After directing Reno to cross the LBH River Cuser proceeded along the bluffs on the East side of the village and river and traveled down a ravine in an effort to cross the LBH River but the river, at that site, was too deep to cross. Indians replied to Reno's attack on the South end of the village and that response put an end to Reno's advance. When Custer's advance was halted due to deeper water he turned his troops back to the east but up hill from the river, completely unable to assist Reno and further unable to hit the village from what he probably thought was the middle of the camp. Reno's troops were overwhelmed and those who weren't dead began to leave their positions in an effort to regroup on what would be come known as Reno Hill. Indians began crossing the river from crossings that would permit them and they routed Custer's divided command to positions along the side and top of those hills. Crazy Horse and Gall crossed the river and came at Custer's divided command from the North and Custer had no way out. His divide and conquer idea was replaced by the divide and conquer tactics of these Indians. A lot of peeps wonder if Custer could have fought and defeated these Indians if he had not divided his command. Custer was a fine cavalry officer but he was vain and arrogant and imprudent and he considered himself completely capable of winning any fight with Indians. I've thought about it and based upon what I can determine when considering factors such as his lack of knowledge of the terrain and particulary of the river, his refusal to listen to his Indian guides and his officers, the lack of combat experience of so many of his troops, and the condition of his horses, I tend to think that his entire command would have been chopped to pieces. Other than the tactics he employed for this debacle, what other plans could he have made? When looking over that battlefield it seems to me that a more prudent approach would have been to approach these Indians from the South and Southwest on the West side of the river and not go charging into them as he liked to do. A slower approach of a large column of cavalry from that direction might have pushed them directly into the hands of Terry and Gibbon. There may have still been a fight but it would have been conducted on open ground where cavalry units were more accustomed to combat.
- When Custer was on top the bluffs east of the river, he was able to view the village in its entirety, which is why he moved his column up there. That being said, what makes you think Custer "thought he was in the middle of the camp" when he approached the village? Custer proceeded down the Medicine Tail Coulee, which led to the Medicine Tail Ford, which then led straight into the northern end of the village, where the Cheyennes were encamped. "Middle of the camp"? WTF? Try looking at a map that traces Custer's route, you moron. Most historians and scholars believe Custer ordered Captain Yates' company to make a demonstration at this ford in order to take pressure off of Reno's beleaguered battalion. Yates' men fired into the village, but this demonstration worked all too well, because once the warriors realized there were more Bluecoats attacking the village from the north, they quit attacking Reno's retreating troopers and concentrated all their efforts upon Custer. - The only reason "peeps" like you believe Custer was "vain and arrogant" is because you confuse his flamboyance with egotism. He was a fine cavalry officer; in fact, George Armstrong Custer was one of the best, if not THE best, cavalry officers in the U.S. Army. While studying Custer's actions at the Little Bighorn, his methods, his approach, a studious observer could clearly see the man was judicious, not careless; confident, not brash. - If you knew more about the battle, you would know why Custer could not make an adequate reconnaissance of the terrain around the area of the village. If you knew more about this battle, you would know that Custer did not refuse to listen to his Indian scouts. If you knew more, you would know that Custer's Indian scouts actually advised him to attack the Indian village on June 25th (Custer's initial plan was to attack the village on June 26th, which was the same day the Terry/Gibbon column was purportedly supposed to arrive from the north). - Many soldiers in the Seventh Cavalry were inexperienced, but many of the officers were Civil War veterans. The horses and men were tired, but it wasn't like the horses and men were dropping out from exhaustion during the battle. There were only a few documented accounts where a soldier's horse gave out during or before the battle. - Since Custer originally wanted to attack the village on June 26th, he probably did want to push the Indians in the direction in which the Terry/Gibbon was supposedly approaching. - Seems to me you should do a lot more research before posting bullcrap comments, landman.
Strange that you would refer to the Natives as “Hostiles.” You didn’t mention that Custer brought along his two brothers and 18 year old brother in law so there would be plenty of witnesses to the “Great General George Armstrong Custer’s leadership in fighting the Indians!” He wanted there to be plenty of eye witnesses to tell stories of his greatness at future family gatherings. That’s how Giant his Ego was! His arrogance got all of his family members killed! The Indians said that they didn’t mutilate his body because he’d committed suicide! He shot himself in the temple. He’d just seen his two brothers and 18 year old brother in law be killed. How could he ever face their wives, their families, if he’d survived knowing he was responsible for brining them along and getting them killed. Also, it wasn’t uncommon to take your own life in a hopeless situation like that knowing that if you were captured you’d be brutally tortured to death.
