DOCSLIB.ORG

Custer Battlefield

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Custer Battlefield Custer Battlefield Custer Battlefield National Monument, in south­ Reno, with orders from Custer to cross the river and attack, advanced down the Little Bighorn NATIONAL MONUMENT • MONTANA eastern Montana, memorializes one of the last armed efforts of the Northern Plains Indians to Valley and struck the upper end of the camp. resist the westward march of the white man's Outflanked by the defending warriors, he re­ civilization. Here on June 25-26, 1876, in the treated in disorder to the river and took up de­ valley of the Little Bighorn River, over 260 sol­ fensive positions on the bluffs beyond. Here he diers and attached personnel of the U.S. Army was soon joined by Benteen, who had hurried met defeat and death at the hands of several forward under written orders from Custer to thousand Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. Among "Come on; Big village, be quick, bring packs." the dead were Lt. Col. George A. Custer and Hearing heavy gunfire from the north, Reno and every member of his immediate command of Benteen assumed that Custer was engaged and about 225 men. Although the Indians won this set out to join him. An advance company under battle, they lost the war against the white man, Capt. Thomas B. Weir marched a mile or so who finally ended their independent, nomadic downstream to a high hill,from which the Custer way of life. battlefield was visible. By this time, however, the firing had stopped. When the rest of the command arrived on the hill it was attacked The conflict between the white man and Indian by a large force of Indians, and Reno ordered a had begun with the arrival of the first settlers withdrawal to the original position on the bluffs from Europe and continued relentlessly for overlooking the Little Bighorn. Here he was sur­ three centuries —sometimes around the camp- rounded by an overwhelming Indian force and fire, sometimes at treaty grounds, but more suffered heavy casualties in the ensuing fight. often on the battlefield. Custer Battlefield, with The Indians withdrew on the approach of the its scattered white marble markers, is a reminder THE CAMPAIGN OF 1876 columns under Gibbon and Terry on June 26. of that long struggle for possession of the Ameri­ The Army's campaign against the Sioux and can continent. But more particularly it com­ Cheyenne called for three separate expedi­ In the meantime, Custer had ridden into history memorates the part the U.S. Army played in tions—Gen. George Crook's force from Fort and legend. His movements after separating conquering the last frontier. Fetterman in Wyoming, Col. John Gibbon's from Reno's battalion are shrouded in mystery. command from Fort Ellis in Montana, and Gen. All that is definitely known is that his command IMMEDIATE CAUSE FOR INDIAN WAR Alfred H. Terry's troops from Fort Abraham was surrounded and destroyed by the Indians. Lincoln in Dakota Territory. These columns were The only survivor was a horse named Comanche. The end of the Civil War saw the vigorous re­ to converge on the main body of the hostile In­ In the battle, the 7th Cavalry lost the five com­ sumption of the white man's great westward dians, concentrated in southeastern Montana •&U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1970 392-712/39 panies (C, E, F, I, and L) that were under Custer. emigration. With it came the inevitable en­ under the leadership of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse REPRINT 1970 The other seven companies of the regiment, croachment on Indian domain with little regard and other famous war chiefs. for the sanctity of hunting grounds or treaty under Reno and Benteen, suffered additional agreements. The Indians resisted stoutly. To Crook clashed with the hostiles in March 1876 casualties of 47 dead and 52 wounded. Except end the conflict, the U.S. Government in 1868, and again in June, the Indians moving west for Custer and his officers, those killed in the at Fort Laramie, Wyo., signed a treaty with the toward the Little Bighorn. In mid-June Terry battle are buried around the base of the granite Sioux, Cheyenne, and other tribes of the Great and Gibbon met at the junction of the Yellow­ memorial on the battlefield. Most of the officers' Plains, designating a large area in