Posted on 06/25/2022 1:07:51 PM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal
For generations, the mystery of what transpired at the Little Bighorn River on Sunday June 25th, 1876 has left both historians and amateur analysts miffed as to how a heavily decorated Civil War General who had the most astounding success (or luck) could have suffered to complete annihilating defeat at the hands of a stone-aged culture and 'uncivilized' force of 19th century barbarians.
Writers, authors, Military Veterans, even contemporary soldiers of the Boy General himself have not been able to completely grasp the outcome totally. This has been going on for generations. Lawrence Frost, E. Lisle Reedstrom, Cyrus Brady, President Theodore Roosevelt, Evan S. Connell, Robert Utley, and even Elizabeth Custer did their best to piece together the mystery of that infamous battle.
If you are looking for a good book on the battle - the best one I've ever read was written by Cyrus Brady written in 1904 and has multiple very controversial accounts of the battle from participants. It's a must have for any collector and LBH enthusiast.
https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Fights-Fighters-Bison-Book/dp/0803257430
Today, in memory of both sides of this highly contentious battle - I want to try to put together a concise timeline based on dozens of accounts - the source is here:
https://lbha.org/?p=45
And it's by far the most concise timeline I've ever seen in my years of reading/researching the battle.
What happened? Why didn't he retreat back towards Reno Hill after Yates' failed charge of the village? Was he cut-off before that point? Did he really think his ~ 600 troops could subdue a village as large as it was rumored to be? Why did he refuse the 4 companies of the 2nd Cavalry under Brisbin?
Brisbin called him an "Insufferable A$$" (Direct description by Major James Brisbin, 2nd Cavalry)
TIMELINE:
00:30am - 7th Cavalry breaks camp near Busby on a forced night march
02:50am - Lt. Varnum and his scouts arrive at the Crow's Nest Lookout
03:15am - Main column arrives at halt #1 on Davis Creek
03:40am - Two Crow scouts see Sioux Village for first time
04:00am - Varnum and scouts study the village in the valley of the Little Bighorn
05:00am - Varnum observes breakfast smoke at the halt #1 camp
05:20am - Varnum sends note to Custer who is still at halt #1
05:40am - Crow scouts observe two Sioux west of the Divide
06:20am - Varnum leads a sortie against the two Sioux
06:40am - Varnum loses sight of the two Sioux and returns to Crows Nest
07:10am - Crow scouts observe the two Sioux crossing the divide again
07:30am - Custer receives Varnum's note indicating the village has been spotted
08:00am - Custer and his personal scouts head toward the Crows Nest
08:45am - Command under Major Reno depart halt #1 camp and move toward the Crows Nest
09:00am - Custer's party arrives at the Crow's Nest and studies the valley
10:07am - Custer and scouts watched the command arrive at halt #2 camp on Davis creek for concealment
10:20am - Sgt. Curtis reports that he saw Cheyennes rummaging through the lost pack back near halt #1
10:30am - Custer and scouts are met by Capt. Tom Custer with this news
10:35am - Cheyennes spy on the 7th column at halt #2
10:50am - Officers call, Custer decides to attack.
11:45am - Command under Custer departs halt #2 camp down Davis Creek. The column is concealed by the nearby ravine about 1/4 mile east of the divide.
12:00pm - Command at halt #3; Custer assigns battalions.
12:12pm - Custer/Reno battalions left the divide half to descend to Reno creek. Benteen's battalion left the divide halt on an off-trail scout to the left.
12:32pm - Packtrain leaves divide on Custer's trail
13:20pm - Benteen's battalion arrives at upper No-Name Creek and turns down it. On the high ridge, Lt. Gibson observes the Little Bighorn valley empty. **He may not have been even looking at the LBH valley**
14:00pm - Custer-Reno battalions pass No-Name Creek. Scouts report Sioux in the LBH valley. Area is near the Lone Tepee.
14:15pm - Custer orders Reno to lead out at a trot past the Lone Tepee. Custer's battalion goes down the right side of Reno Creek.
14:17pm - Boston Custer trots ahead of the packtrain several miles back to catch up with Custer (He is the last poor soul to join the ill-fated battalion).
14:32pm - Benteen's battalion arrives at Reno Creek. They can see the packtrain 3/4 mile above. Boston Custer joins them.
14:37pm - Benteen's battalion reaches a location known as the morass to water his horses. Boston Custer trots on towards Custer.
14:43pm - Custer's battalion trots to the right of Reno. Scouts report Sioux alarming the village. Reno is ordered to charge by Lt. Cooke.
14:45pm - Boston Custer passes lone tepee
14:47pm - Reno's battalion crosses the left bank of Reno creek
14:51pm - Custer's battalion halts to water at North Fork
14:53pm - Reno's battalion crossed the to the left bank of the LBH river at ford A and waters horses then reforms. Sioux are observed far off ahead moving to attack.
14:55pm - Cooke leaves Reno to report to Custer
14:57pm - Benteen's battalion departs the morass as the packtrain arrives. Packtrain halts to water and close up.
