Colonel George Armstrong Custer

Colonel George Armstrong Custer

The West's most famous battle pitted glory seeking Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and his 7th Cavalry against 3,000 warriors under the leadership of Chief Sitting Bull. Sitting Bull had been told to report to the Sioux reservation by the end of January 1876. when he chose to stay on his land that had earlier been promised to him and his people in a treaty, the government, or mostly the War Department declared Sitting Bull and his people hostile and planned a large scale military advance.

Sitting Bull sent messengers to the Sioux, the Cheyenne, and the Arapaho, including the tribes that were on reservations, trying to get the tribes to unite against the advancing white troops. An assembly of over 10,000 Indians chose Sitting Bull as the war chief of all the camps combined. (This was the first and last time one chief was the head of a organized Indian war party that consisted of many Indian tribes.) During the time it took to organize the Indian war parties, Sitting Bull needed to move his huge camp every couple of days in order to find enough grass for the horses.

Lieutenant Colonel Custer led his 7th Cavalry, they were assigned to locate and drive the Indians into the other two large forces that awaited in the south and northeast. Custer was specifically told not to engage with the Indians; but he had made a career out of bold cavalry charges, and with the possibility of a promotion and political career he could not resist. He pushed his troops with the thoughts of defeating the Indians before General Alfred Terry or General George Crook could arrive to help him.

On June 25, 1876, the army knew that Sitting Bull's camp was nearby on the Little Bighorn River. Custer made his first big mistake when instead of keeping his regiment together, he split his troops up into four squadrons. He was hoping he could make contact with the enemy. Custer with his five troops of men, totaling 215, and Major Marcus Reno, who was in charge of 112 men did just that. army scouts found the Indian camp on the west bank of the Little Bighorn, and Custer made his second big mistake. Instead of waiting for the other reinforcements to arrive, Custer decided to attack both ends of the Indian camp. While Major Reno crossed the Little Bighorn and attacked the camp from the south.