western Da­ stone and Rosebud Rivers. Hoping to find the bodies were exhumed and sent elsewhere a year kota and part of eastern Wyoming as a per­ Indians in the Little Bighorn Valley, Terry after the battle. Custer's remains are buried at manent Indian reservation. The Government ordered Custer and the 7th Cavalry up the Rose­ West Point. promised "to protect... [them] against the bud to approach the Little Bighorn from the commission of all depredations by people of the south. Terry himself would accompany Gibbon's Indian losses are not known. Probably less than United States." force back up the Yellowstone and Bighorn to 100 were killed. approach from the north. In 1874, gold was discovered in the Black Hills, THE MONUMENT the heart of the Indian reservation. News of BATTLE OF THE LITTLE BIGHORN Custer Battlefield was designated a National As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the strike spread quickly and soon thousands The 7th Cavalry, numbering about 700 men, Cemetery in 1 879, and renamed a National Mon­ the Department of the Interior has basic respon­ of eager gold seekers swarmed into the region located the Indian camp on June 25. Custer, ument in 1946. The monument's 1.2 square sibilities for water, fish, wildlife, mineral, land, in violation of the Fort Laramie treaty. The underestimating the strength of the Indians, miles include that part of the battlefield where park, and recreational resources. Indian and Ter­ Army tried to keep them out, but to no avail. decided to attack the camp and divided his regi­ Custer and hismendiedand —ina separate sec­ ritorial affairs are other major concerns of The Indians became more defiant over this dis­ ment into three battalions. Three companies tion upstream—the site of the Reno-Benteen America's "Department of Natural Resources." regard of the 1868 peace agreement, which under Capt. Frederick W. Benteen were sent defense perimeter. The Department works to assure the wisest resulted in an exodus of Sioux and Cheyenne to scout the bluffs to the left, while three com­ choice in managing all our resources so each from the reservation. In December 1875, the panies under Maj. Marcus A. Reno and five will make its full contribution to a better United Commissioner of Indian Affairs ordered the ADMINISTRATION under Custer marched on opposite banks of a States—now and in the future. tribes to return before January 31, 1876, or small creek toward the Indian village in the Custer Battlefield National Monument is admin­ thereafter be regarded as hostiles "and treated Little Bighorn Valley. istered by the National Park Service, U.S. De­ accordingly by the military force." When the partment of the Interior. A superintendent, Indians did not comply, the Army was called in When near the Little Bighorn, Custer turned whose address is Crow Agency, Mont. 59022, U. S. Department of the Interior to enforce the order. north toward the lower end of the Indian camp. is in immediate charge. National Park Service attack on Custer's battalion. About 2 miles far­ ABOUT YOUR VISIT of the battle and how best to see the battlefield. indicating where C and E Companies were over­ whelmed can be seen on a knoll between the hill ther, the road cuts through Weir Point, the high National Cemetery. A short distance west of and the river. hill where Captain Weir halted in the attempt to the visitor center and accessible by foot is Cus­ break through to aid Custer on the afternoon Custer Battlefield is in the heart of the Crow ter Battlefield National Cemetery. Soldiers Battle Ridge. The road continues to the south of June 25, 1876. Indian Reservation of southeastern Montana. killed in several notable Indian engagements of for about one-half mile along the crest of the U.S. 87 (Int. 90) passes 1 mile to the west, and the Northern Plains are buried here with veter­ ridge. Identified by interpretive signs are Reno-Benteen Battlefield. The road terminates U.S. 212 connects the monument with the Black ans of more recent wars. groups of markers denoting where the men of at the 7th Cavalry Memorial, Vk miles south of Hills and Yellowstone National Park. Crow Companies F, I, and L fell in the battle. At the Weir Point. This granite shaft stands on the Agency is 2 miles to the north, and Hardin, 15. Custer Hill. The road continues beyond the visi­ end of the ridge a spur