Replies

Theories

One theory has the second part of Custer's command, probably Yates' battalion with two companies, advanced down Medicine Tail Coulee, and was either met by overwhelming force and driven to Battle Ridge, or was recalled by the firing from Keogh's battalion on Nye-Cartwright Ridge. The two battalions rejoined near Battle Ridge, continued north into the present area of the national cemetery, and were finally driven back to Battle Ridge. On the ridge, Lieutenant James Calhoun with Company L, was positioned in an area on the south end of the ridge (now called Calhoun Hill) where that company died, according to contemporary evidence, in skirmish line formation. Keogh and Company I were found on the eastern slope of the Ridge somewhat "in a bunch" which is in accord with some Indian accounts. This theory further places Companies E and C in skirmish line below the Last Stand area and Company F generally surrounding Custer and the headquarters unit on Last Stand Hill. The markers below the Calhoun position allegedly represent troopers shot down, or cut off, as the battalion made its way to its final destruction.

Another theory has Yates' battalion reconnoitering the ford at the mouth of Medicine Tail while Keogh's battalion positioned themselves on Nye-Cartwright Ridge, presumptively waiting for Benteen and the packs. Both commands then rejoined on Calhoun Hill. From there Yates' battalion moved northward as far as the flat land north and west of the Battle Ridge while Keogh's battalion remained on Calhoun Hill to await the arrival of Benteen and to cover the Medicine Tail approaches. These two battalions were then separately engaged by large numbers of Sioux and Cheyenne. Keogh's battalion died first: Company C on the lower slopes of the ridge in the Greasy Grass Ridge area; Company L on Calhoun Hill; and Company I on the eastern slope. The battalion with Custer attained the final stand position where it succumbed to the fire power of the Indian force.

Modifications and combinations of both approaches exists, and the scholar will have to arrive at an independent conclusion about any of them. The recent archaeological studies have made clear that although the Sioux and Cheyenne were not uniformly armed with rifles and pistols, there were far more firearms present than previously believed. The cartridge casings provided the evidence of a far larger number of repeating rifles among the Indian weaponry. These casings also indicate that the flow of battle moved from the Calhoun position to the Last Stand area. Furthermore, the Indian armament would have steadily improved as carbines, pistols and ammunition were taken from the dead.

Caveat and Historical Notes:

A caveat to the serious student: Although the geographical references have been the traditional ones, north (Last Stand), south (Calhoun Hill), east (Keogh's slope) and west (riverside), the Indian geography is different and Indian accounts must be perused carefully to determine which is being used. To the Indian, north is Keogh's slope; south (riverside), east (Calhoun Hill) and west (Last Stand). Once the Custer fight was finished, the Indians surrounded Reno on the evening of June 25. Reno's companies were formed in a rough horseshoe position with the open end upriver. The fire from around 7 p.m. until darkness was heavy and some eleven soldiers were killed on the bluff. A hospital was established in a swale, and the horses and mules positioned at the open side of the swale to protect the wounded.

During the night some entrenchments were dug. Packs, boxes and dead animals were dragged into position to protect the troops, particularly in Company A's area at the end of the horseshoe on the eastern side of the siege area.

On June 26, the battle commenced around 2:30 in the morning. The troops were under constant long range fire, particularly Benteen's Co. H in which there were a large number of wounded. The warriors approached Benteen closely from the river side, but a charge drove them from the surrounding knolls and ravines. This opened the way for water carrier parties to obtain some water from the Little Big Horn which then was distributed to the wounded. Late that afternoon, the troops saw a welcome sight as the entire village withdrew in an upstream direction.

It was not until the morning of June 27 that the reason for the withdrawal was clear. The Montana column led by Terry and Gibbon had camped about two miles above the Indian camp the night before, and reached the valley site the next day. On June 26, on their way to the juncture with the 7th Cavalry, three of Custer's Crow scouts had met Lieutenant James Bradley's detachment of Crow scouts and mounted infantry. The fleeing Crows told a story of disaster to Custer which was met with skepticism by the white officers but which led all of Bradley's Crows to leave immediately.

On the morning of June 27, Bradley reported to Terry and Gibbon who were then on the site of the Indian camp. He stated that he had found 197 bodies on the hills to the east. What the Gibbon men thought were dead buffalo, were the mingled bodies of dead horses and soldiers stripped of their clothing .

The two commands then moved into the river bottom, and the soldiers spent most of the day bringing the wounded down from the bluffs. Some investigation of the field was made that day, principally by Benteen, and the next day the 7th Cavalry turned to the gruesome task of burying its dead. The burials were anything but complete, consisting for the most part, of a little dirt and sagebrush thrown over the corpse.

Although the figures vary somewhat, 208 bodies were found and buried, with identification difficult, if not impossible in many cases. Many bodies had been subjected to extensive mutilation immediately after death, and all had been exposed to the hot Montana sun for three days.

On June 28, an effort was made to move the wounded to the steamer Far West, primarily using hand carried litters. The task proved impossible. The next day was given over to creating mule-borne litters with which all of the wounded were successfully carried to the waiting steamer in an all night march. There the wounded were placed on the boat for transport to Fort Abraham Lincoln. The rest of the expedition awaited reinforcements before continuing the campaign.

Click the Guidon to hear Garry Owen

"...there were more Sioux than the soldiers had bullets."

Kevin M. Sullivan's Shattering the Myth: Signposts on Custer's Road to Disaster.

Black Hawk Down 1993 and Little Big Horn 1876:

Poor intelligence, inadequate ordinance, not enough ammunition, and a motivated fanatic enemy with superior numbers.

