The classic underestimation of the enemy came years earlier about 100 miles south of Little Big Horn. Lt. Col. William Fetterman, upset with the Indians' hit and run tactics, said, "Give me 80 good men and I'll ride through the whole Sioux nation." Ironically, a few months later, Fetterman and 80 men were decoyed by some Dakota warriors (led by Crazy Horse) into an ambush. There were no survivors among the soldiers. This was the probably the defining battle in Red Cloud's War, the only war that the Indians won (at least temporarily).
The massacre site is just off I-90, north of Sheridan, Wyoming. The massacre site and nearby Fort Phil Kearney are now a historical site. If you are passing through, it's worth a stop.
Exactly - Fetterman fight was a clear underestimation and an ambush.
Nothing comparable to Custer’s Last Stand. The Indians never ambushed Custer, and he never underestimated his foe. Something else happened: Custer find himself alone in the middle of the battle, with reinforcement not coming.
I loved Fort Phil Kearney. I stopped there on the way up to the Little Big Horn.
Fetterman was terribly arrogant. Not only that but the soldiers will still using muzzle-loading rifles. They couldn’t maintain a rapid enough rate of fire to compsenate for being outnumbered.
OTOH, look at the Wagon Box fight. It occurred not far from there. The soldiers and woodsmen there were surprised by the Indians. Admittedly, they had the benefit of being able to fire from behind a barricade of wagons. But it was the breech-loading carbines that really saved the day.
Last but not least, the scenery at the Wagon Box fight is incredible. At least, it was to me.