Most historians and scholars agree that George Armstrong Custer did not possess the wherewithal or temperament to commit self-slaughter; he would have went down fighting to the end. Furthermore and besides, right-handed people aren't likely to shoot themselves in the left temple. You're an idiot.
1ST of all custer was prob dead from the chest wound nm the fact that he was right handed and if alive the near heart wound would make it NEAR impossible too use let alone pick up and fire the pig iron he had , plus his b.i.l was a company leader of capt rank {a comissioned officer} not brevet, permenant ! no 18 yr old AT THAT TIME earned such a high rank at 18 !! it was not a declared war! boston custer ,georges youngest bro was nearest 18,as far as suicide goes MANY soldiers in plain view of ALL took thier own lives of traded of with another doing thiers ,IT DID NOT STOP THE BUTCHERING of THEM ! besides is ARROWS IN YOUR GENITALS somekind of KINK for yu ? ears as well ? just because the HEATHEN bloodsuckers gave reasons for such acts A - DUHHH sounded more like gettin caught with hand in the cookie jar tryin too talk your way out of a WHIPPIN !!BTW hostiles are just that when yu DONT follow the laws by using VIOLENCE , right or wrong
Reno had 120 men and there were several hundred Indians beginning to surround him ... Only a crazy man would attack the Indians... He and his men would be dead in 1 hour... He did a great job for him and his men in surviving at all.... Custar was at the river he did not cross he was waiting for Benteen to show up... Custer divided his men so much the Indians had an easy battle if they were all together one unit they would have survived... And everybody knows that
Reno surprised the village. He caught the village completely unawares. If he would have charged, like he was ordered to do, the Natives would have undoubtedly tried to scatter and flee. Whenever their villages were attacked, Natives would not stand idle and try to count how many soldiers were attacking them, they would seek safety and flee - especially if their women and children were present. They were not going to stop and say, "Wait, look, don't run! There is only 120 of them!" A cavalry charge, whether it's a force of 520 men or 120 men, instills fear and creates chaos - that's the fundamental purpose of a cavalry charge. Also, when Major Reno first set upon the village, many of the warriors ran to retrieve their ponies. The pony herd was on a broad bench-land located about a quarter-a-mile west of the village. In short, because Reno surprised the village, and because the warriors were not initially prepared to meet his approach, and since the sight of his battalion caused disorder within the village, Major Marcus Reno had a tactical advantage. Not a few Sioux and Cheyenne accounts state that, "had Reno's soldiers charged through the village, the Bluecoats might have won the day". For all of that, Major Reno got cold feet, and he hesitated, and instead of charging, he told his men to dismount and form skirmish lines. By doing that, he lost his initiative; he allowed the warriors in the village time to get their ponies, to regroup, and to assess the whole situation. At this point in time, even though he had suffered very few casualties, Reno withdrew his battalion to the timber - a cluster of thick trees about 200 yards south of the village. The timber, however, was one of the best protected positions on the entire battlefield. Major Reno's Arikara scouts, who were usually pessimistic, even said, "The soldiers, while in the timber, could have held out indefinitely". Any other officer probably would have chose to do that, but Reno showed the white feather yet again by ordering a retreat out of those woods - he even led the way. Not everyone heard this order to withdraw, the wounded were left where they were, and no rear guard action was set up to protect against that mindless retreat, a retreat that caused Reno's battalion nearly all of its casualties. Instead of staying in those woods and creating a diversion for Custer, instead of assuming a good fighting position and hunkering down, Major Reno gave the Sioux a gift by fleeing from that timber. Reno offered the warriors a free-for-all buffalo hunt when he should have given them a fiercely-contested firefight. Reno's retreat raised the morale of the warriors ten-fold, and it also sealed Custer's fate.
