After reading several books and watching several documentaries on that afternoon in 1876, this may be the clearest, best overall interpretation I’ve absorbed...Thank you!!
You were so lucky to have Steve Adelman as your Ranger! Along with Mike Donahue, he is the most knowledgeable guide you could have. There's a DVD available, called Contested Ground, which pairs Steve's lecture with Chris Hoffert's amazing graphics. If you see Steve again ever, ask him about the motorcycle key/ ghost episode!
My only complaint...those young Irish men wouldn't have come through Ellis Island. They would have come through Castle Clinton in NYC. Ellis Island didn't open until 1892 for immigration.
Spot on correct. Mine arrived during the famine in 1849, moved on to Missouri and then North Dakota. The army promised a future but these guys never saw it. Hopefully their families did.
Flagrum3. Most of the markers you see are well placed, to show where men fell and wre buried. Some of them are spurious, in that they were placed there, for lack of knowing the exact place where they should be. In some cases there are 2 markers side by side, which in reality, only represent one grave. Some of the markers have undergone archaeological work and many had remains of the soldiers still there, even though they were exhumed in 1881 to be buried at the monument. If I remember correctly about 77% of the markers had some type of remains discovered by archaeologists, indicating a burial after the battle The officers were exhumed the next year and sent to various places, hometowns, military cemeteries, for reburial. Custer and the men who were killed at the top were taken downslope and buried. It is thought that Custer was killed at or very near, the southwest corner of the monument, where the gentlemen are standing as the vid opens. So when you look at the monuments you see a picture, albeit imperfect, of where the men were killed and buried.
Make sure you go! I just came back from travelling across the US for a month and this place made the biggest impression on me. I got there just as the sun set over the horizon, no one else in sight. Only me and all the knowledge of the battle itself but also the long history that led up to the battle. As the guide said - it's a very spiritual place...
The sound of the silence heard from this battlefield pulls my soul to this dreadful location. I am impelled to seek the peace of all the lost soldiers and warriors sacrificed in this senseless mission. Gott Mit Uns
Reading all the comments and replies one can see many different opinions and passions. i have been there to Little Bighorn 18 times and live close to 375 miles north of there. i am thankful for all the trails and monuments, buildings, artifacts etc i think they preserved history well. An old man now i can drive through history so i dont think they ruint the site by making roads and trails
Reading the comments no one seems to mention Crook in all this. He turned back, did not send messages right away informing others that the Indians were not running, were in great numbers and most importantly possessed repeating rifles. His information given to Custer could have changed the whole battle plan remember he was supposed to be the blocking force from the south his lack of information was a dissertation of his duty.
Correct me if I'm wrong and/or input from others would be well received. I read somewhere that where the markers are placed today on Last Stand Hill are actually not the spots where they fell, but that the bodies had been moved down the hill and buried due to the higher, top of the hill area, being too hard ground to dig. This would mean that where the Park Ranger and the others are standing, could be the real actual area where they fell.
In one of the videos or maybe when I did not record, he made reference to the fact that the location was not for certain the last stand but where they buried the bodies. He spoke bodies being moved and the marker did not represent the true location but was near their final stand.
Flagrum3 From all accounts I've ever read, including from June, 1876, that the bodies were buried where they were found. Custer was later moved to West Point and the rest were intered in the mass grave under the monument.
The ranger himself said Custer was found right about where the guy in the red shirt was standing, but yet his "marker" is 20-25 feet down the hill. That should answer your question for you. The men were defending the crest of the hill, but the markers were moved down to the side of the hill (for road construction? I don't know). If the men were defending the side of the hill, the Indians could have crept up to withing 20 feet of them under cover because you can't see around a curve of a hillside. Custer chose the best ground he had available to him, which wasn't that good, but it was the best he had. He would have defended the crest of the hill, and so would have you in a similar situation. Now the markers throughout the entire battlefield probably do closely mark where men had fallen, but the idea that the markers on top of Custer Hill are the exact locations of the men that died with Custer is pure mythology. The markers might not have been moved far, but they have been moved. They do, however, most likely mark where each man had fallen in relation to the other men on the hillside.
+MrShamus07 -Yes I seemed to have missed the ranger's remark somehow. So in essence where people stand today, behind the fence, is where Custer and others actually fell. A little creepy to think you are standing where someone fell a violent death.
Why did Custer chose to have his men to fight a battle inside this metal fence? Wasn't that space a bit confining? It would be hard to maneuver his men into the best defensive positions being that tight of a space it would seem to me.
You have extra markers on Last Stand Hill to perpetuate the myth of a great last stand. According to their numbers there should have been approximately 95 soldiers on Last stand Hill but there are only about fifty markers. Most of these have two markers for one soldier so that puts you down to about 25 killed on Last Stand Hill. They skedaddled to the deep ravine where there should be about 30 markers that aren't placed. If all the markers are placed correctly you would see the Indians were correct about it being a buffalo hunt. The Indian lithographs of the battle are very precise, they depict the clothing worn by the Indians, what their horses looked like, the weapons used, everything is drawn like it occurred!
