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 HIG Absarokee Joliet CROW INDIAN HW R AY CHIEF E Saint CUSTER Broadus RESERVATION IV PLENTY R NORTHERN CHEYENNE Xavier GALLATIN COUPS N R 212 Pryor 41 R INDIAN RESERVATION E O IV H NATIONAL R Roberts IG 314 B Lodge ER 566 FOREST D Hammond ROSEBUD W Fort Smith Grass PO 212 Bridger BATTLEFIELD Red 310 BIGHORN TONGUE Alzada Lodge CANYON RIVER 89 Belfry NATIONAL RESERVOIR RECREATIONAL 90 MONTANA Gardiner Cooke City AREA 113 Miles to Mount Rushmore National Memorial 26.4 Miles to WYOMING 212 Sheridan, WY Sheridan 14A YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK SOUTHEASTMONTANA.COM | 1.800.346.1876 | #OutHereMT | #SoutheastMontana West Some roads are14A gravel but not paved. Indian Reservations are private property outside of roadways. Printed in Montana for free distribution. Yellowstone Cody 4 READY TO MARCH 8 CUSTER CAMPSITE 13 TERRY AND GIBBON miles up Tullock’s Creek before turning southwest and slowly crossing extremely August 8, 1876 • Far West Yellowstone River June 23, 1876 • Rosebud Creek and Hwy. 39, Late June, 1876 • Lion’s Springs, Hwy. 10 – rough country to the Bighorn River. Terry’s Access – Rosebud south of Colstrip 1 mile W of Forsyth command arrived at the confluence of the A few days after the Battle of Little Having marched 33 miles up Rosebud The Montana Column marched up the Little Bighorn on June 26, as planned. Bighorn, Gen. Alfred Terry moved the Creek, Lt. Col. Custer and the 7th camped Yellowstone, beginning June 21, 1876. decimated 7th to Fort Pease on the at this location, near where Sitting Bull On June 26, command received word of Yellowstone, waiting nearly a month for 12 had his vision of “many soldiers falling into Custer’s defeat. As the Column approached 17 CROSSING THE companies of infantry, which arrived via camp,” two weeks prior. Despite passing the battlefield area, the villages dispersed YELLOWSTONE steamers and totaled 1,800. The march up evidence of several large Indian camps, at south toward the Bighorn Mountains. On April, 1876 • Junction City Rosebud Creek began August 8, 1876. this point Custer still believed the Indians’ June 27 the Column reached the Little Memorial Park, Custer force to be 400 lodges and 1,500 warriors. Bighorn Battlefield. As the Montana Column marched down the south side of the Yellowstone River, 9 HUNTING PARTY Col. Gibbon’s most immediate concern was GONE WRONG crossing the river to the north before reaching the Bighorn River. His command was ordered May 23, 1876 • East Rosebud River 1 CUSTER’S FIRST FIGHT to patrol the Bighorn on down to the Powder Access, Forsyth August 4, 1873 • WaterWorks Museum – River, preventing any movement to the north. On the morning of May 23, 1876 three Miles City hunters from the Montana Column were Lt. Col. Custer’s skirmish at the confluence of ambushed by Lakota along the bluffs along 18 CAPTAIN BALL’S SCOUT the Tongue River, across from the present- NATHAN SATRAN the Yellowstone’s north side. All three were April, 1876 • General Custer Bighorn day Miles City, was first of several during killed in a short, intense fight. The men River Access – Hwy. 47, N. of Hardin the summer of 1873. The 7th Cavalry was were hunting without permission, although 14 FORT PEASE In April of 1876, Capt. Ball was ordered to assigned to Col. David Stanley to protect the Col. Gibbon allowed the practice. 