To know a little of how the battle played out, some background and brief biographies of the key combatants is necessary.
Chief Rain in the Face was a war chief of the Hunkpapa Sioux within the Lakota nation, and was one of the Sioux’s greatest and most respected war heroes. He did not inherit the title of “Chief," his lineage on either side contained no chiefs. He earned his title by displaying his leadership, courage, and great military aptitude during the Lakota wars of the 1860s (US history)
Chief Sitting Bull, ca 1831- December 15, 1890, was a Hunkpapa Lakota holy man and spiritual leader who led his people during years of resistance to United States government policies.
Chief Crazy Horse, born ca 1840, near present-day Rapid City, South Dakota. He was an Oglala Sioux Indian chief and fierce warrior who fought against removal to a reservation in the Black Hills (crazy horse).
George Armstrong Custer. (1839-1876), Born in New Rumley, Ohio, Custer entered West Point in 1857. Upon graduation in 1861, his first assignment was as an aide to Gen George McClellan. Next, he drew a cavalry assignment, and his boldness in battle brought rapid promotions. At
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This was the first time that diverse Native American tribes had united together to fight in such large numbers against a common, non-Indian enemy. Though fighting was intense and casualties for both sides totaled about one hundred dead, and 200 wounded, the US Army failed to recognize the skill and willingness-to-fight that the confederation of Indian Nations displayed (US history). Despite the Battle of Rosebud Creek, the Indians continued their Sun Dance Ceremonies. The night of June 24-25, the Sioux Warriors stayed up until after daylight the next morning, and were asleep in their teepees for most of the day when Custer led his troops into the Little Bighorn Valley (History
The Battle of the Little Bighorn is a tragic military battle where a commander’s overconfidence, refusal to listen to advisors, and lack of foresight, led to the sacrifice of over 265 Soldiers. Many leaders within the regiment and Soldiers underneath LTC Custer were not convinced of his leadership and often time doubted his decision-making abilities. Yet despite a blatant outburst that saw him temporarily removed as regimental commander by President Grant, LTC Custer moved forward to command the regiment and ultimately met his demise at the Battle of Little Big Horn. LTC Custer routinely showed a careless disregard for the operations process and his recklessness led to his downfall.
In March of 1768, in present-day Ohio, Tecumseh was born. Tecumseh's name means "Panther in the sky." Tecumseh was the fifth born in his family. His mom, Methotaske, was a Creek, and his dad, Puckeshinewa, was a Shawnee. He excelled at the game's Indian boys played. He also organized other boys to go on hunts. When Tecumseh was younger he admired and looked up to the warriors, like his older brother. He also tried to be like the warriors. Later in his life, Tecumseh became a powerful chief to the Native American Tribe, the Shawnee's. He did not want the Americans to take the Native American's land. He accomplished many things in his life.
Sitting Bull was a war chief in the Lakota tribe during the 1800s. He was born in 1831 at the Grand River in South Dakota. When he was a child, he was not called Sitting Bull. His name was Jumping Badger but everybody had called him ‘Slow’ at first because they believed that he lacked many skills. It wasn't until he was 14 when he fought in his first battle that they renamed him and started calling him Sitting Bull, like his father.
Today Custer’s last stand is one of the most famous events in American History. Two Thousand Sioux Native Americans slaughtered General George Custer’s army of 600 men armed with guns. Crazy Horse was a very important leader in the Great Sioux War of 1876.
== == == = George Custer was born on December 5, 1839 in New Rumley, Ohio. He was educated in the United States Military Academy.
There are many factors that did affect the outcome of this battle. George Custer could be to blame for such a tragedy. He did make the critical decisions that brought his soldiers down. Custer’s personal ambition got the best of him. Windolph explains, “Custer was partially disgraced because General Terry had superseded him in command of the expedition” (Windolph 174). He felt that he should have received control over the entire expedition. Custer made no secret of his intention to cut loose from Terry. General Terry, General Gibbon, and General Custer were all to meet on June 26, at the Rosebud, and plan their attack. But as soon as Custer struck the trail of the Indians he followed it till he came upon the Indian village on June 25. He disobeyed Terry’s orders.
Sitting Bull had a vision that the Sioux would win the battle at Little Big Horn,
The Sioux band tougher led by Little Big Foot. They were heading to Pine RidgeReservation in South Dakota, when the army stopped them and held them at gun pointovernight. Big Foot’s group contained about 300 people two-thirds of them were women and children. While the soldiers numbered around 500 and were armed with automatic weapons. The next morning when the army began to disarm the Indians a shot rang out then the gun fire began leaving about 200 Indians dead in the snow. Thirty soldiers were also killed in the massacre. The soldiers that lost there lives were most likely killed by their own men in friendly fire. Wounded Knee is said to have been the last battle of the war but it was not so much a battle as it was a massacre. It was in fact the last exchange of fire between the army and the Sioux.
...John Jumper. He was born in Florida in 1820. In 1843 he was brought to Indian Territory as a prisoner. After being on the Seminole Tribal Council, he became chief. At one point the tribe divided and half sided with him. He was a Lt. Colonel during the Civil War. He had quite an impact on them.
Chief Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull of the Sioux tribes knew of the plan and set a trap for the army regiment and killed all of them. This battle was one of the greatest victories for the Native American’s.
Lanning, M. L. (2005). The History Place - Top Ten Battles of All Time. Retrieved from http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/topten/
Big Foot was the chief of a subtribe of the Lakota called Miniconjou. He was very old and had pneumonia. He was taking his tribe to the Pine Ridge Reservation in south-western South Dakota.
Davy Crockett stands for the Spirit of the American Frontier. As a young man he was a crafty Indian fighter and hunter. When he was forty-nine years old, he died a hero's death at the Alamo, helping Texas win independence from Mexico. For many years he was nationally known as a political representative of the frontier.
On June 25, 1876, The Battle of Little Bighorn took place near the Black Hills in Montana. This was one of the most controversial battles of the 20th century and the line between good guys and bad guys was grey at best. Gen. George Armstrong Custer (reduced to LTC after the civil war) had 366 men of the 7thU.S. Cavalry under his command that day. Sitting Bull (A Medicine Man) led 2000 braves of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes (Klos, 2013). At the conclusion of the battle, the stories of the Indians savagery were used to demonize their culture and there were no survivors from the 7thcavalry to tell what really happened.
The Battle of Little Bighorn is one of the most, maybe even the most, controversial battle in American history. General George Armstrong Custer led his 210 troops into battle and never came out. Miscalculations, blunders, and personal glory led Custer not only to his death, but also being the most talked about soldier in this battle. But all the blame doesn’t just go on Custer’s shoulders; it also goes on Captain Frederick Benteen and Major Marcus Reno, who both fought in the battle. Both the Captain and the Major both made serious mistakes during the fight, most notable Major Marcus Reno being flat out drunk during the course of the battle. All of these factors have led The Battle of Little Bighorn to being the worst lost to any Plains Indian group in American history.