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on December 13:
1521 Sixtus V [Felice Peretti/"Montalto"] bishop of Fermo/Pope (1585-90)
1533 Erik XIV Wasa king of Sweden (1560-69)
1553 Henry IV 1st Bourbon-king of Navarre/France (1572/89-1610)
1724 Aepinus [Franz Hoch] German physician/physicist
1732 Jean-Claude Trial composer
1740 Franz Xaver Schnitzer composer
1770 John Clarke-Whitfeld composer
1797 Heinrich Heine Germany, poet/lyricist (Schubert, Liszt)
1810 Clark Mills US, sculptor (Freedom, Armed Liberty)
1816 Clement Claiborne Clay MC (Confederacy), died in 1882
1816 E Werner von Siemens German artillery officer/inventor
1818 Mary Todd Lincoln 1st lady (1861-65)
1819 Edwin George Monk composer
1835 Phillips Brooks Episcopal bishop/composer (Little Town of Bethlehem)
1838 Marie-Alexis Castillon de Saint-Victor composer
1843 George Stephanescu composer
1850 G F Grace cricketer (brother of W G )
1850 Iver Paul Fredrik Holter composer
1853 Joseph Sickman Corsen Curaçao, musician/composer/screenwriter
1858 Jakab Gyula Major composer
1860 Lucien G Guitry French actor/theatre director (l'Odéon)
1863 Johannes Weiss German New Testament scholar
1865 Gustav Luders composer
1871 Russell W Porter Vermont, explorer (Alaska)
1871 Herman T Colenbrander Dutch historian
1874 Ludwig Curtius German archaeologist (Die antike Kunst)
1877 Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovych composer
1886 Lambertus J van Apeldoorn lawyer (martial law)
1889 Clarence Loomis composer
1890 Marc Connelly McKeesport PA, playwright (One Minute Please)
1892 Brand Dirck Ochse filmer/co-founder (Polygoon)
1893 Curt Jurgens Munich Germany, actor (Enemy Below, Longest Day)
1897 Drew Pearson Evanston IL, newscaster (Drew Pearson)
1898 Daniel Lazarus composer
1899 Harold Guinzburg publisher (founder of Literary Guild)
1899 Yusef Greiss composer
19-- Bill Morey Framingham MA, actor (Thorn Birds, Tucker's Witch)
19-- Lenny Schultz Bronx NY, comedian (Ball Four, Laugh-in Revival)
1900 Jonel Perlea composer
1900 Norman Foster Richmond IN, actor (Skyscraper Souls)
1901 Georg M Rimski-Korssakov Russian musicologist/theory
1901 John Wijga painter/illustrator
1902 Paul Kurzbach composer
1902 Talcott Parsons US sociologist
1903 Carlos Montoya Madrid Spain, guitarist (Suite Flamenco 1966)
1903 Jewgeni Petrow writer
1903 John Piper British writer (US Churches in WWI)/official war painter
1906 Ingemar Liljefors composer
1906 Laurens jan van der Post soldier/explorer/conservationist
1908 Victor Babin composer
1910 Van Heflin Walters OK, actor (Great Adventure, Madame Bovary)
1910 Lillian Roth [Rutstein] singer/actress (Animal Crackers)
1911 Kenneth Patchen US, poet/novelist (Cloth of the Tempest)
1913 Archie Moore light-heavyweight boxing champion (1952-60)
1913 Jimmy Carroll New York NY, pianist (Most Important People)
1913 John Wyndham Pope-Hennessy English art historian
1914 Alan L Bullock British historian
1914 George "Tiger" Haynes guitarist/actor (Land Without Music, Guv'nor)
1914 Samuel "Larry" K Parks Olathe KS, actor (Jolson-Jolson Story)
1915 Balthazar Johannes Vorster Prime Minister of South Africa (1966-77)
1915 Mark Stevens Cleveland OH, actor (Big Town, Martin Kane)
1915 Ross MacDonald detective novelist (Goodbye Look)
1917 Dave Street Los Angeles CA, actor/singer (Broadway Open House)
1920 Don Taylor Freeport PA, actor (Father's Little Dividend)
1920 George P Schultz US Secretary of State (1982-89)
1920 Frits Noske Dutch musicologist (Signifier & the Signified
1920 Kaysone Phomvihane/premier/President of Laos (Pathet Lao) (1991-92)
1922 Rex Allen Wilcox AZ, cowboy actor (I Dream of Jeannie)
1922 Halina Czerny-Stefánska Polish pianist (Chopin)
1923 Fred van der Spek Dutch 2nd chamber member (PSP)
1924 Larry Doby 1st black in baseball's American League (Cleveland Indians)
1925 Dick Van Dyke West Plains MO, actor (Rob Petrie-Dick Van Dyke Show)
1925 Henry C Gordon USAF/astronaut (Dynasoar)
1926 Carl Erskine baseball player (Brooklyn Dodgers)
1928 W Gordon Smith playwright
1929 Albert Paulsen Guayaquil Ecuador, actor (Doctors' Hospital)
1929 Christopher Plummer Toronto Ontario, actor (Sound of Music, Doll's House)
1930 Genevieve Page actress (Day & the Hour)
1930 Robert Prosky Philadelphia PA, actor (Christine, Sergeant Jablonski-Hill St Blues)
1934 Richard Darryl Zanuck film producer/executive
1935 Bonno Spieker Dutch 2nd Chamber member (PvdA)
1935 Thomas Wakefield writer
1936 Karim Aga Khan prince/spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims
1937 Rob Houwer Dutch director/producer/actor (OK, Professor Columbus)
1938 Alvin Curran composer
1938 Tom Shaw Wichita KS, PGA golfer (1969 Doral Open AVCO Golf Classic)
1938 Tony Gomez rocker (Foundations)
1939 Clive Brain educationalist
1940 Steve Harmon Brooklyn NY, actor (Ens Pulver-Mr Roberts)
1940 Edith Clever Wuppertal Germany, actress (Parsifal, L'Adolescente)
1941 John Davidson Pittsburgh PA, TV host (Hollywood Squares, That's Incredible)
1941 Anouska Hempel Forbes New Zealand, actress (Tiffany Jones)
1943 Arturo Ripstein director (El Lugar Sin Limites, Foxtrot)
1943 Ferguson Jenkins baseball pitcher (Red Sox)
1947 Les Joslin cricketer (Test as batsman for Australia 1968, made 7 & 2)
1948 Jeff "Skunk" Baxter guitarist (Steely Dan-Deacon Blues)
1948 Lillian Board England, 400 meter (Olympics-silver-1968)
1948 Ted Nugent Detroit MI, guitarist (Cat Scratch Fever, Damn Yankees)
1948 Kathy Garver Long Beach CA, actress (Cissy-Family Affair)
1949 Nana Alexandria USSR, International Woman's Chess Grandmaster (1976)
1949 R[oberta] A[nn] MacAvoy US, sci-fi author (Damiano's Lute, Raphael)
1949 Randy Owen Fort Payne AL, country music star (Alabama-Mountain Music)
1949 Tom Verlaine [Miller] Mount Morris NJ, rock vocalist (Television)
1949 Walter "Clyde" Owen rocker
1950 Heather North Pasadena CA, actress (The Barefoot Executive)
1950 Davey O'List rocker (Roxy Music)
1950 Wendie Malick actress (Just Shoot Me)
1951 Robert Lindsay Ilketson England, actor (Strike it Rich, King Lear)
1952 John Francome English jockey
1953 Zoltan Magyar Hungary, side horse gymnast (Olympics-gold-1976, 1980)
1953 Ray Stewart Matsqui British Columbia, Canadian Tour golfer (1994 Dunhill Cup)
1953 Tom Sanders Jackson WY, aerial cameraman (Living Daylights)
1954 John Anderson Apopka FL, country singer/actor (Lone Wolf McQuade)
1954 Steve Forbert rocker
1956 Dale Berra baseball infeilder (Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees)
1956 Phillip Gregory Hubbard Canton OH, basketball (Olympics-gold-1976)
1957 Steve Buscemi actor (Fargo)
1958 Dana Strum Washington DC, rock bassist (Slaughter-Stick it Live)
1958 Clark Brandon New York NY, actor (Fast Food)
1958 Lynn-Holly Johnson Chicago IL, actress (Ice Castles)
1959 John Whitaker Van Nuys CA, actor (Family Affair, Snowball Express)
1959 Marianne Gravatte Hollywood CA, playmate of year (October 1982)
1960 Randy Stoklos Pacific Palisades CA, beach volleyballer (Olympics-96)
1960 Richard Dent defensive end (Philadelphia Eagles)
1961 Gary Zimmerman NFL tackle (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32)
1962 Karen Witter California, actress (Tina-One Life to Live)/playmate (March 1982)
1965 Stacy Sunny San Bernadino CA, female infielder (Colorado Silver Bullets)
1967 Deborah Driggs Oakland CA, playmate (March 1990)
1967 Jenn Thompson New York NY, actor (Dee-Harper Valley PTA)
1967 Chris O'Loughlin Los Angeles CA, fencer (Olympics-96)
1967 Jamie Foxx comedian (In Living Color)
1967 Mike Mordecai Birmingham AL, infielder (Atlanta Braves)
1967 Scott Zolak NFL quarterback (New England Patriots)
1968 Carlos Hasselbaink Dutch soccer player (VVV/FC Utrecht/Haarlem)
1968 Shaun Stafford Ocala FL, tennis star (1992 Taipei)
1969 Norm Krumpschmd hockey forward (Team Austria 1998)
1969 Sergei Fedorov Pskov Russia, NHL forward (Detroit, Olympics-silver-1998)
1970 Basit Ali cricketer (exciting Pakistani batsman 1993-)
1970 Elizabeth Patricia Reilly North Providence RI, Miss America-Rhode Island (1996)
1970 George Van Os Jr Houston TX, team handball left back (Olympics-1996)
1970 Tonja Yevette Buford-Bailey Dayton OH, 400 meter hurdler (Olympics-bronze-96)
1971 Johnny Dixon WLAF safety (Frankfurt Galaxy)
1971 Miguel Angel Martinez Soto mariachi
1971 Mike Pelton NFL defensive tackle (Indianapolis Colts)
1972 Craig Sauer NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons)
1972 GiGi Gordon Butler PA, Miss America-Pennsylvania (1997)
1973 Christie Clark Los Angeles CA, actress (Carrie Brady-Days of Our Life)
1973 Shandon Anderson NBA forward (Utah Jazz)
1974 Chris Lewis CFL safety (Calgary Stampeders)
1975 Matt LeCroy Anderson SC, baseball catcher (Olympics-bronze-96)
1975 Sarah Brady Miss Universe-New Zealand (1996)
1979 Christina Todd Miss Ohio Teen USA (Miss Congeniality-1997)
1981 Chelsea Hertford actress (Casey-Major Dad)

