Does anyone know about how long the actual battle took? I read years ago that Custer was one of the first killed early in the battle after he set up a defensive posture.
Disclaimer: It’s been awhile since I’ve scanned the timelines of the battle. I may be off by up to half an hour on some estimates.
On June 25th it’s the belief that the Reno fight started at around 3:15pm or so. His column retreated about 35-40 minutes later and ended up in an unorganized defensive position on “Reno Hill” probably after 4pm.
The Custer fight probably started shortly before 4pm and by 5:15 - 5:30 the Indians had wrapped up the final killing.
The one time estimate I do remember is Capt. Weir getting to Weir Point at about 5:30 and seeing the Battlefield from a few miles off and describing the Indians shooting into the ground (or finishing off the wounded and doing mop up operations).
Some historians give the Custer fight range from 30 minutes to almost 2 hours. I’d say 2 hours is way overblown considering the massive horde he was up against from the village and the Indians who had just defeated Reno to the east.
My reading of Indian accounts say Custer was hit at the rivers edge trying to cross, things got jumbled and a trooper held him up on his horse as they retreated to the place he was found. The indian’s families were in the encampment the braves weren’t backing off. His Crow scouts either deserted or sang they’re death songs before the battle according to some accounts. If you like history it’s a great read. Just read both sides and discount half of both sides. IMO
“Does anyone know about how long the actual battle took? I read years ago that Custer was one of the first killed early in the battle after he set up a defensive posture.”
The actual Custer fight lasted about an hour. The story about Custer being one of the first killed comes from an Indian account about a soldier “who seemed to be in command” killed at the river’s edge at Medicine Tail Coulee. That soldier was likely Lt. “Jack” Sturgis of Troop E, which was part of the “left” wing that descended Medicine Tail Coulee with Yates and Troop F. Sturgis’ bloody underclothes were found in the deserted village, and there are reports that a burial party found his severed head in the village a few days after the fight. In any event, Sturgis’ body was never identified, nor was Lt. James Porter’s (Troop I) body, though his buckskin jacket was found with two bullet holes and lots of blood stains.