I think it sucks that they put all the paved roads in and around the battlefield. It should have been maintained as it looked in 1876 as best they could. The visitor's center and all other commercial spots should have been build away from any of the fighting areas. A good example for me is Gettysburg battlefield. I am a big history buff and talked to one of the rangers and asked him about an area that I knew had a cavalry charge. Today that area is full of trees and wooded but in 1863 was an open field. The ranger said that decades ago the tree huggers got their way and the government no longer maintained the battlefield to keep the terrain as it was in 1863.
@DAVID HECHLER - problem is visitors don't want to have to walk hundreds of yards, I think that's why the visitor center is close-by, and they have sidewalks, restrooms, bookstore/maps/souvenirs etc. When this ranger said he'd been there late at night and didn't see any ghosts of the battle, I was a little surprised. I was also surprised they buried everybody in shallow graves and left them that way for a year and longer.
The lot of the Irish and German soldiers must have been depressing. The only "job" they could get in America was by joining the US army and fighting indians. They maybe had never seen an Indian before being assigned to the 7th, only to be killed in an inhospitable and strange land. Pitiful, to be sure. Nobody knows for certain how many native warriors there were that encountered the 7th, but the number vastly outnumbered the Wasichu cavalry on that June day
Seriously, an Oscar worthy movie made with great writers, great actors and great director. This battle would be an amazing movie. With the opening scene starting with Custer at a campfire talking to his officers..and the climax and ending is the battle of Little Bighorn, and hopefully presenting the Native Americans as true heroes and not how the newspapers described them as savages.
Great idea. In your movie please show the indians torturing all the wounded soldiers and cutting their heads off, cutting their legs off, hands, arms, gouging out their eyes smashing in their skulls. Please show that to.
The fact of the matter is that Custer was a glory seeker and his men paid the price for his ambitions. The 7th Cavalry was far from a crack unit at that point. They had been on campaign for months. Their horses were worn out, they were under supplied, the officers couldn't get along, most of the enlisted personnel couldn't stand their commander, desertions were up and morale was down. I'm a combat veteran and by today's standards that regiment would have never been committed to battle in the shape it was in. It was combat ineffective before the fight even started.
There are reports Custer or at least his command saw Reno driven back to the Cotton wood trees. Custer should have abandoned his attack at that point and gone to the aid of his sub-command. Instead he apparently chose to use Reno's command as a sacrifice and a distraction to launch his own attack.
uh...the they left Fort Lincoln on May17th 1776. Battle was on June 25th. How is that months? Also, his experience on other campaigns saw worse hardships than the events leading up to the Little Bighorn Battle, and splitting his forces was a tactic he used with immense success before. Those tactics were also not uncommon in the Indian Wars especially when trying to capture the fleeing women and children of the village. What was uncommon was the size of the village which wasn't fully realized until the attack was already in motion. Also the desertion rate was at a low preceding that battle...about 7% compared to 1871 and 1872 was approximately 30% average due to a pay decrease.
@@steveadelson8727 Hardly. Be happy to debate you, Steve. That ranger is just spouting the same nonsense about the battle that ignorant folks just take at face value today.
@Mactrip100 I know a little bit about the battle. His talk was mainly based upon two sources: Walter Mason Camps research and that of Richard Fox. Both are flawed IMHO . Camp was the early proponent of E Troop losing 28 troopers in Deep Ravine..Fox was a champion of Crazy Horse and his sweep north around Custer Hill (later modified to Deep Ravine). Neither of those events happened as described. Crazy Horse leading "800" warriors is preposterous given the total Indian strength at the battle. Lame White Man leading a charge against C Troop is also wrong.. he did lead an attack but it was against E Troop on the South Skirmish line. If interested I will explain in detail one such example of what the ranger got wrong..lets make it what Crazy Horses REAL role was in the battle..hint he single handily caused the collapse of Keoughs battalion ..but not in a way commonly known.
@@petere5826 your comments have sparked my interest. Id be very interested in hearing what Crazy Horses real role was that is not commonly known. Also was wondering what book or books would you recommend that accurately depict the battle? Thanks in advance.
Why is this battle still so contested? I've spent twenty plus years reading this account and that account of this battle. The US Army lost 1000 soldiers to Red Cloud and the Indians prior to the Civil War. People wanted the gold in the Black Hills and set Custer up to fail to get it. And did. Some 5 billion by 1985.
nice presentation by the ranger. Am wondering if he saw war? Vietnam? He alludes to finding a feeling there at night. Perhaps thinking of those of us who have seen war and finding a peace with those who have departed. Just a thought.