yu dont have too be or have been in the miltary, ANYBODIES ! too know what disobiediance esp under combat conditions means , more or less ,under the 7ths situation bottom line was fight and maybe die NOW {lbh} or later ON TRIAL with same outcome , the col up and had men excecuted for NEAR same offense so right or wrong he lived and died following orders , no one is ABSOLUTY certon of what his personal feelings about the debacle EXCEPT HE FOLLOWED ORDERS
After directing Reno to cross the LBH River Cuser proceeded along the bluffs on the East side of the village and river and traveled down a ravine in an effort to cross the LBH River but the river, at that site, was too deep to cross. Indians replied to Reno's attack on the South end of the village and that response put an end to Reno's advance. When Custer's advance was halted due to deeper water he turned his troops back to the east but up hill from the river, completely unable to assist Reno and further unable to hit the village from what he probably thought was the middle of the camp. Reno's troops were overwhelmed and those who weren't dead began to leave their positions in an effort to regroup on what would be come known as Reno Hill. Indians began crossing the river from crossings that would permit them and they routed Custer's divided command to positions along the side and top of those hills. Crazy Horse and Gall crossed the river and came at Custer's divided command from the North and Custer had no way out. His divide and conquer idea was replaced by the divide and conquer tactics of these Indians.
A lot of peeps wonder if Custer could have fought and defeated these Indians if he had not divided his command. Custer was a fine cavalry officer but he was vain and arrogant and imprudent and he considered himself completely capable of winning any fight with Indians. I've thought about it and based upon what I can determine when considering factors such as his lack of knowledge of the terrain and particulary of the river, his refusal to listen to his Indian guides and his officers, the lack of combat experience of so many of his troops, and the condition of his horses, I tend to think that his entire command would have been chopped to pieces. Other than the tactics he employed for this debacle, what other plans could he have made?
When looking over that battlefield it seems to me that a more prudent approach would have been to approach these Indians from the South and Southwest on the West side of the river and not go charging into them as he liked to do. A slower approach of a large column of cavalry from that direction might have pushed them directly into the hands of Terry and Gibbon. There may have still been a fight but it would have been conducted on open ground where cavalry units were more accustomed to combat.
- When Custer was on top the bluffs east of the river, he was able to view the village in its entirety, which is why he moved his column up there. That being said, what makes you think Custer "thought he was in the middle of the camp" when he approached the village? Custer proceeded down the Medicine Tail Coulee, which led to the Medicine Tail Ford, which then led straight into the northern end of the village, where the Cheyennes were encamped. "Middle of the camp"? WTF? Try looking at a map that traces Custer's route, you moron.
Most historians and scholars believe Custer ordered Captain Yates' company to make a demonstration at this ford in order to take pressure off of Reno's beleaguered battalion. Yates' men fired into the village, but this demonstration worked all too well, because once the warriors realized there were more Bluecoats attacking the village from the north, they quit attacking Reno's retreating troopers and concentrated all their efforts upon Custer.
- The only reason "peeps" like you believe Custer was "vain and arrogant" is because you confuse his flamboyance with egotism. He was a fine cavalry officer; in fact, George Armstrong Custer was one of the best, if not THE best, cavalry officers in the U.S. Army. While studying Custer's actions at the Little Bighorn, his methods, his approach, a studious observer could clearly see the man was judicious, not careless; confident, not brash.
- If you knew more about the battle, you would know why Custer could not make an adequate reconnaissance of the terrain around the area of the village. If you knew more about this battle, you would know that Custer did not refuse to listen to his Indian scouts. If you knew more, you would know that Custer's Indian scouts actually advised him to attack the Indian village on June 25th (Custer's initial plan was to attack the village on June 26th, which was the same day the Terry/Gibbon column was purportedly supposed to arrive from the north).
- Many soldiers in the Seventh Cavalry were inexperienced, but many of the officers were Civil War veterans. The horses and men were tired, but it wasn't like the horses and men were dropping out from exhaustion during the battle. There were only a few documented accounts where a soldier's horse gave out during or before the battle.
- Since Custer originally wanted to attack the village on June 26th, he probably did want to push the Indians in the direction in which the Terry/Gibbon was supposedly approaching.
- Seems to me you should do a lot more research before posting bullcrap comments, landman.
Strange that you would refer to the Natives as “Hostiles.” You didn’t mention that Custer brought along his two brothers and 18 year old brother in law so there would be plenty of witnesses to the “Great General George Armstrong Custer’s leadership in fighting the Indians!” He wanted there to be plenty of eye witnesses to tell stories of his greatness at future family gatherings. That’s how Giant his Ego was! His arrogance got all of his family members killed! The Indians said that they didn’t mutilate his body because he’d committed suicide! He shot himself in the temple. He’d just seen his two brothers and 18 year old brother in law be killed. How could he ever face their wives, their families, if he’d survived knowing he was responsible for brining them along and getting them killed. Also, it wasn’t uncommon to take your own life in a hopeless situation like that knowing that if you were captured you’d be brutally tortured to death.
