“*Reconnaissance - there was none and the results showed.
*He clearly didn’t trust his scouts or officers. “
Clear and indisputable failure of leadership.
34th in his West Point class of ... 34.
Frankly, if it had gone that way he would have stood an excellent chance of succeeding Grant running on the Democrat ticket. The eventual nominee, Tilden, won the popular vote and only lost (by one EC vote) after all 20 disputed Electoral College votes were given to Hayes. The deal being a guarantee by Republicans to withdraw Federal forces from the former Confederacy, end Reconstruction, and let the Democrats resume unbridled control .
If all this was all in fact his plan and intention, my only sorrow is for the other men he misled to their deaths. By this account he was in a hurry for glory and the White House, and they paid the price for his hubris, ambition, and gross incompetence.
Custer was the recon force.
This was a major Union offensive against the Indians. Far from a solo attack.
There were three major prongs of attack.
The Indians had already defeated the Southern force and forced them to turn back. Who was that? General Crook?
Custer was probably supposed to be a flushing force. The Union was most worried that the Indians would just slip away, and not stay and fight.
We don’t know what casualties the two battles inflicted on the Indians. How heavily the two battles depleted their ammo supply. Or how they were situated for food.
The tactical situation dictated that the slip away to recover and rearm. Rather than get surrounded by an overwhelming force and obliterated.