Another very good book....

[Adam Helmer]

I just finished reading Joseph M. Marshall's book, "The Day The World Ended At Little Bighorn."

Marshall is a Lakota Sioux and tells the story of the Custer debacle from the indian viewpoint. His thesis in the book is supported by a recent historical and forensics study of cartridge cases picked up on the battlefield after a grass fire and reported on the History Channel.

Bottom line: There was no heroic last stand at Custer Hill. Both the men and horses were exhausted by a 25-hour forced march the day before and never did the "Rourk's Drift" sort of stand memoralized in movies and books. It was a rout and all died tired and running away.

Silmultaneously, Major Reno and Captain Benteen with fewer men did make a successful stand on a hill just Southeast of the Indian camp on the same day Custer was overrun.

I suppose there are two sides to every story and now we have "the rest of the story."

Adam

[BILLY D.]

Adam

Custer is not/never was one of my military heroes. It seemed to me he was a great Tactical thinker but not a great Strategic thinker. Tactical meaning short range, Strategic meanig long range. Thats why most of his success during the Civil War was over-rated. Most were attacks against smaller groups that were under-manned and under-armed.

He was also an EGOMANIAC. He thought he was invincible. Not what you want as a Commander.

Had he waited and prossesed the common sense the good Lord gave a goose the whole battle that day might have had a different outcome. He did not wait for the other advancing outfits and grossly underestimated the strengths of the opposing forces.

A dashing figure with flair, ubetcha. But those kind of folks get ya killed in combat. In "some" Wars they even got fragged.

It's too bad Libby was married to a bonehead. I admired her. Even after he totally screwed up she supported him. Course that could be to further her own legacy, but not my opinion.

Best wishes, Bill

[fabsroman]

As usual, history reported by the victor is not always the true account of what happened. That is especially true the further back in time you go. Nowadays, it might be a little harder to report hisotry incorrectly because the world is such a small place, but who knows what they will find 1,000 years from now.

[Adam Helmer]

fabsroman,

Either the Discovery Channel or History Channel did a foresnics test using the State Police Lab to check empty casing firing pin marks and did treat the battlefield as a crime scene. They proved conclusively that the troopers did not form a skirmish line to hold off the Indians.

The problem is many faceted: First, Custer apparently tried to cross the Little Big Horn River near the Indian camp at Medicine Tail Coulee. The Indians came out enmass and Custer fled to high ground to the East to Last Stand Hill. His 10 companies were in column of four and stretched a half-mile. Second, the Custer column never got to "Circle the Wagons" and the column was broken into many parts and the soldiers killed piecemeal.

Bottom Line: Custer should have brought the two Gatling Guns offered to him by General Terry and placed them ahead of time with two comapanies on Last Stand Hill BEFORE he assaulted the Indian Camp. Cavalry in column of fours is not an offensive or defensive formation.

The Indian accout of the battle corresponds to forensic evidence from the field.

Adam

[DogYeller]

Every time I read about Custer I'm reminded of a bumpersticker I saw on a Native-American's car in Watonga, Oklahoma. It said, "Custer was a punk".

[Adam Helmer]

Dog Yeller,

Custer was also a Lieutentant Colonel who got 225 other troopers killed, all whilst being a punk.

Adam

[BILLY D.]

Originally posted by DogYeller
Every time I read about Custer I'm reminded of a bumpersticker I saw on a Native-American's car in Watonga, Oklahoma. It said, "Custer was a punk".

We have a bumper sticker here in the Dakotas that states "Custer wore an Arrow shirt". OUCH!

Another sticker I really like states, "Please don't tell my folks I work in the Oil Patch, they think I'm a Piano Tuner in a house of ill-repute." :D

Best wishes, Bill

[gumpokc]

Chuckle Billy, i've seen that one, one of my favs is this one


"Custer got Sioux-ed"

[DogYeller]

Another sticker I really like states, "Please don't tell my folks I work in the Oil Patch, they think I'm a Piano Tuner in a house of ill-repute."
That's pretty close.

I like the one that says "OIL feeds my family and almost pays my taxes.