Deaths which occurred on December 13:
0838 Pippijn I King of Aquitania, dies
1048 Al-Biruni Arabic royal astrologer, dies at 74
1124 Callistus II [Guido di Borgogna] Italian Pope (1119-24), dies
1126 Hendrik IX the Black, Duke of Bayern (1120-26), dies
1204 Maimonides Jewish philosopher/talmudic scholar, dies in Cairo at 69
1250 Frederick II German Emperor (1212-1250), dies at 55
1404 Albrecht duke of Bavaria, dies at 74
1521 Manoel I "the Great" King of Portugal (1495-1521), dies at 52
1557 Niccoló Tartaglia Italian mathematician, dies
1565 Konrad von Gesner naturalist, dies at 49
1574 SelŒm II Sari the blonde, sultan of Turkey (1566-74), dies at 50
1603 Franciscus Vieta mathematician, dies in Paris at 63
1622 Jan Campanus composer, dies at 50
1672 Jan II Kazimierz king of Poland (1648-68), dies at 63
1693 Dodoftei Romanian metropolitan of Moldavia/writer (Saint Lives), dies
1693 Willem Van de Velde Dutch the Old, seascape painter, dies at about 82
1729 Anthony Collins English philosopher (On Liberty & Necessity), dies at 53
1738 Gotthard Wagner composer, dies at 59
1769 C F Gellert writer, dies at 54
1774 Susanne K von Klettenberg German friend of Goethes mother, dies at 50
1793 Johann Joachim Christoph Bode composer, dies at 63
1812 Marianne von Martinez composer, dies at 68
1814 Charles Joseph Prince of Ligne Belgian fieldmarshal/author, dies at 79
1862 Conrad Feger Jackson US Union Brigadier-General, dies in battle at 49
1862 Maxcy Gregg US Confederate Brigadier-General, dies in battle at 48
1862 Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb Confederate Brigadier-General, dies in battle at 39
1863 Friedrich Hebbel writer, dies at 50
1872 Helena Beeloo Hague's maid, murdered by Henry Jut
1872 W T van der Kouwen-ten Cate Hague's Dame, murdered by Henry Jut
1881 August Senoa Croatian writer (Kletva [The Curse]), dies at 43
1894 Sarah Parker Remond US/Italian abolitionist, dies at 68
1898 George Frederick Bristow composer, dies at 72
1909 Innokenti F Annenski Russian poet/interpreter, dies at 53
1911 Reg Duff cricketer (23 Tests for Australia 1902-05, 1317 runs), dies
1919 Amintore Galli composer, dies at 74
1921 Frederick Martin cricketer (14 wickets in 2 Tests for England 1890-92), dies
1924 Samuel Gompers organizer (American Federation of Labor), dies at 74
1929 Knut Algot Hakanson composer, dies at 42
1935 John Nicolson cricketer (South African lefty batsman 1926-27), dies
1940 Dusty Tapscott cricket (brother of Doodles, 4&1 in only South Africa Test), dies
1940 George Macaulay cricketer (took 24 wickets in 8 Tests, England 22-33), dies
1942 Eleanor Everest Freer composer, dies at 78
1944 Vassily V Kandinsky abstract artist (Dreamy Inspiration), dies at 78
1944 Lupe Velez actress (Joe Palooka), overdoses on seconal at 34
1945 Robert van Genechten Dutch Nazi (NSB), commits suicide
1945 Vittorio Mario Vanzo composer, dies at 83
1951 Selim Palmgren Finnish pianist/composer (Daniel Hjort), dies at 73
1958 Tim Moore actor (Kingfish-Amos 'n' Andy), dies at 70
1958 Ahmed Mukhtar Baban premier of Iraq, executed
1958 Barhanuddin Bashajan Iraqi minister of Foreign affairs, executed
1958 Brand Dirck Ochse film/bioscope pioneer (Polygoon), dies at 66
1958 Rafiq Aref Iraqi chief-staff Arabs Statenbond, executed
1961 Grandma [Anna M] Moses US painter, dies at 101
1963 Hubert Pierlot Belgian advocate/premier (1939-45), dies at 79
1966 Charles Watts actor (Lone Ranger & Lost City of Gold), dies of cancer
1968 Siegfried Reda composer, dies at 52
1969 Raymond A Spruance US admiral (battle of Midway), dies at 83
1971 Max Mell Austrian artillery officer/literary, dies at 88
1974 Rufe Davis actor (Floyd Smoot-Petticoat Junction), dies at 66
1975 Cyril Delevanti actor (Lucius-Jefferson Davis), dies at 88
1975 Hendrik Kruls Dutch general/chief military authority (1944-46), dies at 73
1976 Eduard Claudius writer, dies
1979 Jon Hall actor (Ramor of the Jungle), dies at 66
1980 Harm van Riel Dutch Liberal Party politician, dies at 73
1981 Pigmeat Markham comedian (Here Comes da Judge-Laugh In), dies at 75
1981 Cornelius Cardew composer, dies at 45
1982 Jack Badcock cricketer (7 Tests, 1 century but inconsistent), dies
1983 Leora Dana actress (Amityville II, Change of Habit, Sylvie Kosloff-Another World), dies at 60
1983 Mary Renault [Challans] British author (Funeral games), dies at 78
1986 Heather Angel actress (Lifeboat, Daniel Boone), dies at 77
1990 Alice Marble California, tennis star, dies at 77
1990 Friedrich Dürrenmatt Swiss writer (Besuch der alten Dame), dies at 69
1991 André Pieyre de Mandiargues French writer (La marge), dies at 82
1992 Bernard Drukker Dutch pianist/orchestra leader (duivelswiel), dies
1993 Charles Jonckheere Flemish poet/writer: Ogentroost, dies at 87
1994 Antoine Pinay PM of France (1952-53), dies
1994 Herman W "Fritz" Liebert US librarian/Yale-curator, dies at 83
1994 Norman Beaton actor (Eureka, Black Joy, Mighty Quinn), dies at 60
1995 Evangeline Bruce hostess, dies at 81
1995 Nancy LaMott singer, dies at 43
1996 Cao Yu dramatist, dies at 86
1996 Charles Edwin Molnar computer pioneer, dies at 61
1996 Edward Blishen writer teacher/broadcaster, dies at 76
1996 Mae Barnes singer, dies at 89
1997 Alexander Oppenheim mathematician, dies at 94
1997 Martin Carter poet/critic, dies at 70
1997 Rafael Jose Fernandez de la Calzada y Ferrer restaurateur, dies at 83