I think there is a lot of guess work in this....Guess there's no choice. BTW...Keogh wore The Medal of St. Peter - Pro Petri Sede. One thing is certain....If Tom Custer and Myles Keogh had been in command of the other 2 battalions instead of Reno and Benteen things would not have turned out well for the Indians. Of course that was not an option for Custer, but it would have made all the difference.
Sorry, but they would have charged into this messy battle and their troopers probably suffered the same fate. Too many Indians and all hell bent to die for the cause. Benteen and Reno saved their commands. The fault lies entirely with Custer. Had he kept his command together and completed better reconnaissance, waited until Terry came up on the 26th as planned, the outcome might have been different
Terry was late, and did not arrive until the 28th, and the Indians were long gone. Reno was a drunken coward and Benteen hated Custer...Not much there to depend upon...and that was Custer's mistake.
The truth is Custer was abandoned by Benteen and Reno. Reno got drunk during the battle and Benteen hated Custer to death. That’s the truth. Everything else is pure army propaganda.
Benteen and Reno were both decorated Civil War veterans so there was no reason for them NOT to command their respective battalions. Benteen in fact had even more battles on his resume than Custer did. As a combat veteran it's actually difficult to fault Benteen for his decision. The second that Reno's attack was repulsed Custer was doomed regardless of whether Benteen got there or not. Benteen gets criticized for his slow movement but he was ordered to bring along the pack mules with the reserve ammunition and had to keep stopping to wait for them. He actually finally decided to move on without them BECAUSE they were slowing him down. When he arrived on the scene Reno was badly shaken and his battalion had been rendered combat ineffective. At that point the fighting at Custer's location was already near its end and the Indians could have easily dispatched any relief column that was in route and then wiped out Reno. Benteen had to decide whether to allow the entire regiment to be massacred or try to save as much of it as possible. The bottom line is that Custer got himself and 210 of his men killed because he couldn't follow orders. He was instructed to FIND the Indians, not fight them.
To bad the only two times Ive been there long ago was as a certified moron since I simply knew about it and is alongside the highway and I just did the standard walkup and look but I was in middle of long trip. Now that ive studied it I will never get back near there. anyway I am confused about the various stories of Crazy horse and I realize nobody knows for sure but he has been reported about 12 different places at the same time. My understanding is he did start out rushing over to Reno skirmish area then headed back to the north end of camp and up and around and rushed them from the back from the north towards the south as it was dying down not that he rushed up deep ravine area into a hail of bullets. Of course I was not there in in studying it I hear a different story every time. Crazy Horse my understand at this time is he was taking part heavily however it took place so fast that by the time he did his final charge through it was dying down. Gall of course was rushing up from Reno towards Custer area but I have never understood CH was with him at that time. Had Ch went into a hail of bullets with several reloads and volleys-----He would have been shot. also in the hysteria with the dust they said you could hardly see the hand in front of your face even indians were accidentally killing each other. Many indians were full of arrows. Some were shot because many had already put on the blue coats. Anyway I "at this time" I think CH rushing directly into the fresh troops from the deep ravine area MAY be some harmless exaggeration for the tourists. I am sure nobody will reply to help set me straight.
Crazy Horse rode back and forth in front of I company as I understand it. This gave his followers courage from his strong medicine. They over run I company whilev
people dont know but keogh was a wing commander in charge of three companys not just company i C I L WAS HIS THREE COMPANIES IT MAY HAVE ENDED DIFFERNTLY FOR SURE KEOGH WOULD NOT HAVE ABANDONED CUSTER AND HIS THREE COMPANIES WOULD HAVE MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE I AM SURE HAD HE ATTACKED FROM THREE FRONTS THEY MAY HAVE CARRIED THE DAY
They would have run low on ammo, and eventually run out, and then what?? Surrounded by adrenaline-yelling Indians?? Their fate was sealed. Had they earlier beat a hasty retreat back toward the pack train and Reno's and Benteen's positions they could have consolidated the companies and set up a strong defense with replenished ammo from supplies. But that didn't happen. Custer had to fight it out to the last man on open prairie, across the LBH river from, and northeast of, the Indians' encampment.
I watched another video about Crook's battle at the Rosebud. While he took casualties, his command was not wiped out by any means and the Indians withdrew. But rather than stay where he was, he withdrew to his supply base and then went fishing and hunting. The position he vacated was one that Custer rode by on his route to the village. Previously I had always thought Crook column was severly defeated and days away from Terry. He was actually close and NOT defeated. Had Crook remained wher he was at the Battle of the Rosebud where he was in control of the field, he could have taken command of Custer and then brought his own Cavalry Regiment and his Infantry Regiment with Custer to attack the village. That force would not have been defeated by the Indians at the Little Big Horn. But who knows. Would Custer have agreed to fall under him and wait for the entire force to move together? Likely not as Custer wanted a victory to allow him to run for President. But an interesting what if .
