™BBBBwy•vBBBB^x__^_^_- Sioux were represented—Hunkpapas Custer Battlefield National Monument in that day and most of the next, returning the under Sitting Bull, Gall, Crow King, and Black southeastern Montana memorializes one of Indian fire and successfully discouraging at­ Moon; Oglalas under Crazy Horse, Low Dog, the last armed efforts of the Northern Plains tempts to storm their position. The siege and Big Road; The Miniconjou followers of The blue and gold ended when all the Indians broke their great Hump; Sans Arc, Blackfoot, and Brule Sioux. By deed and spoken word, Indians to preserve their ancestral way of regimental flag Sitting Bull's resistance to the life. Here in the valley of the Little Bighorn which Custer's encampment and withdrew upon the ap­ There ivere also Northern Cheyennes under Two Federal Government was an River on June 25 and 26, 1876, more than men carried on proach of columns under Terry and Gibbon. Moon, Lame White Man, and Dirty Moccasins, inspiration to those of his the campaign of people who had rejected 260 soldiers and attached personnel of the 1876 is now dis­ and a handful of ivarriors from tribes of Pastern reservation life from the be­ U.S. Army met defeat and death at the hands played in the park In the meantime, Custer had ridden into his­ Sioux. They clustered around six separate tribal ginning and to those who museum. accepted it to their regret. of several thousand Sioux and Cheyenne tory and legend. Vivid accounts of the battle circles, and altogether they numbered perhaps Here the great warrior warriors. Among the dead by Indians who participated in it tell how his 10,000 to 12,000 people, mustering a fighting and chief of the *,„, force of between 2,500 and 4,000 men. Many Sioux wears a were Lt. Col. George command was surrounded and destroyed in white buckskin Armstrong Custer and fierce fighting. But Custer's intentions and had firearms—some the Winchester repeating shirt, a single every member of precise movements after separating from rifle obtained, quite legally, from traders and feather in his Maj. Marcus hair, and a his immediate com­ A. Reno Reno's battalion have never been determined. Indian agents for hunting. crucifix of mand. Although the brass and Capt. Frederick wood given Indians won this W. Benteen In the battle, the 7th Cavalry lost the five "Secure in their unaccustomed numbers, the to him by battle, they lost the companies (C, E, F, I, and L) that were under Sioux and Cheyennes, moving up Rosebud Creek Father De Smet, a war against the Custer, about 225 men. Of the other six com­ in mid-]une, wasted little thought on the news Jesuit. white man's efforts panies of the regiment, under Reno and brought by some young men that they had seen to end their inde- I Benteen, 47 were killed and 52 wounded. soldiers farther south, beyond the head of the pendent, nomadic Rosebud. Turning west, the great procession ways. The Indian losses were no more than 100 crossed the Wolf Mountains and came to rest on men killed. They removed most of their dead a tributary of the Little Bighorn later named The conflict between from the battlefield when the large village Reno Creek. Here further reports confirmed the cultures had begun with the broke up. The tribes and families scattered, presence of many soldiers descending the Rose­ arrival of the first settlers from Europe some going south, some north. Most of them bud, and more than a thousand warriors rode The Battle of the Rosebud was the victorious and continued relentlessly for three returned to the reservations and surrendered over the mountains to contest the advance. prelude to the greater Indian success on the Little Bighorn. General Crook had learned of centuries—sometimes around the Lt. Col. George in the next few years. campfire, sometimes at treaty Armstrong Custer, "On the morning of June 17, General Crook col­ the Sioux' strength and will to fight, but word grounds, but more often on the leaving less than A QUESTION OF MISTAKEN NUMBERS lided with this array, and after a severe action of the battle never reached Custer and the half his command 7th Cavalry. He still estimated the Indian battlefield. Custer Battlefield, to two subordinate The information on which the Army based its lasting most of the day he turned about and with its scattered white marble officers, Captain marched back to Goose Creek (near present strength at 800 warriors. Benteen and Major campaign against the Indians who had left markers, is a reminder of that Reno, rode with the reservation was that they totaled about Sheridan, Wyo.) to call for reinforcements. The long struggle for possession five companies of 800. That number may have been correct in Indians returned to their tepees in triumph and SITTING BULL SURRENDERS the 7th Cavalry After the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the In­ of the American continent. into one of the the winter of 1875-76, but with the arrival of at once moved down to Reno Creek, crossed the most unforget­ spring more and more Indians slipped away Little Bighorn, and laid out