road loops around Cal­ north edge of Reno's position. Immediately The nearest large cities are Billings, Mont., tor center to Custer Hill, dominated by the mon­ houn Hill, a flank of the L Company position. south of it is the depression in which the hospi­ 65 miles northwest, and Sheridan, Wyo., 70 ument erected over the mass grave of the sol­ tal was located, and beyond the hospital site is miles south. diers killed in the battle. From here you can get Road to Reno-Benteen Battlefield. Those wish­ the ridge held by Captain Benteen during the an excellent view of most of the battlefield as ing to visit the site of Reno's siege may proceed battle. Visitors who wish to view the battle­ Following are the principal features of interest well as the valley in which the Indian village on a 4-mile road leading across Crow Indian field closely may follow the Entrenchment Trail included in the monument: was located.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Teacher’S Guide Teacher’S Guide Little Bighorn National Monument
    LITTLE BIGHORN NATIONAL MONUMENT TEACHER’S GUIDE TEACHER’S GUIDE LITTLE BIGHORN NATIONAL MONUMENT INTRODUCTION The purpose of this Teacher’s Guide is to provide teachers grades K-12 information and activities concerning Plains Indian Life-ways, the events surrounding the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the Personalities involved and the Impact of the Battle. The information provided can be modified to fit most ages. Unit One: PERSONALITIES Unit Two: PLAINS INDIAN LIFE-WAYS Unit Three: CLASH OF CULTURES Unit Four: THE CAMPAIGN OF 1876 Unit Five: BATTLE OF THE LITTLE BIGHORN Unit Six: IMPACT OF THE BATTLE In 1879 the land where The Battle of the Little Bighorn occurred was designated Custer Battlefield National Cemetery in order to protect the bodies of the men buried on the field of battle. With this designation, the land fell under the control of the United States War Department. It would remain under their control until 1940, when the land was turned over to the National Park Service. Custer Battlefield National Monument was established by Congress in 1946. The name was changed to Little Bighorn National Monument in 1991. This area was once the homeland of the Crow Indians who by the 1870s had been displaced by the Lakota and Cheyenne. The park consists of 765 acres on the east boundary of the Little Bighorn River: the larger north- ern section is known as Custer Battlefield, the smaller Reno-Benteen Battlefield is located on the bluffs over-looking the river five miles to the south. The park lies within the Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana, one mile east of I-90.
    [Show full text]
  • Battle of the Greasy Grass
    The Military Campaign of 1876 After the discovery of gold in the Black Hills following Custer’s 1875 Expedition, the US tried to buy the land from the Sioux, but they would not sell their sacred Paha Sapa. The government issued a decree requiring all non-reservation Indians to report to the agencies by Jan. 1, 1876. Because of this decree, in November of 1875, . Hunkpapa Lakota Headman and Holy Man SITTING BULL sent out a call to gather together all of the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho at the Chalk Buttes at the end of the Moon When Geese Return to discuss what to do about the incursion of whites into the land granted them in the United States treaties. Sun Dance Sitting Bull decides to hold a Sun Dance to gather the leaders to decide what to do about the white invaders and unite the people in the sacred ceremony. Sitting Bull sacrifices 100 pieces of flesh and has a vision of Long Knives Falling from the Sky. General George Crook, General Alfred Terry, and Colonel John Gibbon Led the Campaign to move all Indians to reservations, defeating those who resisted. Battle of the Rosebud Or, Battle Where the Woman Saved Her Brother On June 17, 1876, Sioux and Cheyenne forces led by Crazy Horse spotted General Crook, his 1,050 soldiers, and 260 Crow and Shoshone scouts, defeating them and eliminating them from the campaign. Three Army Expeditions General Crook would be coming from the south from Fort Fetterman in Wyoming Territory Col Gibbon would arrive from the west from Fort Ellis in Montana Territory General Terry would travel from the east from Fort Abraham Lincoln in Dakota Territory.