Specially as they left their own country where they they were repressed and controlled by a foreign force. Sickening to know they had no problem doing the same to another nation of people on their own land😢
What I read throughout this thread is the proposition that non-indigenous peoples (me) in North America should "give back" the land to Native Americans. OK, I'll bite. What does that look like? Who can share a plan?
Why is it that they will not do DNA testing on any of the remains and who they found I think it’s a big cover up there should be no reason they can’t use DNA for testing everything and may be rewrite in the book to the Indian way
Clearly he knows a lot! However, a cloud of dust purposely made by the Indians covered the battle site! Check it out? When the fight ended soldiers on Wier's point could see Indians shooting down at the ground.
Deep Ravine that’s the last stand been there in 07 it’s America by golly I Prefer Dangerous Freedom over Peaceful Slavery Combat Vet from Nam 69 A 1/9 marines the Walking Dead
@@Chief2Moon . Lol. Two of the worst sources since most is cock and bull. Archeologists blasphemy the word 'science' in that indians took casings ( like everyone did) for reloads. The ford b area was used for deer hunters and officers as a picnicking spot out of ft custer and relic hunters mere years after the battle. And taking an indians words is mostly bravado and bull shit, since there willingly lied for PR reasons. Denying mutilation, torture, amount of their own dead ( which was ALOT), the Kellogg journalist ( not being mutilated) was a PR move, not because he was some sage chief, or bearer of wisdom, or even respected. In a warped sense being mutilated at bighorn was more a signal of respect, ie YOU FOUGHT
looking for understanding..well, that's simple..the natives stood in the way of the European greed for land ...so, they did what they always did, they destroyed those that stood in the way and stole the land.
Every large nation of this world has exhibited imperialistic behavior, not saying it is right, just a pattern we find with all of them. In the interest of power and control the innocent are killed and entire classes of people are forced to assimilate. It is good to recognize in many ways we continue this pattern of behavior even today as we attempt to control other nations and their elections despite a disdain for those who attempt to influence ours.
The Bradfords..true, but in most cases the countries were given back to the exploited/abused original inhabitants after a period of time...I dare say the natives of America are wondering when it's their turn.
+colin glen - Maybe you should read up on some native history? Most all native 'supposed' lands or territories were conquered by one tribe, from another. Tribes were fighting eachother for millennia before the white man came and yes exterminating other tribes in the process. So lets stop with the victim mentality. The land itself belongs to no one, but too the conquerors, that's the history of mankind. Greed has always been the base cause of all affliction, all wars, all conquering. This was no different.
you could say that about Africa but the imperialists there had the human decency to hand power back to the native people. it's about time the descendents of the genocidal maniacs handed America back.
Undoubtedly a misstatement by the Park Ranger. American tends to ignore the ugly truth of our early history in that we did many things wrong and very few were held accountable for certain war crimes.
I’ve never heard that. In fact, most historians believe he was headed to take the women and children hostages in a order to make the warriors surrender, and return them all to the reservation.
After reading several books and watching several documentaries on that afternoon in 1876, this may be the clearest, best overall interpretation I’ve absorbed...Thank you!!
You were so lucky to have Steve Adelman as your Ranger! Along with Mike Donahue, he is the most knowledgeable guide you could have. There's a DVD available, called Contested Ground, which pairs Steve's lecture with Chris Hoffert's amazing graphics. If you see Steve again ever, ask him about the motorcycle key/ ghost episode!
Last stand hill was where the monument is. The peak of the hill was there. The whole top was graded down for the monument.
Custer basically confirmed the notion that if you go looking for trouble, you'll most likely find it.
Ya, he was f'n around and he definitely found out eh?
My only complaint...those young Irish men wouldn't have come through Ellis Island. They would have come through Castle Clinton in NYC. Ellis Island didn't open until 1892 for immigration.
True i learned that doing my family history
Spot on correct. Mine arrived during the famine in 1849, moved on to Missouri and then North Dakota. The army promised a future but these guys never saw it. Hopefully their families did.
I think the point was immigrants in the military regardless of where they landed
Pay close attention to the fine work of "Custer Appollo" on the battle of The Little Bighorn,
Brilliant video thanks.🖒👍 so interesting thank you .
Great narration. Love listening to this national park guide.
It seems that just about everyone now says that the actual last stand was in Deep Ravine where the last of the fighting took place.
A lot of the soldiers were irish, italian, germans ect..some of them was their first time ....and last ever seeing native americans.
Soldiers murderers
@@pauloalmeida4240 get over yourself
Headed there this coming Saturday. Really looking forward to it.
