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The Battle of Little Bighorn
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Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of Custer’s Last Stand
By Paula Green
Forging back 150 years, this month, we’re going to take a look at a poignant historical battle that took place out west. On June 25, 1876, under darkened skies, Lt. Colonel George Custer and 210 men of the U.S. Army 7th Cavalry Unit confronted Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Native American warriors. The conflict was fought along the ridges, steep bluffs, and ravines of the Little Bighorn River in south-central Montana.
The catalyst that sparked the conflict was the discovery of gold in the Black Hills of present-day South Dakota. The major mining find prompted U.S. settlers to violate treaties and encroach upon Native American land.
To further add to the matter, the United States tried to negotiate with the Lakota to purchase the Black Hills, but the offered price was rejected. In addition, the U.S. Army began to pressure the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho to relocate to reservations. Leaders such as Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse resisted the reservation system.
Outraged by the treaty violations, thousands of reservation Indians slipped away to join Sitting Bull. By June 1876, a massive village of roughly 10,000 Native Americans (including around 2,000 to 3,000 warriors) gathered along the Little Bighorn River.
Custer led roughly 700 men of the 7th Cavalry to the Little Bighorn, but he made several critical mistakes: he underestimated the number of Native warriors and, believing a swift attack would ensure victory, he divided his forces into smaller groups to flank the village from multiple sides. This tactical error left his regiment exposed and outnumbered, as he failed to recognize that his forces were nearly 10-to-1 outmatched.
Given the overwhelming numerical disadvantage, Custer and more than 200 soldiers under his command were killed. In addition, a few of Custer’s family members perished during the battle, including Thomas and Boston Custer, younger brothers of the Lt. Colonel, brother-in-law James Calhoun, and nephew Henry “Autie” Reed. The conflict is often referred to as “Custer’s Last Stand,” and it’s also called the Battle of the Greasy Grass.
Though the Native American tribes won on June 25-26, 1876, the victory was brief. Custer’s death led the U.S. to push harder to force tribes onto reservations. The Army invaded the Lakota hunting ground with powerful expeditionary forces who were determined to conquer the Northern Plains Indians. Most of the declared "hostiles" surrendered within one year of the fight, and the Black Hills were taken by the U.S. government without compensation to the Native Americans.
Today, the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument protects the site of the two-day 1876 battle near Crow Agency, Montana. It serves as a memorial to everyone who fought there, including Custer’s 7th Cavalry and the combined Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho forces. The Custer National Cemetery is also part of the monument.