On this day...
0863 Boudouin with the Iron Arm weds Charles de Kales' daughter Judith
1294 Pope Coelestinus V ends term
1545 Pope Paul III opens Council of Trente (19th ecumenical council)
1570 Sweden/Denmark signs Peace of Stettin
1572 Spanish army beats Geuzen fleet under Admiral Lumey
1577 Sir Francis Drake sets sail from England to go around the world
1621 Emperor Ferdinand II delegates 1st anti-Reformation decree
1642 New Zealand discovered by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman
1668 Jean Racines "Britannicus" premieres in Paris
1734 England & Russia sign trade agreement
1742 Willem KH Friso tests his mothers potatoes
1759 1st music store in America opens (Philadelphia)
1769 Dartmouth College in New Hampshire received its charter
1774 1st incident of the Revolution-400 attack Fort William & Mary, New Hampshire
1816 Patent for a dry dock issued to John Adamson, Boston
1823 Gioacchino Rossini arrives in London
1833 HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin arrives in Port Deseado, Patagonie
1843 "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens published, 6,000 copies sold
1861 Battle of Alleghany Summit WV
1862 Battle of Fredericksburg VA (Marye's Heights); South beats North
1864 Battle of Fort McAllister GA
1879 1st federal fish hatching steamer launched (Wilmington DE)
1889 Belgium rules on women/child labor law
1895 1st complete execution of Gustav Mahlers 2nd Symphony
1900 Battle at Nooitgedacht: Generals The la Rey/Smuts beat Britten
1901 Test debut of S F Barnes vs Australia SCG, took 5-65 in 1st innings
1903 Italo Marcioni patents the ice cream cone (New Jersey)
1903 Wright Brothers make 1st flight at Kittyhawk
1906 German chancellor Bernhard von Bülow disbands the Parliament
1907 George Gunn scores 119 on Test debut vs Australia SCG
1907 German emperor Wilhelm II visits Amsterdam
1913 Mona Lisa stolen in Aug 1911 returned to Louvre
1916 Avalanche kills 10,000 Austrian & Italian troops in 24 hours in Tyrol
1916 Esme Stuart Lennox Robinsons premieres in Dublin
1916 French chief of staff Joffre replaced by Nivelle
1918 US army of occupation crosses the Rhine, enters Germany
1918 Woodrow Wilson, becomes 1st to make a foreign visit as President (France)
1919 Ross & Smith land in Australia from a flight from London
1920 F Pease's interferometer measures 1st stellar diameter (Betelgeuse)
1920 League of nations establishes International Court of Justice in The Hague
1920 Netherlands breaks contact with kingdoms of Serbia, Croatia & Slavia
1922 Charles Ebbets proposes putting numbers on players' sleeves or caps
1924 KOA-AM in Denver CO begins radio transmissions
1928 George Gershwin's "An American In Paris" premieres (New York NY)
1928 Clip-on tie designed
1930 George Sisler's career ends when Boston Braves release him
1930 Theodore Steeg forms French government
1934 Mark Hellinger Theater (Warner Brothers) opens at 237 W 51st St New York NY
1936 Final Boston Redskin NFL game, lose to Packers 21-6, move to Washington DC
1936 Green Bay Packers win NFL championship
1938 Los Angeles freezes at 28ºF
1939 Battle at La Plata - 3 British cruisers vs German Graf Spee
1941 German occupiers forbid National Front & Netherlands Union
1941 Lawine battlers destroy Haaraz, Peru; about 3,000 die
1941 U-81 torpedoes British aircraft carrier Ark Royal
1942 Seyss-Inquart allows Dutch Nazi Anton Mussert to call himself Leader
1942 Washington Redskins defeat Chicago Bears 14-6, to win NFL title
1943 150 US Marauders bomb Schiphol
1944 Japanese kamikaze crashes into US cruiser Nashville, kills 138
1944 Norman Krasna's "Dear Ruth" premieres in New York NY
1946 Léon Blum elected French premier
1947 Maine Turnpike opens to traffic
1947 "Caribbean Carnival" closes at International NYC after 11 performances
1949 American League votes down proposal to revive the spitball
1949 Knesset votes to transfer Israel's capitol to Jerusalem
1950 "Let's Make an Opera" opens at John Golden Theater NYC for 5 performances
1950 James Dean begins his career with an appearance in a Pepsi commercial
1951 Future British PM Margaret Roberts Thatcher marries Denis Thatcher
1953 KOAM TV channel 7 in Pittsburg-Joplin KS (CBS) begins broadcasting
1956 Dodgers trade Jackie Robinson to Giants for pitcher Dick Littlefield & $35,000 Robinson retires
1959 Archbishop Makarios elected 1st President of Cyprus
1960 Italy beats US in Davis cup (1st time in 24 years US not in finals)
1960 Laos General Fumi Nosavang occupies Vientiane
1961 Beatles sign a formal agreement to be managed by Brian Epstein
1961 Gideon Hausner in Jerusalem demands death penalty for Adolf Eichmann
1961 Jimmy Dean's Big Bad John album is country music's 1st million $ seller
1962 Relay 1 communication satellite launched
1963 Capitol records signs right of 1st refusal agreement with the Beatles
1964 In El Paso TX, LBJ & Mexican President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz set off an explosion diverting Rio Grande, to reshape US-México border
1964 Shirley Englehorn & Sam Snead win Haig & Haig Mixed Foursome Golf
1965 Algerian President Boumédienne visits Moscow
1966 1st battle for Bijlmer flats Amsterdam
1966 1st US bombing of Hanoi
1966 Test debut of Clive Lloyd, vs India Bombay, 82 & 78
1966 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1967 United Soccer Association & National Pro Soccer League merge into NASL
1967 Unsuccessful coup against Greek King Constantine II
1968 Playland at the Beach reopens
1968 President Da Costa e Silva of Brazil disbands parliament/grabs power
1969 Billy Martin fired as Twins' manager
1969 Arlo Guthrie releases "Alice's Restaurant"
1970 Greg Chappell scores 108 on Test debut vs England at the WACA
1970 Neil Simon's "Gingerbread Lady" premieres in New York NY
1971 John Sinclair (sentenced to 10 years for selling 2 marijuana joints) is freed
1973 World Football League grants 1st franchise (Detroit)
1973 MPLA/FNLA accord about combat against Portuguese Libya
1974 Malta becomes a republic
1974 Jim "Catfish" Hunter wins free agent claim against A's owner Finley
1975 1st time Saturday Night Live uses a time delay (Richard Pryor hosts)
1975 Australian Conservatives & Liberals win parliamentary election
1975 Jane Blalock wins LPGA 14 Colgate Triple Crown Golf Tournament
1975 Roy Fredericks hits 169 vs Australia at WACA, hundred in 71 balls
1975 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1976 Golden Gate Bridge District starts ferry service to Larkspur
1976 Longest non-stop passenger airflight (Sydney to San Francisco 13 hours 14 minutes)
1977 Entire University of Evansville basketball team (14 players) die in plane crash
1978 Susan B Anthony dollar, 1st US coin to honor a woman, issued
1979 "Oklahoma!" opens at Palace Theater NYC for 301 performances
1979 Strikes against price increases in Gdansk Poland
1980 "Perfectly Frank" closes at Helen Hayes Theater NYC after 16 performances
1981 Polish government declares martial law, arrests Solidarity activists
1981 70th Davis Cup: USA beats Argentina in Cincinnati (3-1)
1982 Devils' 1st hat trick-Steve Tambellini
1982 71st Australian Men's Tennis: Johan Kriek beats Steve Denton (63 63 62)
1982 Earthquake hits Northern Yemen; 2,000 die
1983 9,655 see highest-scoring NBA game: Detroit 186, Denver 184 (3 OT)
1983 Islander's Butch Goring scorings 4 goals against Oilers
1983 KYA-AM in San Francisco CA changes call letters to KOIT
1983 Martha Layne Collins inaugurated as Kentucky's 1st female governor
1983 British Airways incorporates
1984 Artificial heart recipient William Schroeder suffers 1st stroke
1985 David Boon's 1st Test century, 123 vs India at Adelaide
1985 Test debut of Merv Hughes, Geoff Marsh & Bruce Reid (v India)
1987 Belgium Christian Democrats (CVP) loses parliamentary election
1987 Browns set club record for most points scored in a quarter, 28
1987 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1988 3 men end 29-hour all-466-station subway ride in New York NY
1988 Yasser Arafat addresses UN in Geneva
1989 Forced repatriation of Vietnamese in Hong Kong
1989 Walter Davis (Denver) ends NBA free throw streak of 53 games
1990 President De Klerk of South Africa meets with Nelson Mandela to talk of end of apartheid
1990 "Peter Pan" opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC for 45 performances
1990 Heavy earthquake strikes Sicily, 18 die
1991 Both Koreas sign an accord calling for reconciliation
1991 New York assembly speaker Mel Miller is convicted of federal mail fraud
1991 Ricky Pierce (Seattle) ends NBA free throw streak of 75 games
1992 "Show Off" closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 45 performances
1992 Dawn Coe-Jones wins Pizza-La LPGA Match Play Golf Championship
1992 FCC fines Infinity Broadcasting $600,000
1993 Deadline for Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, they don't
1993 Dow Jones hits record 3764.43
1993 Fire in textile factory in Fuzjou China, 60 killed
1993 Space shuttle STS-61 (Endeavour 5) lands
1994 American Eagle commuter plane crashes in North Carolina, killing 15
1995 Christopher Reeve is released from physical rehab center
1995 US Federal Court votes that Cable companies must carry local stations
1996 Free agent Roger Clemens signs with Toronto Blue Jays
1997 63rd Heisman Trophy Award: Charles Woodson, Michigan (CB)