Flagrum3. Most of the markers you see are well placed, to show where men fell and wre buried. Some of them are spurious, in that they were placed there, for lack of knowing the exact place where they should be. In some cases there are 2 markers side by side, which in reality, only represent one grave. Some of the markers have undergone archaeological work and many had remains of the soldiers still there, even though they were exhumed in 1881 to be buried at the monument. If I remember correctly about 77% of the markers had some type of remains discovered by archaeologists, indicating a burial after the battle The officers were exhumed the next year and sent to various places, hometowns, military cemeteries, for reburial. Custer and the men who were killed at the top were taken downslope and buried. It is thought that Custer was killed at or very near, the southwest corner of the monument, where the gentlemen are standing as the vid opens. So when you look at the monuments you see a picture, albeit imperfect, of where the men were killed and buried.
Well gone, custer murderers
I've been interested in this battle since I was a little boy. I'm 53 now. A trip here is definitely on my to do list when I retire
Make sure you go! I just came back from travelling across the US for a month and this place made the biggest impression on me. I got there just as the sun set over the horizon, no one else in sight. Only me and all the knowledge of the battle itself but also the long history that led up to the battle. As the guide said - it's a very spiritual place...
The sound of the silence heard from this battlefield pulls my soul to this dreadful location. I am impelled to seek the peace of all the lost soldiers and warriors sacrificed in this senseless mission.
Gott Mit Uns
Yes, some Simon and Garfunkle at the battlefield playing in the background would be nice to put your soul into some dreadful experiences..
Reading all the comments and replies one can see many different opinions and passions. i have been there to Little Bighorn 18 times and live close to 375 miles north of there. i am thankful for all the trails and monuments, buildings, artifacts etc i think they preserved history well. An old man now i can drive through history so i dont think they ruint the site by making roads and trails
Reading the comments no one seems to mention Crook in all this. He turned back, did not send messages right away informing others that the Indians were not running, were in great numbers and most importantly possessed repeating rifles. His information given to Custer could have changed the whole battle plan remember he was supposed to be the blocking force from the south his lack of information was a dissertation of his duty.
They were there to slaughter and got what they wished and so did those who did not
Correct me if I'm wrong and/or input from others would be well received. I read somewhere that where the markers are placed today on Last Stand Hill are actually not the spots where they fell, but that the bodies had been moved down the hill and buried due to the higher, top of the hill area, being too hard ground to dig. This would mean that where the Park Ranger and the others are standing, could be the real actual area where they fell.
In one of the videos or maybe when I did not record, he made reference to the fact that the location was not for certain the last stand but where they buried the bodies. He spoke bodies being moved and the marker did not represent the true location but was near their final stand.
Flagrum3 From all accounts I've ever read, including from June, 1876, that the bodies were buried where they were found. Custer was later moved to West Point and the rest were intered in the mass grave under the monument.
The ranger himself said Custer was found right about where the guy in the red shirt was standing, but yet his "marker" is 20-25 feet down the hill. That should answer your question for you. The men were defending the crest of the hill, but the markers were moved down to the side of the hill (for road construction? I don't know). If the men were defending the side of the hill, the Indians could have crept up to withing 20 feet of them under cover because you can't see around a curve of a hillside. Custer chose the best ground he had available to him, which wasn't that good, but it was the best he had. He would have defended the crest of the hill, and so would have you in a similar situation. Now the markers throughout the entire battlefield probably do closely mark where men had fallen, but the idea that the markers on top of Custer Hill are the exact locations of the men that died with Custer is pure mythology. The markers might not have been moved far, but they have been moved. They do, however, most likely mark where each man had fallen in relation to the other men on the hillside.
+MrShamus07 -Yes I seemed to have missed the ranger's remark somehow. So in essence where people stand today, behind the fence, is where Custer and others actually fell. A little creepy to think you are standing where someone fell a violent death.
i heard the markers were placed 3 years later after the bodies were taken so they really dont know where the bodies actually fallen.
Why did Custer chose to have his men to fight a battle inside this metal fence? Wasn't that space a bit confining? It would be hard to maneuver his men into the best defensive positions being that tight of a space it would seem to me.
You have extra markers on Last Stand Hill to perpetuate the myth of a great last stand. According to their numbers there should have been approximately 95 soldiers on Last stand Hill but there are only about fifty markers. Most of these have two markers for one soldier so that puts you down to about 25 killed on Last Stand Hill. They skedaddled to the deep ravine where there should be about 30 markers that aren't placed. If all the markers are placed correctly you would see the Indians were correct about it being a buffalo hunt. The Indian lithographs of the battle are very precise, they depict the clothing worn by the Indians, what their horses looked like, the weapons used, everything is drawn like it occurred!
I think it sucks that they put all the paved roads in and around the battlefield. It should have been maintained as it looked in 1876 as best they could. The visitor's center and all other commercial spots should have been build away from any of the fighting areas. A good example for me is Gettysburg battlefield. I am a big history buff and talked to one of the rangers and asked him about an area that I knew had a cavalry charge. Today that area is full of trees and wooded but in 1863 was an open field. The ranger said that decades ago the tree huggers got their way and the government no longer maintained the battlefield to keep the terrain as it was in 1863.