15:01pm - Cook reports the Sioux are attacking Reno. Custer's battalion starts down right bank of the LBH river leaving Reno Creek
15:03pm - Reno's battalion starts charge down the left bank of the LBH River.
15:05pm - Reno's battalion observes Custer & scouts on the right bank bluff of the river
15:10pm - Pony captors leave Reno charge and go ahead of the column to capture Sioux herd.
15:12pm - Benteen's column walk past lone tepee
15:15pm - Sgt. Daniel Kanipe leaves for Capt. Benteen and the packtrain
15:17pm - Packtrain leaves the morass
15:18pm - Reno's battalion halts and forms skirmish line. Custer's battalion observed on the bluffs to the right and they disappear. Custer's column enters Cedar Coulee.
15:23pm - Custer's battalion arrives near bend of Cedar Coulee and halts
15:24pm - Custer and officers including Boyer leave to Weir Point
15:28pm - Custer's party arrives at Weir Point and see the village and Reno skirmishing
15:30pm - DeRudio supposedly sees Custer from the valley on Weir Point at this time
15:32pm - Packtrain passes Lone Tepee
15:33pm - Boston Custer passes Reno Hill. The Reno fight would have been visible for the next 5 minutes to him.
15:34pm - Trumpeter John Martin leaves Custer's battalion with the final message. Custer moves down towards Cedar Coulee
15:38pm - Martin meets Boston Custer at the head of Cedar Coulee
15:40pm - Martin observes Reno's battalion fighting in the timber.
15:41pm - Sgt. Kanipe meets Benteen's battalion with a verbal message from Custer
15:48pm - Packtrain meets Kanipe who had Custer's message
15:49pm - Boston Custer overtakes Custer's battalion at the mouth of Cedar Coulee with news that Reno has is retreating upstream and up the hills
15:56pm - Custer battalion starts down Medicine Tail Coulee
15:58pm - Benteen's battalion meets Trumpeter John Martin where they can hear firing.
16:00pm - Reno's battalion still in retreat across the LBH. Several scouts killed by this time.
16:04pm - Custer's battalion halted in Medicine Tail Coulee where Bouyer joins them
16:05pm - Herendeen's party is cut-off from Reno and hides in the timber along the LBH
16:06pm - Benteen observes Reno's men retreating for the first time
16:08pm - Yates' battalion (Companies F & E) separate down the Medicine Tail Coulee. Custer's battalion (Companies C, I, and L) move north out of the Coulee.
16:10pm - Reno's obliterated battalion assume Reno Hill and prepare defenses
16:15pm - Custer's battalion (C, I, L) arrive on Luce Ridge and halt in a defensive position
16:18pm - Yates' battalion (F & E) arrive at Ford B, light firing heard. Custer's battalion can see and hear the firing
16:20pm - Benteen reaches Reno Hill.
16:23pm - Yates' battalion arrives on the cutbank unopposed at Deep Coulee
16:27pm - Packtrain observes smoke several miles away. Custer's battalion leaves Luce Ridge and meets Yates downstream
16:30pm - Firing is first heard by Benteen & Reno's troops from Custer's troops
16:33pm - Yates' battalion is attacked on its flanks
16:38pm - Custer's battalion fired at Sioux on their left flank as they attempt to cross at Upper Deep Coulee
16:46pm - Yates' battalion on foot to reunion point. Custer joins Yates.
16:47pm - Reno returns from searching for Hodgson back on Reno Hill
16:52pm - Reno dispatches Lt. Hare to speed up ammunition mules
16:55pm - Cracking sounds of Custer's volleys prompts Capt. Weir to ask to move downstream.
17:05pm - Weir and D company depart Reno Hill in search of Custer. Heavy firing from Custer's battalion is notably diminished
17:10pm - Custer's last heavy firing heard from Reno Hill
17:22pm - Benteen departs Reno Hill with Companies H, K, and M to join Weir
17:25pm - Weir arrives at Weir Point and notes that Custer fight is over with just scattered firing three miles away
View from Weir Point:
17:47pm - Reno orders retreat with Sioux massing for an attack on Weir Point - they go back to Reno Hill. 1 loss in the retreat.
Have read that Custer declined to take Gatling guns..too cumbersome.
Sitting Bull better “general”
West Point was/is chicken shit factory.
1866 and 1873 Winchesters were available but genius army brass were leery of ammunition consumption.
“I fought with Custer” is a good memoir by 1st Sgt. Charles Windolph, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor for Heroism at the battle. He was assigned to Major Reno’s unit of the 7th Calvary. He indicates in his memoir that Custer made a lot of mistakes and was overconfident. It is a very interesting read.
Lot’s of things to reply to here. The Plains Indians at this point in time were maybe the best light cavalry in the world. They had better guns than the one’s Custer had. Certainly some had just bow and arrows and lances but some had lever action repeating rifles. Custer had single shot rifles with ammo problems, those rifles were good but no match for that day.