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Malta : Republic Day
Upper Volta : National Day

Religious Observances
Moslem : New Year
Roman Catholic : Memorial of St Lucy, virgin & martyr (St Lucia Day in Sweden)
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Odilia, abbess, patroness of the blind

Religious History
1204 Death of Maimonides (Moses ben Maimon), 69, medieval Jewish scholar and author. His greatest writing, "Guide of the Perplexed" (1190) attempted to harmonize Aristotelian philosophy with rabbinic Judaism.
1823 Birth of William W. How, Anglican clergyman. Shunning the glory of higher ecclesiastical positions, How was known for his work among the poor in East London. He also wrote 50 hymns, of which "We Give Thee But Thine Own" and "For All the Saints" remain two of his most popular.
1835 Birth of Phillips Brooks, American Episcopal clergyman. Though he produced ten volumes of sermons, he is better remembered today as author of the Christmas carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem," written in 1868 for the children of his Sunday School.
1851 Birth of E.O. Excell, American sacred chorister. Excell published 50 gospel songbooks and wrote and composed 2,000 hymns, including "Since I Have Been Redeemed, "Count Your Blessings" and "I'll Be a Sunbeam for Jesus."
1950 American missionary martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'I think God is to be glorified by asking the impossible of Him.'

Thought for the day :
" When all else fails, read the directions. "

I understand that there were a number of MOHs given in the Reno-Benteen action. Do you have the details?

Coos Bay Coast Guard Rescue Latest Update 0545 PST
Intrepid and 55' sailboat in tow still waiting to cross bar.
They have been circiling the bouy all night.
All crew members on both boats doing ok.
The 2 47' boats will be getting underway around 0645 PST and sit inside the bar.
Bar breaking at 14'+ at 0545 PST Winds picking up.
Please continue your prayers.
Original Thread Here

SAMWolf, please sign me up for your FReeper Foxhole alerts.

An outstanding book on the subject is "Archaeology, History, and Custer's Last Battle" by Richard Allan Fox, Jr. By using bullet/cartridge "fingerprinting" on cartridge casings and bullets gathered up from around the battlefield, the archaeological team was able to follow individual weapons (and, as a result, those firing them) around the battlefield to different locations. Some fascinating detective work, as well as a number of different theories as to the flow of the battle.

bump

That would be the first picture of Crazy Horse I have ever seen since all my other sources have said he never allowed a photograph to be taken.