@DAVID HECHLER - problem is visitors don't want to have to walk hundreds of yards, I think that's why the visitor center is close-by, and they have sidewalks, restrooms, bookstore/maps/souvenirs etc. When this ranger said he'd been there late at night and didn't see any ghosts of the battle, I was a little surprised. I was also surprised they buried everybody in shallow graves and left them that way for a year and longer.
Great presentation
The lot of the Irish and German soldiers must have been depressing. The only "job" they could get in America was by joining the US army and fighting indians. They maybe had never seen an Indian before being assigned to the 7th, only to be killed in an inhospitable and strange land. Pitiful, to be sure. Nobody knows for certain how many native warriors there were that encountered the 7th, but the number vastly outnumbered the Wasichu cavalry on that June day
The only American
holiday I've ever been interested in celebrating is the battle of the sioux against the 7th cavalry" - Eugene O' Neil
This was not Americans fighting Americans. The Indians didn’t consider them selves Americans.
they certainly didn't call the lands they lived on 'America'
It was and is their homeland Pilgrim.
Seriously, an Oscar worthy movie made with great writers, great actors and great director. This battle would be an amazing movie. With the opening scene starting with Custer at a campfire talking to his officers..and the climax and ending is the battle of Little Bighorn, and hopefully presenting the Native Americans as true heroes and not how the newspapers described them as savages.
Great idea. In your movie please show the indians torturing all the wounded soldiers and cutting their heads off, cutting their legs off, hands, arms, gouging out their eyes smashing in their skulls. Please show that to.
The indians weren’t virgins bub
@@jacksmith7082 yes please that would be awesome, they deserved it
The Indians of North America robbed, raped, and conquered each other from sea-to-shining-sea, before and after Europeans arrived. Deal with it.
The fact of the matter is that Custer was a glory seeker and his men paid the price for his ambitions. The 7th Cavalry was far from a crack unit at that point. They had been on campaign for months. Their horses were worn out, they were under supplied, the officers couldn't get along, most of the enlisted personnel couldn't stand their commander, desertions were up and morale was down. I'm a combat veteran and by today's standards that regiment would have never been committed to battle in the shape it was in. It was combat ineffective before the fight even started.
There are reports Custer or at least his command saw Reno driven back to the Cotton wood trees. Custer should have abandoned his attack at that point and gone to the aid of his sub-command. Instead he apparently chose to use Reno's command as a sacrifice and a distraction to launch his own attack.
uh...the they left Fort Lincoln on May17th 1776. Battle was on June 25th. How is that months? Also, his experience on other campaigns saw worse hardships than the events leading up to the Little Bighorn Battle, and splitting his forces was a tactic he used with immense success before. Those tactics were also not uncommon in the Indian Wars especially when trying to capture the fleeing women and children of the village. What was uncommon was the size of the village which wasn't fully realized until the attack was already in motion. Also the desertion rate was at a low preceding that battle...about 7% compared to 1871 and 1872 was approximately 30% average due to a pay decrease.
That park ranger is totally incorrect about the troop and warrior movements in the battle. Geez
You are clueless
@@steveadelson8727 Hardly. Be happy to debate you, Steve. That ranger is just spouting the same nonsense about the battle that ignorant folks just take at face value today.
@Mactrip100 I know a little bit about the battle. His talk was mainly based upon two sources: Walter Mason Camps research and that of Richard Fox. Both are flawed IMHO . Camp was the early proponent of E Troop losing 28 troopers in Deep Ravine..Fox was a champion of Crazy Horse and his sweep north around Custer Hill (later modified to Deep Ravine). Neither of those events happened as described. Crazy Horse leading "800" warriors is preposterous given the total Indian strength at the battle. Lame White Man leading a charge against C Troop is also wrong.. he did lead an attack but it was against E Troop on the South Skirmish line. If interested I will explain in detail one such example of what the ranger got wrong..lets make it what Crazy Horses REAL role was in the battle..hint he single handily caused the collapse of Keoughs battalion ..but not in a way commonly known.
@@petere5826 your comments have sparked my interest. Id be very interested in hearing what Crazy Horses real role was that is not commonly known. Also was wondering what book or books would you recommend that accurately depict the battle? Thanks in advance.
@@petere5826 What cavdragoon said.
There are thousands of survivors of the battle....theyer called INDIANS!!
Why is this battle still so contested? I've spent twenty plus years reading this account and that account of this battle. The US Army lost 1000 soldiers to Red Cloud and the Indians prior to the Civil War. People wanted the gold in the Black Hills and set Custer up to fail to get it. And did. Some 5 billion by 1985.
nice presentation by the ranger. Am wondering if he saw war? Vietnam? He alludes to finding a feeling there at night. Perhaps thinking of those of us who have seen war and finding a peace with those who have departed. Just a thought.
why wasnt custard issued some AR 15s or glock 9 mm?
Really !
