Reno, and shots were fired. That was the beginning of the end. Reno had to form a skirmish line. That is when all soldiers dismount and one soldier holds four other horses back of the line while the line began shooting and fighting the Indians. They were overwhelmed and had to retreat across the Little Bighorn river in confused disarray. It was a route. The Indians were clever enough to shoot the men holding the horses, and for some unknown reason major Reno did not make use of his bugler so the order to retreat became a confused route. Strangely enough, although Reno suffered the loss of about a third of his men (about 50), most of the rest of his command survived because Custer had been spotted and the Indians left the battle to seek out Custer. To keep a long story short, Custer’s command was wiped out.

This story has a lot more detail and I urge you to check it out. I apologize if my telling of this story in a quick blog article leaves inaccuracies and leaves much out to be told.

Want some pictures? Here, I am running the self-interpreting trail at the Battle of the Little Bighorn National Monument. I am where Reno’s command dug in after the disorderly retreat. The ground at that time was very dry and hard and they had only 4 shovels to dig rifle pits with. Soldiers had to use their drinking cups to scoop out the hard earth to take cover behind. The rifle pits are still visible though some have been restored. One soldier remembers wondering if the small sagebrush in front of him was enough to deflect a hostile bullet.

These soldiers were among the unlucky ones:

After the battle, the bodies were found and quickly buried in shallow graves where they had fallen. Much later they were exhumed and all buried in a mass grave where the existing memorial is today. Custer however, was taken to West Point and buried there.

Of course, many Indians also died here.

The last picture shows on of the stops along the self-guided tour path where someone has laid a “wreath” pole at the grave marker of the Sans Arc Sioux warrior who fell here defending his people’s way of life. The warning signs not to step off the path, collect artifacts, or deface or mark anything in any way are also visible in symbol form.

There are grave markers wherever a body was found. In 1985(?) a large grass fire swept through this area and uncovered a lot of artifacts from which a better history was obtained.

Some markers are anonymous, others are inscribed with the name of the soldier or native who died there. Here is where Custer’s body was found among his men:

At the end, soldiers resorted to shooting their own horses in order to stack them up to provide cover.

Bandoleers made of leather to hold their bullets were popular but became a source of great trouble. Soldiers were armed with single shot Springfield rifles. One shot and you eject the empty cartridge to load another. The problem was that they discovered the heat of the sun would sweat chemicals from the leather that corroded the cartridge cases with a green verdigris and once the cartridge was heated up by being fired, the chemicals would fuse the cartridge to the chamber and it could not be easily removed for another shot. They had to take a long rod and try to poke it out from the muzzle end. Needless to say that in the heat of battle when the cartridge jammed in the breech, the soldiers resorted to using the rifles as clubs. Here is a shot of a few historical items used by the natives who were better armed than the cavalry:

The Little Bighorn River in the exact spot Reno’s command crossed in their hasty retreat:

And another view of the river:

There are many more pictures, but I can’t publish them all here. You’ll just have to go and see it for yourself. I gather the best time might be June 25th or thereabouts when a re-enactment of the battle happens. Might be crowded though. Here are two pictures of some horses grazing near the battlefield.