Had Custer won at the Little Big Horn, the battle today would simply be relegated to a footnote in the Indian wars and soon forgotten like many bigger battles.
This would mean that THE WASHITA battle would also have been nothing but a little “dust-up” on the High Plains, and without Black Kettle being killed there, Sand Creek would also have been forgotten. Black Kettle’s band was instigated to fight by Confederate Agents in the tribe.
Just for the record, during 1868, at the Washita, the Cheyenne and Arapaho were NOT on their reservation, but almost 90 miles SW of there. their reservation at that time was East and north of the Cimarrron River, West of the Arkansas river and South of the Kansas line. The old former Cherokee strip.
Instead, they were camped on the Washita, in the former Choktaw-Chikasaw lands.
They were not given the Washita area till several years later.
I’d take their “facts” with a grain of salt. “After the war, the rank reverted to Captain and remained so for the rest of his career.” He was promoted to Lt Colonel when he assumed command of the 7th. https://www.nps.gov/libi/learn/historyculture/lt-col-george-armstrong-custer.htm
Maybe it is me but I was always sold on this image that the natives were completely helpless. Far from it. These guys were accomplished warriors that embarrassed Grant.
This is crap.
Yellow hair's wife, not too shabby.