"There are more Indians than soldiers have bullets." — Bloody Knife, Crow scout
"If we go in there we will never come out." — Mitch Bouyer, Indian scout
On May 17, 1876, the 7th Cavalry, under the command of Lt. Col. George A. Custer, set out from Fort Abraham Lincoln, N.D., on a mission to force renegades of the northern Cheyenne and Sioux tribes back onto reservations. The battle of Little Bighorn, which took place on June 25, 1876, would be controversial for years to come. The facts surrounding the engagement, in which Custer's forces were wiped out, would only emerge after historians sifted through Indian accounts and conducted archaeological investigations.*
*An excavation of the Little Bighorn site was made in 1983 after a wildfire exposed battlefield artifacts.
George Armstrong Custer
Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class. The Civil War proved to be the perfect vehicle for a man of his temperament, as Custer was driven by ambition. His reckless bravery soon earned him the rank of brigadier general and the title "boy general." He was a hard taskmaster, often driving his men to the point of exhaustion. He was revered by a few but hated by many for his egotism and disregard for the welfare of the men under his command. Custer was part of a three-pronged expedition under the command of Gen. Alfred H. Terry during the spring of 1876.
Cavalry trooper
Neckerchief: Army manuals recommended placing a wet neckerchief under the hat to keep cool.
Carbine sling: Rifle clipped to sling when not in use.
Colt revolver: Held six cartridges. Used for close fighting.
Springfield carbine model 1873: .45-caliber, single shot, breech loaded. First rate in accuracy, range and stopping power. It had a tendency to jam during extended use.
Sabers were rarely carried. Their use was usually restricted to parades.
Trooper profile
Average height: 5 feet 7 inches (no one over 6 feet)
Weight: 160 pounds or less (larger men put too big a strain on the horses)
Age: Minimum enlistment age was 21, but some were much younger
Pay: $13 per month (pay could be sporadic, with some troops not being paid for up to seven months)
Horses
Cavalry horses were often so conditioned to drill commands that they would respond without prodding from troopers. In some cases the mount would move instinctively, throwing the rider.
Cavalry protocol commonly had one in four troopers holding horses on a skirmish line. This reduction in firepower contributed to the 7th Cavalry's defeat.
Sioux warrior
Feathers: Symbolized a deed in battle. Notch told of an enemy being scalped and having his throat cut. The dot indicated an enemy killed.
Hairpipe breastplate: Constructed of buffalo or deerbone. Originally designed to protect the chest.
Winchester model 1873: .45 caliber lever-action repeating rifle. Held 16 cartridges that could be fired in rapid succession.
Breechcloth: Made of cloth or hide.
Buckskin leggings
Moccasins: Buffalo hide with porcupine quill decorations.
Mutilations: After the battle, the troopers' bodies (except for Custer's) were mutilated. The Indians believed any wounds or lost body parts would be carried into the next life.
The outcome
Whether the troops under Custer were able to make an organized, heroic last stand has been the fodder for numerous books and more than 50 films. The truth is that Custer's troops and their horses were blistered and tired after a rigorous march that summer day. Custer had overestimated his troops' abilities and underestimated his enemy. The Indians' sheer numbers — combined with their overwhelming firepower* — was more than the 7th Cavalry could handle.
*The Indians had more than 47 different types of firearms, including 200 repeating rifles. Troopers had only single-shot Springfields and Colt revolvers.