Finally made it to the battlefield of the Little Big Horn Massacre. The best part of the visit was the ranger talk. Even though he repeated much of the information that was in the film shown in the visitors center, he was much more passionate about the subject than the narrator in the film. The ranger spoke about the first time he visited the park as a teenager and a little about how wars had affected him personally by having friends not come home. Not that the battle at Little Big Horn was personal, but his experience's made it come alive.
Not that I have been a major student of the Little Big Horn or of the Old West time period, but listening to the stories of the Blackfeet tribe, reading about the treatment of the American Indian by the Government with the treaties and reservations, and then hearing the story of the Little Big Horn I think the Indians were just protecting themselves.
As told in the film at the visitor center and in the ranger talk - 125 of General Custer's 700 men attacked an Indian village made up of various tribes of 2,000 Indian warriors killing women, children and the elderly along with the warriors. The Americans attacked. They were told by their Indian scouts how big the village was and how many warriors were in the village but the soldiers still attacked. Custer split his forces with a 3 Companies going with Major Reno, another three with Captain Benteen and 1 Company were with the slower supply train and the remaining 5 Companies were with Custer.
Reno attacked the Indian encampment first under orders from Custer. He was overwhelmed and forced to pull back. He was later joined by Benteen still apart from Custer. Benteen did not like Custer because Custer was brash and from previous dealings.
When he was attacked by the Indians, Custer sent a message to Benteen asking for help and reinforcements and for ammo packs. Custer emphasized that he needed the packs. The written order from Custer to Benteen still exists today. Benteen did not respond until the next morning but by then it was too late - Custer and his entire force were dead. Gen. Custer lost 2 brothers, a nephew and a brother-in-law. All told 288 soldiers and civilians were killed and 55 wounded.
The battle, nee massacre, caused an uproar with the American people back East which caused the final push to stop the Indians: to punish them and make them live on reservations.
An interesting piece of history. There are interviews with both soldiers and Indians made several years after the battle. After visiting the actual battlefield and walking on the same ground, hearing the ranger talk, and seeing the museum at the visitor center, I am extremely interested in researching more about the conflicts between the government and the American Indians. Fascinating. Being able to visit the actual sites and here from both sides of the conflict is amazing.
The first picture, the one nearest the writing, is from the top of the hill behind Custer's position. Beyond the line of trees was the Indian encampment. Reno, and later joined by Benteen, were off to the left of Custer's position. The white gravestones mark where a soldier or civilian fell during the battle. The one with black front is where Custer fell. There is a closer picture of the trees with the river visible in the line of trees where the Indians made their encampment.
The red stone markers signify where an Indian fell. They were added much later to the battlefield than the white markers. It is only recently that the Indian story is getting told at the official government sites.
Some of the local tribes donated money to build a monument to the battle at Little Big Horn across the road from where Custer and his men fell. Part of this monument is shown as the outlined Indians and horses. There is additional information included in this monument that did not photograph well.
Finally I show a couple of the pictures of the battlefield from the Indian perspective. The tall stone monument explanation is shown above the fenced-in soldier markers. The sign in front of the tall monument is shown in the picture. The top picture shows where Reno and Benteen were fighting the Indians. That would be just beyond the light green rise before the darker green hills. Just an amazing feeling to be able to walk the same ground where all the brave had fallen.
Now it is time to head East to the Black Hills. I stayed off the Interest and drove a 2 lane State Highway that saved a little time. I am always behind schedule, but there is just so much to see and experience. But time to push on.
Thanks for traveling along.
Michael
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