1875-76 • Central Park, Hysham scout along the Bighorn River as far south as Northern Pacific Railroad surveyors. NATHAN SATRAN Fort Pease was established in June of 1875, the ruins of Fort C.F. Smith. The scouting party a few miles below the mouth of the Bighorn found no current signs of Indians but did stop 10 CAPTAIN CLIFFORD’S 2 SCOUTING SOUTH 5 CUSTER CAMPSITE River by Bozeman businessmen seeking and observe an area along the Little Bighorn OF YELLOWSTONE June 22, 1876 • Rosebud Creek, BOATS trade with the Crow tribe. The fort, which that would eventually serve as a base for over May 15, 1876 • West Rosebud River May 15, 1876 • N. of I-94, Exit 106 – Rosebud Mile Marker 10 on Hwy. 447 was built in favored tribal hunting grounds, 1,000 Lakota and N. Cheyenne lodges. Access, Forsyth A scouting party, led by Lt. James H. On June 22, 1876 Custer’s command was under attack by Lakota warriors much When the Montana Column arrived at Bradley crossed the Yellowstone River near marched 10 miles south along Rosebud of the winter of 1875-76. It was abandoned the abandoned Fort Pease in mid-April, the present-day Rosebud and proceeded Creek to this site, where they camped for the in March 1876 but used as a staging area 1876, Col. Gibbon found several rowboats, to high ground to the south for a better night. There was dramatic dialogue during over the following weeks. which were made serviceable. Despite vantage point. Moving southeast, Crow Officer’s Call and later in the scout’s camp. high spring runoff, the boats proved useful scouts detected smoke – the presence of 15 PEASE BOTTOM FIGHT for scouting parties and courier missions a large Indian village – from the Tongue 6 August 11, 1873 • Howery Island, Hysham THE RENO SCOUT down the Yellowstone River. River Valley. June 10 – 19, 1876 • Rosebud Creek, Mile A series of skirmishes between Custer and the Lakota occurred along the Yellowstone Marker 24 on Hwy. 447 11 Gen. Terry wanted to be certain that the RAILROAD SURVEY River during the summer of 1873 when the NATHAN SATRAN “winter lodges” had not moved south Summer of 1873 • Marcyes Park, Forsyth 7th Cavalry was assigned to protect the and east, even though Gibbon’s scouts During the early 1870s the Northern Pacific Northern Pacific Railroad surveyors. The 19 GRANT MARSH Railroad began surveying along the north had earlier located the big village on the result of these skirmishes – the warriors 1876 • Grant Marsh Bighorn River Access – side of the Yellowstone River. The still- Rosebud. Major Reno’s scouts found an fleeing in the face of a cavalry attack – Hwy. 47, N. of Hardin powerful Lakota controlled the land south abandoned campsite along the Tongue was the basis for assumption with fatal The steamboat, Far West, piloted by Capt. of the river. As result, the survey crews River, estimated at 400 lodges and a consequences three years later. Grant Marsh, was one of several steamboats required military protection each summer. thousand warriors, along with a wide trail chartered by the U.S. government to support Custer skirmished with the Lakota on two heading west toward the Rosebud. 16 TULLOCK’S CREEK the 1876 military campaign. In the aftermath NATHAN SATRAN occasions in August, 1873. June 25, 1876 • Bighorn Post Office, Bighorn of the Battle of Little Bighorn, Capt. Marsh 7 MEETING ON THE As late at mid-June, 1876, the military made a record run down the Yellowstone and 3 THE SEVENTH PASSES 12 LITTLE PORCUPINE ROSEBUD considered Tullock’s Creek as a possible Missouri Rivers carrying the battle’s wounded IN REVIEW location for the big Indian village. On June August 10, 1876 • Snider Creek Junction CREEK CAMPSITE along with news of Custer’s defeat to a June 22, 1876 • Longhorn Restaurant – 25, Gen. Terry led his command a few on Hwy. 447 Mid-May, 1876 • Hwy. 12 – 1 mile stunned nation. Rosebud Although both Gens. Terry and Crook NW of Forsyth At noon on June 22, 1876 the 7th Cavalry withdrew in the aftermath of the Rosebud Following a downpour of rain and hail, the began its ill-fated march to the Little and Little Bighorn Battles, they were only Montana Column spent five days at this Bighorn. Twelve companies paraded a hundred miles apart. In August 1876, campsite, waiting for roads to dry. It was 20 LITTLE BIGHORN before Gens. Terry, Gibbon and Custer as while following month-old Indian trails, near this site that Lt.