Man... We sure opened up a can of whoop-ass on old Custer, didn't we? ;0)

Good morning everyone!

Please take me off this ping list. Thanks.

NEVER FORGET

...For more on the 1st Battalion, U.S. 7th Cavalry's 2nd Battle of the LITTLE BIG HORN...

...the Battle of the IA DRANG VALLEY in November 1965...

...only this time WE won...

...go to our .."WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE and YOUNG".. website:

.. http://www.lzxray.com ..

...Photos of that week in that Valley of Death can be seen by...

...accessing the ..'IA DRANG - Interest'.. Section...

...at the Bottom Right Corner of the Home Page for my:

..'RONNIE GUYER PHOTO COLLECTION'..

...See also my Bookmarked Thread List of Battle of IA DRANG - "WE WERE SOLDIERS" Threads simply by hitting the ..'ALOHA RONNIE'.. on this Post.

.."WE WERE SOLDIERS".. MEL GIBSON/RANDALL WALLACE's...

...Braveheart in 'Nam Motion Picture is now available for...

...Christmas gift-giving in a supurb DVD/Video Tape Edition...

...while we here enjoy our hard won FREEDOMS in our Beloved Country this Holiday Season.

Signed:..ALOHA RONNIE Guyer / Vet-Battle of IA DRANG-1965 / Landing Zone Falcon / http://www.lzxray.com

NEVER FORGET

Hi SAM - I recently started watching TV again after a long hiatus and caught a interesting documentry that reconstructed the entire battle using forensic science. It seemed pretty convincing.

Fascinating. KEEP me on your ping list.

Neat stuff. Does anyone know where I can order prints of famous battle paintings?

Crazy Horse Memorial

Black Hills, South Dakota

In the beginning, he was just a man. A Sioux Indian. A warrior. A mystic. Today, he is becoming a mountain.

Korczak and Chief Henry Standing Bear

His sculptor, Korczak, was born in Boston, Sept 6, 1908, the same day thirty one years earlier, that Crazy Horse had died from stab wounds. Korzczak Ziolkowski came to the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1947 at the request of the Sioux Indian Chiefs to build a memorial. He came alone at 38 years of age, carrying only $137 dollars in his pocket and his vision of what the memorial would be. He built a 741 wooden staircase to the mountain top (6,740 ft above sea level) and strategically inserted four sticks of dynamite and blasted off 10 tons. The first of millions of tons lay in front of him. He took then the equivalent of a paint brush, his gas powered jackhammer, and he began carving a mountain, telling the story of the spirit of Crazy Horse in granite, the warrior's left arm thrown out, pointing precisely to "my lands, where my dead lie buried."

Korczak died in 1982 at the age of 74, his life's work undone. Crazy Horse died in 1877 at the approximate age of 35. Their work goes on. Korczack's widow, sons and daughters, grandchildren, and extended family have carried on the project that the artist knew would take much longer than one man's lifetime to complete. Visitors welcome. Inspiration available.

You might be interested that I recently met a woman who is about 75 years old and is a direct descendant from Custer. Apparently Custer had an Indian 'wife' while his real wife was in Pittsburgh. This woman is descendant from that relationship. So, I think Custer is her grandfather.

The guy was egotistical, but he wasn't psycotic like the P-C loons in hollywood portray him.

Taken from here

Crazy Horse/Tashunkewitko, Oglala

"A very great vision is needed and the man who has it must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky. I was hostile to the white man...we preferred hunting to a life of idleness on our reservations. At times we did not get enough to eat and we were not allowed to hunt. All we wanted was peace and to be left alone. Soldiers came and destroyed our villages. Then Long Hair (Custer) came...They say we massacred him, but he would have done the same to us. Our first impulse was to escape but we were so hemmed in we had to fight."

Crazy Horse, as Remembered by Ohiyesa (Charles A. Eastman)

Crazy Horse (Tashunkewitko) was born on the Republican River about 1845. He was killed at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, in 1877, so that he lived barely thirty-three years.

He was an uncommonly handsome man. While not the equal of Gall in magnificence and imposing stature, he was physically perfect, an Apollo in symmetry. Furthermore he was a true type of Indian refinement and grace. He was modest and courteous as Chief Joseph; the difference is that he was a born warrior, while Joseph was not. However, he was a gentle warrior, a true brave, who stood for the highest ideal of the Sioux. Notwithstanding all that biased historians have said of him, it is only fair to judge a man by the estimate of his own people rather than that of his enemies.

The boyhood of Crazy Horse was passed in the days when the western Sioux saw a white man but seldom, and then it was usually a trader or a soldier. He was carefully brought up according to the tribal customs. At that period the Sioux prided themselves on the training and development of their sons and daughters, and not a step in that development was overlooked as an excuse to bring the child before the public by giving a feast in its honor. At such times the parents often gave so generously to the needy that they almost impoverished themselves, thus setting an example to the child of self-denial for the general good. His first step alone, the first word spoken, first game killed, the attainment of manhood or womanhood, each was the occasion of a feast and dance in his honor, at which the poor always benefited to the full extent of the parents' ability.

Big-heartedness, generosity, courage, and self-denial are the qualifications of a public servant, and the average Indian was keen to follow this ideal. As every one knows, these characteristic traits become a weakness when he enters a life founded upon commerce and gain. Under such conditions the life of Crazy Horse began. His mother, like other mothers, tender and watchful of her boy, would never once place an obstacle in the way of his father's severe physical training. They laid the spiritual and patriotic foundations of his education in such a way that he early became conscious of the demands of public service.

He was perhaps four or five years old when the band was snowed in one severe winter. They were very short of food, but his father was a tireless hunter. The buffalo, their main dependence, were not to be found, but he was out in the storm and cold every day and finally brought in two antelopes. The little boy got on his pet pony and rode through the camp, telling the old folks to come to his mother's teepee for meat. It turned out that neither his father nor mother had authorized him to do this. Before they knew it, old men and women were lined up before the teepee home, ready to receive the meat, in answer to his invitation. As a result, the mother had to distribute nearly all of it, keeping only enough for two meals.

On the following day the child asked for food. His mother told him that the old folks had taken it all, and added: "Remember, my son, they went home singing praises in your name, not my name or your father's. You must be brave. You must live up to your reputation."

Crazy Horse loved horses, and his father gave him a pony of his own when he was very young. He became a fine horseman and accompanied his father on buffalo hunts, holding the pack horses while the men chased the buffalo and thus gradually learning the art. In those days the Sioux had but few guns, and the hunting was mostly done with bow and arrows.

Another story told of his boyhood is that when he was about twelve he went to look for the ponies with his little brother, whom he loved much, and took a great deal of pains to teach what he had already learned. They came to some wild cherry trees full of ripe fruit, and while they were enjoying it, the brothers were startled by the growl and sudden rush of a bear. Young Crazy Horse pushed his brother up into the nearest tree and himself sprang upon the back of one of the horses, which was frightened and ran some distance before he could control him. As soon as he could, however, he turned him about and came back, yelling and swinging his lariat over his head. The bear at first showed fight but finally turned and ran. The old man who told me this story added that young as he was, he had some power, so that even a grizzly did not care to tackle him. I believe it is a fact that a silver-tip will dare anything except a bell or a lasso line, so that accidentally the boy had hit upon the very thing which would drive him off.