    [Show full text]
  • OUT HERE, WE HAVE a STORY to TELL. This Map Will Lead You on a Historic Journey Following the Movements of Lt
    OUT HERE, WE HAVE A STORY TO TELL. This map will lead you on a historic journey following the movements of Lt. Col. Custer and the 7th Calvary during the days, weeks and months leading up to, and immediately following, the renowned Battle of Little Bighorn were filled with skirmishes, political maneuvering and emotional intensity – for both sides. Despite their resounding victory, the Plains Indians’ way of life was drastically, immediately and forever changed. Glendive Stories of great heroism and reticent defeat continue to reverberate through MAKOSHIKA STATE PARK 253 the generations. Yet the mystique remains today. We invite you to follow the Wibaux Trail to The Little Bighorn, to stand where the warriors and the soldiers stood, 94 to feel the prairie sun on your face and to hear their stories in the wind. 34 Miles to Theodore Terry Roosevelt Fallon National Park 87 12 Melstone Ingomar 94 PIROGUE Ismay ISLAND 12 12 Plevna Harlowton 1 Miles City Baker Roundup 12 89 12 59 191 Hysham 12 4 10 2 12 14 13 11 9 3 94 Rosebud Lavina Forsyth 15 332 447 16 R MEDICINE E ER 39 IV ROCKS IV R R 5 E NE U STATE PARK Broadview 87 STO 17 G OW Custer ON L T NORTH DAKOTA YE L 94 6 59 Ekalaka CUSTER GALLATIN NF 18 7 332 R E 191 IV LAKE Colstrip R MONTANA 19 Huntley R 89 Big Timber ELMO E D Billings W 447 O 90 384 8 P CUSTER Reed Point GALLATIN Bozeman Laurel PICTOGRAPH Little Bighorn Battlefield NATIONAL 90 CAVES Hardin 20 447 FOREST Columbus National Monument Ashland Crow 212 Olive Livingston 90 Lame Deer WA Agency RRIO SOUTH DAKOTA R TRA 212 IL 313 Busby
    [Show full text]
  • CUSTER BATTLEFIELD National Monument Montana (Now Little Bighorn Battlefield)
    CUSTER BATTLEFIELD National Monument Montana (now Little Bighorn Battlefield) by Robert M. Utley National Park Service Historical Handbook Series No. 1 Washington, D.C. 1969 Contents a. A CUSTER PROFILE b. CUSTER'S LAST STAND 1. Campaign of 1876 2. Indian Movements 3. Plan of Action 4. March to the Little Bighorn 5. Reno Attacks 6. The Annihilation of Custer 7. Reno Besieged 8. Rescue 9. Collapse of the Sioux 10. Custer Battlefield Today 11. Campaign Maps c. APPENDIXES I. Officers of the 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn II. Low Dog's Account of the Battle III. Gall's Account of the Battle IV. A Participant's Account of Major Reno's Battle d. CUSTER'S LAST CAMPAIGN: A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY e. THE ART AND THE ARTIST f. ADMINISTRATION For additional information, visit the Web site for Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument or view their Official National Park Handbook (#132): Historical Handbook Number One 1969 The publication of this handbook was made possible by a grant from the Custer Battlefield Historical and Museum Association, Inc. This publication is one of a series of handbooks describing the historical and archeological areas in the National Park System administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Price lists of Park Service publications sold by the Government Printing Office may be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C. 20402. The National Park System, of which Custer Battlefield National Monument is a unit, is dedicated to conserving the scenic, scientific, and historic heritage of the United States for the benefit and enjoyment of its people.
    [Show full text]
  • Teacher's Guide
    TEACHER’S GUIDE About The Mission Mission 3: “A Cheyenne Odyssey” The mission focuses on the transformation of Northern Cheyenne life on the Great Plains from 1866 to 1876. The game is divided into five parts, plus a prologue that offers historical background, and an epilogue that extends the story into the twenty-first century. Students playing the game assume the role of Little Fox, a twelve- year-old Northern Cheyenne boy. As the game opens, Little Fox is growing up with his band around the Powder River Basin (in present-day southeastern Montana and northeastern Wyoming). Little Fox’s daily life is determined by the needs and traditions of his family and community. His everyday life, however, is soon impacted by the encroachment of United States military expeditions, railroad builders, and white settlers. As Little Fox grows older, the Northern Cheyenne way of life changes dramatically, as the tribe adapts to the United States’ expansion into the West. When students are reading a traditional text, such as the chapter of a book or a magazine article, they are all are presented with the same information. However, as students play “A Cheyenne Odyssey,” their experiences may differ slightly based on the choices they make and their behavior as Little Fox. As students make their way through the mission, they receive “badges” signifying the characteristics, values, and skills of their particular version of “Little Fox.” In the Prologue, a tribal elder, speaking in the Northern Cheyenne language, shares some of the early history of the Cheyenne. The elder tells the Cheyenne creation story before describing that the Cheyenne did not always live on the Great Plains, but rather grew crops and lived in woodlands prior to coming west.