Same thing goes on. 2019
Custer was the Justin Beiber of the west. After his defeat, that pretty much cooked our goose.
I think there is a lot of guess work in this....Guess there's no choice. BTW...Keogh wore The Medal of St. Peter - Pro Petri Sede.
One thing is certain....If Tom Custer and Myles Keogh had been in command of the other 2 battalions instead of Reno and Benteen things would not have turned out well for the Indians. Of course that was not an option for Custer, but it would have made all the difference.
Sorry, but they would have charged into this messy battle and their troopers probably suffered the same fate. Too many Indians and all hell bent to die for the cause. Benteen and Reno saved their commands. The fault lies entirely with Custer. Had he kept his command together and completed better reconnaissance, waited until Terry came up on the 26th as planned, the outcome might have been different
Terry was late, and did not arrive until the 28th, and the Indians were long gone.
Reno was a drunken coward and Benteen hated Custer...Not much there to depend upon...and that was Custer's mistake.
Yeah...I mentioned that putting Tom and Keogh in command, in place of Reno and Benteen, was not an option.
The truth is Custer was abandoned by Benteen and Reno. Reno got drunk during the battle and Benteen hated Custer to death. That’s the truth. Everything else is pure army propaganda.
Benteen and Reno were both decorated Civil War veterans so there was no reason for them NOT to command their respective battalions. Benteen in fact had even more battles on his resume than Custer did. As a combat veteran it's actually difficult to fault Benteen for his decision. The second that Reno's attack was repulsed Custer was doomed regardless of whether Benteen got there or not. Benteen gets criticized for his slow movement but he was ordered to bring along the pack mules with the reserve ammunition and had to keep stopping to wait for them. He actually finally decided to move on without them BECAUSE they were slowing him down. When he arrived on the scene Reno was badly shaken and his battalion had been rendered combat ineffective. At that point the fighting at Custer's location was already near its end and the Indians could have easily dispatched any relief column that was in route and then wiped out Reno. Benteen had to decide whether to allow the entire regiment to be massacred or try to save as much of it as possible. The bottom line is that Custer got himself and 210 of his men killed because he couldn't follow orders. He was instructed to FIND the Indians, not fight them.
Done in honor and in memory of the innocent killed at the Sand Creek Massacre. Many Cheyenne were present on that day.
To bad the only two times Ive been there long ago was as a certified moron since I simply knew about it and is alongside the highway and I just did the standard walkup and look but I was in middle of long trip. Now that ive studied it I will never get back near there.
anyway I am confused about the various stories of Crazy horse and I realize nobody knows for sure but he has been reported about 12 different places at the same time. My understanding is he did start out rushing over to Reno skirmish area then headed back to the north end of camp and up and around and rushed them from the back from the north towards the south as it was dying down not that he rushed up deep ravine area into a hail of bullets. Of course I was not there in in studying it I hear a different story every time. Crazy Horse my understand at this time is he was taking part heavily however it took place so fast that by the time he did his final charge through it was dying down. Gall of course was rushing up from Reno towards Custer area but I have never understood CH was with him at that time. Had Ch went into a hail of bullets with several reloads and volleys-----He would have been shot. also in the hysteria with the dust they said you could hardly see the hand in front of your face even indians were accidentally killing each other. Many indians were full of arrows. Some were shot because many had already put on the blue coats. Anyway I "at this time" I think CH rushing directly into the fresh troops from the deep ravine area MAY be some harmless exaggeration for the tourists. I am sure nobody will reply to help set me straight.
Crazy Horse rode back and forth in front of I company as I understand it. This gave his followers courage from his strong medicine. They over run I company whilev
Miles Keogh, pronounced correctly Miles K-Yo👌👍
exactle..Kee-yo
people dont know but keogh was a wing commander in charge of three companys not just company i C I L WAS HIS THREE COMPANIES IT MAY HAVE ENDED DIFFERNTLY FOR SURE KEOGH WOULD NOT HAVE ABANDONED CUSTER AND HIS THREE COMPANIES WOULD HAVE MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE I AM SURE HAD HE ATTACKED FROM THREE FRONTS THEY MAY HAVE CARRIED THE DAY
They would have run low on ammo, and eventually run out, and then what?? Surrounded by adrenaline-yelling Indians?? Their fate was sealed. Had they earlier beat a hasty retreat back toward the pack train and Reno's and Benteen's positions they could have consolidated the companies and set up a strong defense with replenished ammo from supplies. But that didn't happen. Custer had to fight it out to the last man on open prairie, across the LBH river from, and northeast of, the Indians' encampment.
1876 little big Horn.
CUSTERS Niedergang.