a new camp, lt lined dian village broke up and the various bands table disasters went their separate ways pursued by the CAUSES OF in American to the western hunting grounds. The effect of the west bank of the river for 3 miles and Army. As Utley says in Custer Battlefield: THE INDIAN WARS military history. the inaccurate estimate and early Indian vic­ sprawled in places all the way across the mile- The end of the Civil War saw tories on the Rosebud River are recounted in wide valley." a vigorous resumption of the the Custer Battlefield National Park Service "By autumn many of the Indian fugitives had tired of the pursuit and, with the winter coming westward movement by set­ handbook by Robert M. Utley: on, slipped back to the agencies to surrender. . . . tlers. An almost certain result was encroach­ to find the Indians in the Little Bighorn Valley, With the approach of spring, hundreds drifted ment on the Indian domain. Settlers showed "Rarely, unless absolutely certain of victory, did Terry ordered Custer and the 7th Cavalry up into the agencies and gave up. . . . little regard for the sanctity of Indian hunting the Rosebud to approach the Little Bighorn the Plains Indian stand and fight; usually he grounds or the terms of former treaties. The from the south. Terry himself would accom­ faded into the hills and easily eluded his slow- Indians resisted stoutly. Then in 1868, at Fort pany Gibbon's force back up the Yellow­ moving pursuers. Thus military planning focused Voicing never to accept reservation restraints, Laramie, Wyo., representatives of the Sioux, stone and Bighorn to approach from the mainly on how to catch the quarry rather than Sitting Bull and some 400 Hunkpapa Sioux Cheyenne, and other tribes of the Great north. on how to defeat him once caught. . . . In all the crossed into Canada. But food was scarce and Plains, signed a treaty with the U.S. Govern­ unceded territory, according to the Indian Bureau, U.S. soldiers patroled the international boundary, ment by which a large area in western BATTLE OF THE LITTLE BIGHORN the warrior force did not exceed 800, and the preventing the Indians from hunting buffalo in Dakota and part of eastern Wyoming was The 7th Cavalry, numbering about 700 men, possibility that these might unite in one place Montana. Little by little the refugees weakened designated a permanent Indian reservation. located the Indian camp on June 25. Custer, was not seriously considered. .... Finally in July 1881, Sitting Bull and 43 The Government promised to protect the probably underestimating the fighting power families appeared at the fort [Fort Buford, North Dakota] and gave up." Indians "against the commission of all dep­ of the Indian forces, believed it safe to divide "As a matter of fact, a great many more Indians Custer, hatless and standing casually third redations by people of the United States." his regiment into three battalions. By attack­ were absent from their agencies than the Bureau from the left, poses with other officers ing immediately, he might have hoped to had reported, and they continued to flock to Sit­ and ladies of the 7th Cavalry at Fort Lincoln Sitting Bull's surrender marked the end of a shortly before the expedition moved out war that had all but ended 4 years earlier at In 1874, gold was discovered in the Black prevent the Indians from slipping away. One ting Bull's standard through against the Indians. The woman nearest Hills, the heart of the new Indian reservation. battalion of three companies under Capt. out the spring. By ]une Custer on the first step is Mrs. Custer. the Battle of the Little Bighorn. News of the strike spread quickly, and soon Frederick W. Benteen was sent to scout the the scattered bands had begun to come together Regaled for the fight, mounted thousands of eager gold seekers swarmed bluffs to the south. At the same time, a battal­ Indian warriors assemble be­ into the region in violation of the Fort Lara­ ion of three companies under Maj. Marcus in a single village fore Crazy Horse (left) and that formed one of the Sitting Bull. The artist, Oglala mie treaty. The Army tried to keep them out, A. Reno and one of five companies under Dakota Amos Bad Heart Bull, but to no avail. The peace agreement of 1868 Custer marched along opposite banks of a largest in the history based his drawings of the Bat- of the Great Plains. tie of the Little Bighorn on the was completely dishonored when the Sioux small creek to attack the Indian village in the recollections of his older relatives. and Cheyenne in growing defiance began to valley of the Little Bighorn. Reprinted from A PICTOGRAPHIC HISTORY leave the reservation. In December 1875, the OF THE OGLALA SIOUX, drawings by Amos Bad Heart Bull, by permission of University Commissioner of Indian Affairs ordered them When near the Little Bighorn, Custer turned of Nebraska Press, ' 1967 to return before January 31, 1876, or there­ north toward the lower end of the Indian after be regarded as hostiles to be "treated camp. Reno, with orders from Custer to accordingly by the military