It was usual for Sioux boys of his day to wait in the field after a buffalo hunt until sundown, when the young calves would come out in the open, hungrily seeking their mothers. Then these wild children would enjoy a mimic hunt, and lasso the calves or drive them into camp. Crazy Horse was found to be a determined little fellow, and it was settled one day among the larger boys that they would "stump" him to ride a good-sized bull calf. He rode the calf, and stayed on its back while it ran bawling over the hills, followed by the other boys on their ponies, until his strange mount stood trembling and exhausted.

At the age of sixteen he joined a war party against the Gros Ventres. He was well in the front of the charge, and at once established his bravery by following closely one of the foremost Sioux warriors, by the name of Hump, drawing the enemy's fire and circling around their advance guard. Suddenly Hump's horse was shot from under him, and there was a rush of warriors to kill or capture him while down. But amidst a shower of arrows the youth leaped from his pony, helped his friend into his own saddle, sprang up behind him, and carried him off in safety, although they were hotly pursued by the enemy. Thus he associated himself in his maiden battle with the wizard of Indian warfare, and Hump, who was then at the height of his own career, pronounced Crazy Horse the coming warrior of the Teton Sioux.

At this period of his life, as was customary with the best young men, he spent much time in prayer and solitude. Just what happened in these days of his fasting in the wilderness and upon the crown of bald buttes, no one will ever know; for these things may only be known when one has lived through the battles of life to an honored old age. He was much sought after by his youthful associates, but was noticeably reserved and modest; yet in the moment of danger he at once rose above them all -- a natural leader! Crazy Horse was a typical Sioux brave, and from the point of view of our race an ideal hero, living at the height of the epical progress of the American Indian and maintaining in his own character all that was most subtle and ennobling of their spiritual life, and that has since been lost in the contact with a material civilization.

He loved Hump, that peerless warrior, and the two became close friends, in spite of the difference in age. Men called them "the grizzly and his cub." Again and again the pair saved the day for the Sioux in a skirmish with some neighboring tribe. But one day they undertook a losing battle against the Snakes. The Sioux were in full retreat and were fast being overwhelmed by superior numbers. The old warrior fell in a last desperate charge; but Crazy Horse and his younger brother, though dismounted, killed two of the enemy and thus made good their retreat.

It was observed of him that when he pursued the enemy into their stronghold, as he was wont to do, he often refrained from killing, and simply struck them with a switch, showing that he did not fear their weapons nor care to waste his upon them. In attempting this very feat, he lost this only brother of his, who emulated him closely. A party of young warriors, led by Crazy Horse, had dashed upon a frontier post, killed one of the sentinels, stampeded the horses, and pursued the herder to the very gate of the stockade, thus drawing upon themselves the fire of the garrison. The leader escaped without a scratch, but his young brother was brought down from his horse and killed.

While he was still under twenty, there was a great winter buffalo hunt, and he came back with ten buffaloes' tongues which he sent to the council lodge for the councilors' feast. He had in one winter day killed ten buffalo cows with his bow and arrows, and the unsuccessful hunters or those who had no swift ponies were made happy by his generosity. When the hunters returned, these came chanting songs of thanks. He knew that his father was an expert hunter and had a good horse, so he took no meat home, putting in practice the spirit of his early teaching.

He attained his majority at the crisis of the difficulties between the United States and the Sioux. Even before that time, Crazy Horse had already proved his worth to his people in Indian warfare. He had risked his life again and again, and in some instances it was considered almost a miracle that he had saved others as well as himself. He was no orator nor was he the son of a chief. His success and influence was purely a matter of personality. He had never fought the whites up to this time, and indeed no "coup" was counted for killing or scalping a white man.

Young Crazy Horse was twenty-one years old when all the Teton Sioux chiefs (the western or plains dwellers) met in council to determine upon their future policy toward the invader. Their former agreements had been by individual bands, each for itself, and every one was friendly. They reasoned that the country was wide, and that the white traders should be made welcome. Up to this time they had anticipated no conflict. They had permitted the Oregon Trail, but now to their astonishment forts were built and garrisoned in their territory.

Most of the chiefs advocated a strong resistance. There were a few influential men who desired still to live in peace, and who were willing to make another treaty. Among these were White Bull, Two Kettle, Four Bears, and Swift Bear. Even Spotted Tail, afterward the great peace chief, was at this time with the majority, who decided in the year 1866 to defend their rights and territory by force. Attacks were to be made upon the forts within their country and on every trespasser on the same.

Crazy Horse took no part in the discussion, but he and all the young warriors were in accord with the decision of the council. Although so young, he was already a leader among them. Other prominent young braves were Sword (brother of the man of that name who was long captain of police at Pine Ridge), the younger Hump, Charging Bear, Spotted Elk, Crow King, No Water, Big Road, He Dog, the nephew of Red Cloud, and Touch-the-Cloud, intimate friend of Crazy Horse.

The attack on Fort Phil Kearny was the first fruits of the new policy, and here Crazy Horse was chosen to lead the attack on the woodchoppers, designed to draw the soldiers out of the fort, while an army of six hundred lay in wait for them. The success of this stratagem was further enhanced by his masterful handling of his men. From this time on a general war was inaugurated; Sitting Bull looked to him as a principal war leader, and even the Cheyenne chiefs, allies of the Sioux, practically acknowledged his leadership. Yet during the following ten years of defensive war he was never known to make a speech, though his teepee was the rendezvous of the young men. He was depended upon to put into action the decisions of the council, and was frequently consulted by the older chiefs.

Like Osceola, he rose suddenly; like Tecumseh he was always impatient for battle; like Pontiac, he fought on while his allies were suing for peace, and like Grant, the silent soldier, he was a man of deeds and not of words. He won from Custer and Fetterman and Crook. He won every battle that he undertook, with the exception of one or two occasions when he was surprised in the midst of his women and children, and even then he managed to extricate himself in safety from a difficult position.

Early in the year 1876, his runners brought word from Sitting Bull that all the roving bands would converge upon the upper Tongue River in Montana for summer feasts and conferences. There was conflicting news from the reservation. It was rumored that the army would fight the Sioux to a finish; again, it was said that another commission would be sent out to treat with them.