    [Show full text]
  • Stream Ecological Integrity at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Rocky Mountain Inventory & Monitoring Network 2007-2010 Stream Monitoring Report
    National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Stream Ecological Integrity at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Rocky Mountain Inventory & Monitoring Network 2007-2010 Stream Monitoring Report Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/ROMN/NRTR—2014/882 ON THIS PAGE The Little Bighorn River, LIBI in May 2009 Photograph by: B. Schweiger, ROMN ON THE COVER Melena Stichman (NPS, LIBI) and Rosie Fewings (NPS, ROMN) collect water samples while Alex Cahlander-Mooers (NPS, ROMN) measures stream flow in the Little Bighorn River, LIBI during a August 2009 sample event Photograph by: B. Schweiger, ROMN Stream Ecological Integrity at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Rocky Mountain Inventory & Monitoring Network 2007-2010 Stream Monitoring Report Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/ROMN/NRTR—2014/882 Authors E. William Schweiger,1 Laura O’Gan,1 Donna Shorrock,1 and Mike Britten1 With contributions from: Phil Kaufmann,2 Jason Smith,3 Eric Mason,3 Isabel Ashton,4 Laura Atkinson,1 and Kristin Long1 1Rocky Mountain Network National Park Service Fort Collins, Colorado 2Office of Research and Development Western Ecology Division U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Corvallis, Oregon 3Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site National Park Service Deer Lodge, Montana 4Rocky Mountain National Park National Park Service Estes Park, Colorado Editor Nina Chambers Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative Jackson, Wyoming June 2014 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics.
    [Show full text]
  • Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Riparian Forest
    ! ! ! ! ! ! LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL MONUMENT RIPARIAN FOREST DEMOGRAPHY:! ! HYDROCLIMATIC TREE-ESTABLISHMENT CONDITIONS AND A SEARCH FOR “WITNESS” TREES! ! ! ! ! ! Final Report to the National Park Service! Submitted 1 September 2012! Revised 23 October 2012! ! Permit No: LIBI-2011-SCI-0002! NPS Study No: LIBI-00016! NPS Agreement No: P11AG00089! Rocky Mountains CESU Agreement No: H1200-09-0004! ! ! By: 1Gregory T. Pederson*, 2Stephen T. Gray, 3Mark Lesser, and 1Leslie Allen! ! ! 1U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2327 University Way (Suite 2), Bozeman, MT, 59715 2U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Climate Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508 3University of Wyoming, Department of Botany, Laramie, WY 82079 * To whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected] (406) 994-7390 !"##!$%&"'()*+%&,##!$-"$.%/)##)+0)).%.$1)'*,2(3% ABSTRACT! A dendroecological analysis of riparian area cottonwoods (Populus deltoides) along the Little Bighorn River at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (LIBI) in southeastern Montana was conducted to (1) describe the age structure of the gallery forests, targeting in particular trees that may have been alive during the battle in 1876; (2) identify potential hydroclimatic factors (e.g. floods, drought) that may have influenced establishment and development of the stands; and (3) indentify cottonwoods and other trees with potentially dateable fire scars. Of particular interest for this study was the sampling of a lone cottonwood at Medicine Tail Coulee since it may be the same tree documented on the 1876 Kill Eagle map demarcating the point where the Cheyenne drove Custer back. Although there were no riparian area trees definitively dated back to the year of the battle, uncertainty related to tree age at coring height suggests a good number of trees were probably seedlings or saplings.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Quality Condition of Perennial Streams and Rivers in the Bighorn and Yellowstone Basins
    1 Water Quality Condition of Perennial Streams and Rivers in the Bighorn and Yellowstone Basins Water Quality Condition of Perennial Streams and Rivers in the Bighorn and Yellowstone Basins Results of the 2010 Bighorn/Yellowstone Probabilistic Survey Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality – Water Quality Division Document #14-0586, July 2014 2 Water Quality Condition of Perennial Streams and Rivers in the Bighorn and Yellowstone Basins Water Quality Condition of Perennial Streams and Rivers in the Bighorn and Yellowstone Basins Results of the 2010 Bighorn/Yellowstone Probabilistic Survey By Eric G. Hargett and Jeremy R. ZumBerge Document #14-0586 July 2014 Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Water Quality Division – Watershed Protection Program 122 W. 25th St., Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 i Water Quality Condition of Perennial Streams and Rivers in the Bighorn and Yellowstone Basins Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................ 3 PROBABILISTIC SURVEYS AND WYOMING’S INTEGRATED REPORT ..................................................................... 4 STUDY AREA ........................................................................................................................................................................ 5
    [Show full text]
  • Chief Gall and Chief John Grass: Cultural Mediators Or Sellouts?