force." When the cross the river and attack, advanced down Indians did not comply, the Army was called the Little Bighorn Valley and struck the upper in to enforce the order. end of the camp. Outflanked by the defend­ ing warriors, he retreated in disorder to the THE CAMPAIGN OF 1876 river and took up defensive positions on the The Army's campaign against the Sioux and bluffs beyond. Here he was soon joined by Cheyenne called for three separate expedi­ Benteen, who had hurried forward under tions—Gen. George Crook's force from Fort written orders from Custer to "Come on; Big Fetterman in Wyoming, Col. John Gibbon's village, be quick, bring packs." command from Fort Ellis in Montana, and Gen. Alfred H. Terry's troops from Fort Abra­ Gunfire from the north caused men to scout ham Lincoln in Dakota Territory. These col­ in that direction seeking the whereabouts of umns were to converge on the main body of Custer and his command. An advance com­ the Indians concentrated in southeastern pany under Capt. Thomas B. Weir marched Montana under the leadership of Sitting Bull, downstream to a high hill, from which the Crazy Horse, and other war chiefs. Custer battlefield was visible. By this time, however, the firing had stopped. When the Crook clashed with the Indians in March and rest of the command arrived on the hill it was again in June. Afterwards the Indians moved attacked by a large force of Indians, and west toward the Little Bighorn. In mid-June Reno ordered a withdrawal to the original Terry and Gibbon met at the confluence of position on the bluffs overlooking the Little the Yellowstone and Rosebud Rivers. Hoping Bighorn. Here these seven companies en­ CUSTER BATTLEFIELD 1876-1976 3 CUSTER HILL One hundred years have gone by, but the The first graves of Custer and his men were Custer battle continues to illustrate a part of Two Moon, a chief of the dug in great haste over the entire battlefield Northern Cheyenne, tells of what Americans have come to know as their the battle: ". . . the shooting in the places where the soldiers had fallen. western heritage. Heroism and tragedy, was quick, quick. Pop-pop- Then, in 1881, as many graves as could be pop very fast. Some of the brashness and humiliation, victory and de­ soldiers were down on their found were reopened and the bodies rein- feat—these are things people still come here knees, some standing. . . . terred in a common grave around the base The smoke was like a great to ponder. cloud, and everywhere the of this memorial shaft bearing the names of Sioux went the dust rose like all the dead. The bodies of 11 officers and smoke. We circled all round Very soon after the fight, the battlefield be­ him—swirling like water two civilians already had been exhumed for came a popular tourist attraction. Many east­ round a stone. We shoot, we reburial elsewhere at the request of relatives ride fast, we shoot again. FOR YOUR SAFETY erners touring the northwest on the newly Soldiers drop, and horses Custer's remains were buried at West Point built Northern Pacific Railway took time to fall on them." Military Academy, N.Y., on October 10, 1877 You are in rattlesnake country. journey up the Little Bighorn to view the his­ Please stay on the pathways toric spot. Troops from Fort Custer, which From Custer Hill you can see most of the while walking the battlefield. was established at the mouth of the Little battlefield and the valley in which the Indian Rangers will offer prompt as­ Bighorn in 1877, served as the first custodi­ village was located. On the west side of the sistance in case of accidents, ans. In 1893, the War Department placed a hill just below the monument, a cluster of 52 but you can prevent them from superintendent in charge to protect the area markers shows as nearly as possible where happening by being watchful from vandals and souvenir hunters. All of the 1 VISITOR CENTER the remnant of Custer's battalion gathered and cautious. early superintendents were retired soldiers; Stop first at the visitor center. Park rangers for the "last stand." Custer, his brothers several of them had served in the northwest­ are on duty to help you plan and understand Tom and Boston, and his nephew "Autie" ern Indian campaigns. What information they your tour of the battlefield. The center also Reed were all found in this group. The U.S. troopers appear hopelessly passed on to visitors was purely at their dis­ has museum exhibits and literature. There markers indicating where C and E Compa­ immobile without their horses as they crouch to defend them­ cretion and depended on their competency. are no camping or picnicking facilities at the nies were overwhelmed can be seen west of selves against overwhelming monument. Federal law prohibits the removal the monument on a knoll between the hill numbers of Indians who seem or disturbance of any marker, artifact, relic, to dart by effortlessly in this Many anniversaries of the battle have been and the river. drawing of the Custer fight by celebrated since the first one in 1877. In or historic feature. Amos Bad Heart Bull.