Most historians and scholars agree that George Armstrong Custer did not possess the wherewithal or temperament to commit self-slaughter; he would have went down fighting to the end. Furthermore and besides, right-handed people aren't likely to shoot themselves in the left temple.
You're an idiot.
1ST of all custer was prob dead from the chest wound nm the fact that he was right handed and if alive the near heart wound would make it NEAR impossible too use let alone pick up and fire the pig iron he had , plus his b.i.l was a company leader of capt rank {a comissioned officer} not brevet, permenant ! no 18 yr old AT THAT TIME earned such a high rank at 18 !! it was not a declared war! boston custer ,georges youngest bro was nearest 18,as far as suicide goes MANY soldiers in plain view of ALL took thier own lives of traded of with another doing thiers ,IT DID NOT STOP THE BUTCHERING of THEM ! besides is ARROWS IN YOUR GENITALS somekind of KINK for yu ? ears as well ? just because the HEATHEN bloodsuckers gave reasons for such acts A - DUHHH sounded more like gettin caught with hand in the cookie jar tryin too talk your way out of a WHIPPIN !!BTW hostiles are just that when yu DONT follow the laws by using VIOLENCE , right or wrong
Reno had 120 men and there were several hundred Indians beginning to surround him ... Only a crazy man would attack the Indians... He and his men would be dead in 1 hour... He did a great job for him and his men in surviving at all.... Custar was at the river he did not cross he was waiting for Benteen to show up... Custer divided his men so much the Indians had an easy battle if they were all together one unit they would have survived... And everybody knows that
Reno surprised the village. He caught the village completely unawares. If he would have charged, like he was ordered to do, the Natives would have undoubtedly tried to scatter and flee. Whenever their villages were attacked, Natives would not stand idle and try to count how many soldiers were attacking them, they would seek safety and flee - especially if their women and children were present. They were not going to stop and say, "Wait, look, don't run! There is only 120 of them!" A cavalry charge, whether it's a force of 520 men or 120 men, instills fear and creates chaos - that's the fundamental purpose of a cavalry charge.
Also, when Major Reno first set upon the village, many of the warriors ran to retrieve their ponies. The pony herd was on a broad bench-land located about a quarter-a-mile west of the village. In short, because Reno surprised the village, and because the warriors were not initially prepared to meet his approach, and since the sight of his battalion caused disorder within the village, Major Marcus Reno had a tactical advantage. Not a few Sioux and Cheyenne accounts state that, "had Reno's soldiers charged through the village, the Bluecoats might have won the day".
For all of that, Major Reno got cold feet, and he hesitated, and instead of charging, he told his men to dismount and form skirmish lines. By doing that, he lost his initiative; he allowed the warriors in the village time to get their ponies, to regroup, and to assess the whole situation. At this point in time, even though he had suffered very few casualties, Reno withdrew his battalion to the timber - a cluster of thick trees about 200 yards south of the village. The timber, however, was one of the best protected positions on the entire battlefield. Major Reno's Arikara scouts, who were usually pessimistic, even said, "The soldiers, while in the timber, could have held out indefinitely". Any other officer probably would have chose to do that, but Reno showed the white feather yet again by ordering a retreat out of those woods - he even led the way. Not everyone heard this order to withdraw, the wounded were left where they were, and no rear guard action was set up to protect against that mindless retreat, a retreat that caused Reno's battalion nearly all of its casualties.
Instead of staying in those woods and creating a diversion for Custer, instead of assuming a good fighting position and hunkering down, Major Reno gave the Sioux a gift by fleeing from that timber. Reno offered the warriors a free-for-all buffalo hunt when he should have given them a fiercely-contested firefight. Reno's retreat raised the morale of the warriors ten-fold, and it also sealed Custer's fate.
yu dont have too be or have been in the miltary, ANYBODIES ! too know what disobiediance esp under combat conditions means , more or less ,under the 7ths situation bottom line was fight and maybe die NOW {lbh} or later ON TRIAL with same outcome , the col up and had men excecuted for NEAR same offense so right or wrong he lived and died following orders , no one is ABSOLUTY certon of what his personal feelings about the debacle EXCEPT HE FOLLOWED ORDERS