The Plains Indians adopted the “horse culture” very quickly after horses were introduced into the New World.
They were better light cavalry than Custer had.
“07:30am - Custer receives Varnum’s note indicating the village has been spotted
7:29am - Sitting Bull receives two Sioux’s note indicating Custer has been spotted.
Thank you, I will try for an early spring visit.
Yes saw a forensic show about how the Indians would put any round in their guns as the bullets would topple thru the air causing massive wounds on targets.
Taking gatling guns over hills and mountains would be a fools errand. He was correct in this regard.
Not splitting his forces and perhaps waiting for reinforcements which was the original plan would’ve worked out better for him and his troops.
I’ve never read it, really should put that on my list to do so.
Windolph was one of the last surviving members of the 7th to die. I think he passed away in the 1950s IIRC.
“The Plains Indians at this point in time were maybe the best light cavalry in the world.”
You know, I’ve never thought about it that way but thinking it through that is probably a 100% accurate. They were lightning quick and armed to the teeth always having plenty of ammo (rifles).
The scuffle on Weir Point after Custer and his forces were annihilated, Lt. Godfrey states that a few Indians on horseback charged over and past some of the dismounted cavalrymen that Weir had deployed at full speed and shocked everybody at how fast they were.
Your observation and point is incredible - thank you for that.
If only these guys could have gone back with their tank...
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ROTnCjw1ci8/UpvZxPrqAMI/AAAAAAAAEFM/cQOb500U7i4/s1600/Tank+Trio.png
The 7th is Made Up of Phantoms
https://twilightzone.fandom.com/wiki/The_7th_is_Made_Up_of_Phantoms
“June twenty-fifth 1964 - or, if you prefer, June twenty-fifth 1876. The cast of characters in order of their appearance: a patrol of General Custer’s cavalry and a patrol of National Guardsmen on a maneuver. Past and present are about to collide head-on, as they are wont to do in a very special bivouac area known as... the Twilight Zone.”
“Taking gatling guns over hills and mountains would be a fools errand.”
That’s why God gave us horses and mules.
Several historians over the decades have worked on creating timelines in order to study the battle and to understand “what happened when.” The information used came from 7th Cavalry survivor reports from Reno and Benteen’s battalions and from interviews with multiple Indian participants.
I recommend the following books:
Legacy - New Perspectives on the Battle of the Little
Bighorn, edited by Charles E. Ranklin
Custer’s Last Campaign - Mitch Boyer and the Little Bighorn
Reconstructed by John S. Gray
Lakota Noon - The Indian Narrative of Custer’s Defeat, by
Gregory F. Michino
The Last Stand - Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the
Little Bighorn, by Nathaniel Philbrick
Archaeology, History, and Custer’s Last Battle, by Richard
Allan Fox, Jr.
The very large size of the village exceeded the average size of villages the cavalry were use to finding by 3 to 4 times. The warriors usually fought what we would call a delaying action while the women, children, old men quickly packed up and fled. The families began that packing up while the warriors rode out to engage the cavalry to “buy” them time, however the number of warriors was so much larger that they forced the cavalry into a defensive battle. The cavalry battle line, for Custer’s 5 companies, extended over a couple of miles and the Indians encircled those thin lines of defenders. See the book “Archaeology, History, and Custer’s Last Battle,” by Richard Allan Fox, Jr. for detailed maps of the battle lines for both sides. See also my post #54 for other titles worth reading.
It was mission impossible for him.
The Battle of the Rosebud a week prior shows how determined the Indians were against the US Army.
Crook retreated and he had about 500 troops more than Custer.
Yes, The Sioux victory over General Crook’s column at the Battle of the Rosebud week, the previous is completely forgotten.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Rosebud
As long as a person is in the neighborhood, I would recommend traveling into Wyoming and visiting the battlefields around Fort Phil Kearney. Not far and worth the visit to see some famous sites from Red Cloud's War (The Wagon Box Fight and The Fetterman Massacre). The Fetterman Massacre was the other, lesser-known battle between the Dakota and U.S. troops which also had no survivors among the U.S. troops (81 fatalities). These troops were to protect Fort Phil Kearney and were lured into an ambush by a small group of Dakota led by Crazy Horse whose reputation as a warrior was now becoming known to the whites
Yes that area is close by too - a big part of Red Cloud’s War against the Army.
Fetterman fell into a trap and was lured into an ambush and surrounded.
“I’ve always been of the opinion that the theory about soft copper cartridge cases jamming and fatally slowing the soldiers’ rate of fire touches on a deciding factor...” [TheDandyMan, post 24]
Brass metallurgy had not advanced to the point where deep-draw forming essential to the manufacture of solid-head cartridge cases was possible. Only happened in the late 1870s, pioneered by the British. As you hinted, cartridge cases formed of copper were much more likely to stick in chambers on firing, rendering big-bore centerfire rounds problematic.
Several researchers have cited the high temperatures prevailing during the battle, surmising that the weather increased the likelihood of cartridges sticking in chambers.
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