The Indians came together early in June, and formed a series of encampments stretching out from three to four miles, each band keeping separate camp. On June 17, scouts came in and reported the advance of a large body of troops under General Crook. The council sent Crazy Horse with seven hundred men to meet and attack him. These were nearly all young men, many of them under twenty, the flower of the hostile Sioux. They set out at night so as to steal a march upon the enemy, but within three or four miles of his camp they came unexpectedly upon some of his Crow scouts. There was a hurried exchange of shots; the Crows fled back to Crook's camp, pursued by the Sioux. The soldiers had their warning, and it was impossible to enter the well-protected camp. Again and again Crazy Horse charged with his bravest men, in the attempt to bring the troops into the open, but he succeeded only in drawing their fire. Toward afternoon he withdrew, and returned to camp disappointed. His scouts remained to watch Crook's movements, and later brought word that he had retreated to Goose Creek and seemed to have no further disposition to disturb the Sioux. It is well known to us that it is Crook rather than Reno who is to be blamed for cowardice in connection with Custer's fate. The latter had no chance to do anything, he was lucky to save himself; but if Crook had kept on his way, as ordered, to meet Terry, with his one thousand regulars and two hundred Crow and Shoshone scouts, he would inevitably have intercepted Custer in his advance and saved the day for him, and war with the Sioux would have ended right there. Instead of this, he fell back upon Fort Meade, eating his horses on the way, in a country swarming with game, for fear of Crazy Horse and his braves!

The Indians now crossed the divide between the Tongue and the Little Big Horn, where they felt safe from immediate pursuit. Here, with all their precautions, they were caught unawares by General Custer, in the midst of their midday games and festivities, while many were out upon the daily hunt.

On this twenty-fifth of June, 1876, the great camp was scattered for three miles or more along the level river bottom, back of the thin line of cottonwoods -- five circular rows of teepees, ranging from half a mile to a mile and a half in circumference. Here and there stood out a large, white, solitary teepee; these were the lodges or "clubs" of the young men. Crazy Horse was a member of the "Strong Hearts" and the "Tokala" or Fox lodge. He was watching a game of ring-toss when the warning came from the southern end of the camp of the approach of troops.

The Sioux and the Cheyennes were "minute men", and although taken by surprise, they instantly responded. Meanwhile, the women and children were thrown into confusion. Dogs were howling, ponies running hither and thither, pursued by their owners, while many of the old men were singing their lodge songs to encourage the warriors, or praising the "strong heart" of Crazy Horse.

That leader had quickly saddled his favorite war pony and was starting with his young men for the south end of the camp, when a fresh alarm came from the opposite direction, and looking up, he saw Custer's force upon the top of the bluff directly across the river. As quick as a flash, he took in the situation -- the enemy had planned to attack the camp at both ends at once; and knowing that Custer could not ford the river at that point, he instantly led his men northward to the ford to cut him off. The Cheyennes followed closely. Custer must have seen that wonderful dash up the sage-bush plain, and one wonders whether he realized its meaning. In a very few minutes, this wild general of the plains had outwitted one of the most brilliant leaders of the Civil War and ended at once his military career and his life.

In this dashing charge, Crazy Horse snatched his most famous victory out of what seemed frightful peril, for the Sioux could not know how many were behind Custer. He was caught in his own trap. To the soldiers it must have seemed as if the Indians rose up from the earth to overwhelm them. They closed in from three sides and fought until not a white man was left alive. Then they went down to Reno's stand and found him so well intrenched in a deep gully that it was impossible to dislodge him. Gall and his men held him there until the approach of General Terry compelled the Sioux to break camp and scatter in different directions.

While Sitting Bull was pursued into Canada, Crazy Horse and the Cheyennes wandered about, comparatively undisturbed, during the rest of that year, until in the winter the army surprised the Cheyennes, but did not do them much harm, possibly because they knew that Crazy Horse was not far off. His name was held in wholesome respect. From time to time, delegations of friendly Indians were sent to him, to urge him to come in to the reservation, promising a full hearing and fair treatment.

For some time he held out, but the rapid disappearance of the buffalo, their only means of support, probably weighed with him more than any other influence. In July, 1877, he was finally prevailed upon to come in to Fort Robinson, Nebraska, with several thousand Indians, most of them Ogallala and Minneconwoju Sioux, on the distinct understanding that the government would hear and adjust their grievances.

At this juncture General Crook proclaimed Spotted Tail, who had rendered much valuable service to the army, head chief of the Sioux, which was resented by many. The attention paid Crazy Horse was offensive to Spotted Tail and the Indian scouts, who planned a conspiracy against him. They reported to General Crook that the young chief would murder him at the next council, and stampede the Sioux into another war. He was urged not to attend the council and did not, but sent another officer to represent him. Meanwhile the friends of Crazy Horse discovered the plot and told him of it. His reply was, "Only cowards are murderers."

His wife was critically ill at the time, and he decided to take her to her parents at Spotted Tail agency, whereupon his enemies circulated the story that he had fled, and a party of scouts was sent after him. They overtook him riding with his wife and one other but did not undertake to arrest him, and after he had left the sick woman with her people he went to call on Captain Lea, the agent for the Brules, accompanied by all the warriors of the Minneconwoju band. This volunteer escort made an imposing appearance on horseback, shouting and singing, and in the words of Captain Lea himself and the missionary, the Reverend Mr. Cleveland, the situation was extremely critical. Indeed, the scouts who had followed Crazy Horse from Red Cloud agency were advised not to show themselves, as some of the warriors had urged that they be taken out and horsewhipped publicly. Under these circumstances Crazy Horse again showed his masterful spirit by holding these young men in check. He said to them in his quiet way: "It is well to be brave in the field of battle; it is cowardly to display bravery against one's own tribesmen. These scouts have been compelled to do what they did; they are no better than servants of the white officers. I came here on a peaceful errand."

The captain urged him to report at army headquarters to explain himself and correct false rumors, and on his giving consent, furnished him with a wagon and escort. It has been said that he went back under arrest, but this is untrue. Indians have boasted that they had a hand in bringing him in, but their stories are without foundation. He went of his own accord, either suspecting no treachery or determined to defy it.

When he reached the military camp, Little Big Man walked arm-in-arm with him, and his cousin and friend, Touch-the-Cloud, was just in advance. After they passed the sentinel, an officer approached them and walked on his other side. He was unarmed but for the knife which is carried for ordinary uses by women as well as men. Unsuspectingly he walked toward the guardhouse, when Touch-the-Cloud suddenly turned back exclaiming: "Cousin, they will put you in prison!"

"Another white man's trick! Let me go! Let me die fighting!" cried Crazy Horse. He stopped and tried to free himself and draw his knife, but both arms were held fast by Little Big Man and the officer. While he struggled thus, a soldier thrust him through with his bayonet from behind. The wound was mortal, and he died in the course of that night, his old father singing the death song over him and afterward carrying away the body, which they said must not be further polluted by the touch of a white man. They hid it somewhere in the Bad Lands, his resting place to this day.

Thus died one of the ablest and truest American Indians. His life was ideal; his record clean. He was never involved in any of the numerous massacres on the trail, but was a leader in practically every open fight. Such characters as those of Crazy Horse and Chief Joseph are not easily found among so-called civilized people. The reputation of great men is apt to be shadowed by questionable motives and policies, but here are two pure patriots, as worthy of honor as any who ever breathed God's air in the wide spaces of a new world.

Custer was the youngest man to be made a Brigadier General during the Civil War. How come he was a Lieutenant Colonel at the Little Big Horn?

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