I watched another video about Crook's battle at the Rosebud. While he took casualties, his command was not wiped out by any means and the Indians withdrew. But rather than stay where he was, he withdrew to his supply base and then went fishing and hunting. The position he vacated was one that Custer rode by on his route to the village. Previously I had always thought Crook column was severly defeated and days away from Terry. He was actually close and NOT defeated. Had Crook remained wher he was at the Battle of the Rosebud where he was in control of the field, he could have taken command of Custer and then brought his own Cavalry Regiment and his Infantry Regiment with Custer to attack the village. That force would not have been defeated by the Indians at the Little Big Horn. But who knows. Would Custer have agreed to fall under him and wait for the entire force to move together? Likely not as Custer wanted a victory to allow him to run for President. But an interesting what if .
Do you actually think that the adversary would EVER be so considerate of your welfare and ''feels''?.
Markers show where they fell not gravestones
How the White man tamed the savage.
Ohhhh poor Irishmen that sacrificed their life to help commit genocide, I feel so bad said no Indigenous person ever.
Specially as they left their own country where they they were repressed and controlled by a foreign force.
Sickening to know they had no problem doing the same to another nation of people on their own land😢
They fought for their new country, right or wrong they fought,which I would bet none of ye pricks ever would.
What I read throughout this thread is the proposition that non-indigenous peoples (me) in North America should "give back" the land to Native Americans. OK, I'll bite. What does that look like? Who can share a plan?
Typical, blame the soldiers not the politicians...
Why is it that they will not do DNA testing on any of the remains and who they found I think it’s a big cover up there should be no reason they can’t use DNA for testing everything and may be rewrite in the book to the Indian way
Clearly he knows a lot! However, a cloud of dust purposely made by the Indians covered the battle site! Check it out? When the fight ended soldiers on Wier's point could see Indians shooting down at the ground.
Deep Ravine that’s the last stand been there in 07 it’s America by golly I Prefer Dangerous Freedom over Peaceful Slavery Combat Vet from Nam 69 A 1/9 marines the Walking Dead
We carried the day. This story should be told from our point of view not the euro american point of view.
You won the battle, we won the war. Also why can't it be from a neutral perspective?
Sad to see roads running past last stand hill
A whole of conjecture goin' on....
Richard Schaefer Much of it corroborated by archaeological evidence& Indian testimony
@@Chief2Moon . Lol. Two of the worst sources since most is cock and bull. Archeologists blasphemy the word 'science' in that indians took casings ( like everyone did) for reloads. The ford b area was used for deer hunters and officers as a picnicking spot out of ft custer and relic hunters mere years after the battle. And taking an indians words is mostly bravado and bull shit, since there willingly lied for PR reasons. Denying mutilation, torture, amount of their own dead ( which was ALOT), the Kellogg journalist ( not being mutilated) was a PR move, not because he was some sage chief, or bearer of wisdom, or even respected. In a warped sense being mutilated at bighorn was more a signal of respect, ie YOU FOUGHT
a snow flakes couldnt survive a wet dream
Weird and rude thing to say
I'd say , get a grip . But by the sounds of it your gripping something
looking for understanding..well, that's simple..the natives stood in the way of the European greed for land ...so, they did what they always did, they destroyed those that stood in the way and stole the land.
Every large nation of this world has exhibited imperialistic behavior, not saying it is right, just a pattern we find with all of them. In the interest of power and control the innocent are killed and entire classes of people are forced to assimilate. It is good to recognize in many ways we continue this pattern of behavior even today as we attempt to control other nations and their elections despite a disdain for those who attempt to influence ours.
The Bradfords..true, but in most cases the countries were given back to the exploited/abused original inhabitants after a period of time...I dare say the natives of America are wondering when it's their turn.
+colin glen - Maybe you should read up on some native history? Most all native 'supposed' lands or territories were conquered by one tribe, from another. Tribes were fighting eachother for millennia before the white man came and yes exterminating other tribes in the process. So lets stop with the victim mentality. The land itself belongs to no one, but too the conquerors, that's the history of mankind. Greed has always been the base cause of all affliction, all wars, all conquering. This was no different.
you could say that about Africa but the imperialists there had the human decency to hand power back to the native people. it's about time the descendents of the genocidal maniacs handed America back.
so, give your house to a native american, what are you waiting for, moron?
americans fighting americans? ...oh please. :(
Undoubtedly a misstatement by the Park Ranger. American tends to ignore the ugly truth of our early history in that we did many things wrong and very few were held accountable for certain war crimes.
The Bradfords...yes, it's a statement that fits in with the adopted 'sanitised' narrative.
go fuck your white hating self@@BRADFORDKO
Stop touching you nose.
General Custers last order before the battle: No Prisoners
I’ve never heard that. In fact, most historians believe he was headed to take the women and children hostages in a order to make the warriors surrender, and return them all to the reservation.
@@aerialeggbeater2644 b.s.
Steve D might try reading a few books other than comics
@@aerialeggbeater2644 asshole
@@aerialeggbeater2644 ruclips.net/video/SHEGd5AOA5E/видео.html learn some real history about what happened you egg head twit