    University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2001 Chief Gall and Chief John Grass: Cultural mediators or sellouts? James R. Frank The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Frank, James R., "Chief Gall and Chief John Grass: Cultural mediators or sellouts?" (2001). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 5378. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/5378 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Maureen and Mike MANSFIELD LIBRARY The University of Montana Permission is granted by the author to reproduce this material in its entirety, provided that this material is used for scholarly purposes and is properly cited in published works and reports. **Please check "Yes" or "No" and provide signature** Yes, I grant permission No, I do not grant permission Author’s Signature: ^ p (v\NgA Date: cS^OQ ( Any copying for commercial purposes or financial gain may be undertaken only with the author’s explicit consent. 8/98 Chief Gall and Chief John Grass: Cultural Mediators or Sellouts? by Janies R. Frank, Jr. B.Sc. North Dakota State University, 1995 presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts July 2001 Approved by: Dean, Graduate School 1 - 2 3 -o < Date UMI Number: EP40842 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.
    [Show full text]
  • Crow MR&I Draft EA
    Municipal, Rural, and Industrial Water System Crow Reservation, Montana Draft Environmental Assessment June 2016 This page intentionally left blank. Mission Statements The Department of the Interior protects and manages the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and other information about those resources; and honors its trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities. The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. The mission of the Bureau of Indian Affairs is to enhance the quality of life, to promote economic opportunity, and to carry out the responsibility to protect and improve the trust assets of American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives. This page intentionally left blank. Table of Contents 1.0 PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION .................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Authority .......................................................................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Purpose of the Proposed Action ...................................................................................... 1-2 1.4 Need for the Proposed Action ........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Investigating the Oxbows and Testing Metal Detector Efficiency at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana
    Investigating the Oxbows and Testing Metal Detector Efficiency at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana By Douglas D. Scott Report completed in partial compliance with Purchase Order R1380109202 Lincoln, Nebraska September 2010 Executive Summary The oxbow inventory found no archeological materials predating the late nineteenth century in any of the three oxbows within the Custer battlefield area. All late nineteenth and early twentieth century artifacts were found on relatively stable landforms near the mouths of ravines or just below the steep slopes of the main battlefield. Dense vegetation prevented intensive metal detecting of the actual oxbows, but where opportunistic sampling did occur only artifacts dating to the mid to late twentieth century were found, and those usually buried between 25 and 30cm. The river bank was also visually inspected where it was accessible and visible. No culturally deposited soil strata were observed. The soil depositional sequence observed in the river bank appeared to be water laid deposits. This suggests that modern sedimentation associated with periodic modern flooding of the floodplain has scoured out the 1876 period surface or buried the 1876 era level well beyond the potential level of metal detecting capability of either VLF or PI metal detectors. A preliminary assessment of various historic maps was conducted to determine which may be the most reliable in depicting the 1876 river channel. The method involved georeferencing the historic maps to the modern topographic and aerial photography and establishing a root mean square error calculation. This objective analysis was coupled with a subjective analysis of the river channel and terrain features depicted on the subject map.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix D WILD and SCENIC RIVERS
    Appendix D BIGHORN NATIONAL FOREST Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan Wild and Scenic Rivers Table of Contents D......................................................................................................................................D-1 Introduction ............................................................................................................D-1 Basis in Wild and Scenic Rivers Act......................................................................D-1 Assessment Process................................................................................................D-1 Eligibility.......................................................................................................D-2 Classification .................................................................................................D-4 Suitability.......................................................................................................D-4 Alternatives....................................................................................................D-6 Little Bighorn River....................................................................................................D-7 Description.....................................................................................................D-7 Eligibility.......................................................................................................D-7 Classification .................................................................................................D-7
    [Show full text]