1886, on the 10th anniversary, several Army Repr.med from A PICTOGRAPHIC HISTORY OF THE OGLALA SIOUX, drawings bv Amos and Indian veterans of the fight returned to 2 NATIONAL CEMETERY Bad Heart Bull, by permission of University the battlefield for an elaborate observance. Within walking distance of the visitor center of Nebraska Press. 1967 Prominent among them were Captain Ben- is Custer Battlefield National Cemetery, a -*( teen, Lieutenant Godfrey, trumpeter Penwell, relatively small burial ground contained l and Chief Gall of the Hunkpapa Sioux. within the boundaries of the larger battle­ Hs*- if** field. Soldiers killed in several notable Thousands of spectators were on hand in Indian engagements on the Northern Plains 1926 at the 50th anniversary commemoration are buried here with servicemen of World to see processions, parades, and sports War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. events and to hear speeches and the memo­ Originally the battlefield was maintained as a rial services on Custer Ridge. National Cemetery under the jurisdiction of the Army. The brown stone lodge, built in After the cemetery was transferred to the Na­ 1894, served as quarters for the superinten­ tional Park Service in 1940, development dents for many years. The superintendent was policies were formulated not only to safe­ guard and preserve the area, but to provide interpretation for the visiting public.

Space for a growing museum collection was made ready in the visitor center, dedicated in 1952. Field work continues to uncover these relics and to pinpoint the locations of specific battle action. In June 1958, the re­ mains of three groups of soldiers were un­ covered at the Reno-Benteen area.

We're Joining the Metric World The National Park Service is in­ troducing metric measurements in its publications to help Amer­ icans become acquainted with the metric system and to make interpretation more meaningful for park visitors from other nations. known to the Indians as the "ghost herder," whose main purpose was to keep the spirits of the dead from ranging outside the ceme­ 4 BATTLE RIDGE tery fence. The raising of the American flag Interpretive signs along the crest of the ridge at dawn brought back all the ghosts to their identify groups of markers where the men of ADMINISTRATION proper resting place. Companies, F, I, and L fell in the battle. At Custer Battlefield National Mon­ ument is administered by the the end of the ridge, a spur road loops National Park Service, U.S. De­ The bodies of most of Custer's men are not around Calhoun Hill, a flank of the L Com­ partment of the Interior. A su­ pany position. perintendent, whose address is buried in the cemetery; they are in a com­ Crow Agency. MT 59022, is in mon grave on Custer Hill. Of those killed in immediate charge. the battle, only a few unidentified remains 5 RENO-BENTEEN BATTLEFIELD and the body of Lt. John C. Crittenden are After beating off Major Reno's attack on As the Nation's principal con­ In waves of tall prairie grass, servation agency, the Department in the cemetery. LOCATION OF PARK white marble tablets mark the the afternoon of the 25th, the Indians forced of the Interior has responsibility Custer Battlefield National Mon­ scene of furious fighting during him to this point where the 7th Cavalry Me­ for most of our nationally owned ument lies within the Crow In­ Custer's last stand. Bodies public lands and natural re­ Over a period of about 25 years, as the old morial now stands. Until the Indians left the dian Reservation in southeastern found at these locations were sources. This includes fostering Montana. U.S. 87 (I-90) passes buried on the spot, then moved western forts were closed down or aban­ next day, Reno and Captain Benteen were the wisest use of our land and 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) to the several years later to a com­ water resources, protecting our doned, the bodies of men killed on the fron­ held to defensive action. Interpretive markers west: U.S. 212 connects the mon grave on the battlefield. fish and wildlife, preserving the tier in other Indian fighting were brought here indicate Indian and Cavalry advancements. environmental and cultural monument with the Black Hills for reburial. The dead of the 1866 Fetterman values of our national parks and and Yellowstone National Park. historical places, and providing The Crow Agency is 3.2 kilo­ fight, the worst Army defeat inflicted by the Please don't leave with questions; a second for the enjoyment of life through meters (2 miles) north, and Plains Indians until Custer's, were buried stop at the visitor center may well make your outdoor recreation. The Depart- Hardin, Mont., is 29 kilometers sent assesses our energy and (18 miles) north. The nearest originally at Fort Phil Kearny, Wyo., then visit complete. mineral resources and works to cities are Billings, Mont . 105 moved here in 1888. Bodies of those killed assure that their development is kilometers (65 miles) northwest, in the best interests of all our and Sheridan, Wyo., 113 kilo­ in the 1867 Hayfield Fight and buried at Fort people. The Department also has meters (70 miles) south. C. F. Smith, Mont., were reinterred here in a major responsibility for Ameri­ can Indian reservation communi­ 1892. Other reburials came from Forts Tot- ties and for people who live in National Park Service ten, Rice, Buford, Pembina, Sisseton, Assin- Island Territories under U.S. U.S. DEPARTMENT of niboine, and Custer. administraton. the INTERIOR •A-GPO 1976 21 1-308 43