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I must emphatically agree with your description of the area. Too many people don’t understand the real situation of the terrain and the land in this area.

We live in Sheridan, WY, about 70 miles south of the battlefield, and just north of the battlefield that was the opening chapter in what we locally call “Red Cloud’s War.”

First, people need to understand why the Indians were going to fight to the end for the ground between the Big Horn Mountains and the Black Hills. If you’re a subsistence hunter, this area is heaven on earth, even without the bison. With the bison, this area would be heaven, period, no discussion.

Second, as had been seen at the Fetterman Massacre, the Indians knew the terrain like the back of their hands, and more than that, the Indians knew how to use the grass to their advantage. The USA officers never could seem to get it through their heads that charging out into tall grass was like strolling into a modern fire-sack.

This year, there is so much rain and cool weather that the grass is already put over three feet deep. A little warmth and this native grass will be up to the chest of most of the average sized calvary soldier of that day.

The Little Big Horn has overflowed its banks. It’s been an unusual year for sure in the region from what I can recall. The Phil Kearney site along with the battlefield sites of the Fetterman massacre and Wagon Box fights is another great piece of Western history. I’ve been over that area myself, and they’ve come along with developing the site of the fort since I’ve been there. I’d like to visit again sometime.

Also, between there and the Little Big Horn site, is the site of the Hayfield fight near the site where Ft C. F. Smith stood, one day apart from the Wagon Box fight near Phil Kearney. It’s harder to get to, but just as interesting. Interesting stuff...

The USA officers never could seem to get it through their heads that charging out into tall grass was like strolling into a modern fire-sack. ... This year, there is so much rain and cool weather that the grass is already put over three feet deep. A little warmth and this native grass will be up to the chest of most of the average sized calvary soldier of that day.

Thanks, Dave, this explains how the bodies of those men who I described in post #84 could have been missed by the burial details. Of course, the fact that they were aware that there might be several thousand hostile Indians still lurking nearby could have impacted the thoroughness of their searches as well.

Back in ‘95, I visited the site of the Fetterman Massacre as well as the site of the Wagon Box Fight.

The Indians had no idea of Fetterman’s arrogance but they had seen enough of the Army’s tactics to realize that an ambush was likely to succeed.

I’m probably wrong but I always thought that what had Fetterman’s command so badly was their inability to keep up a good rate of fire on the Indians. IIRC, the infantry were still using primarily Civil War-era rifles.

If more of them had been equipped with repeating carbines, I suspect they could have kept up a rate of fire strong enough to drive off the Indians and hopefully let most of the command get back to the fort.