June 25, 1876: Custer Massacre

[Texas Star]

I'm surprised that no one posted a thread about Custer's last stand.

Those men deserve our remembrance as well as those who died in later wars.

 

[Iggy]

A terrible waste of good men.
I have walked that battlefield, at times the hair stood up on the back of my neck. If I believed in re-incarnation, I would suspect I was there.

There were at least 4 Medals of Honor awarded to the survivors of the Reno battle. Lots of scary tales from that battle.

 

[Abbynormal]

Custer had it coming. Insolence and egotism only go so far.

 

[6518John]

Quote I saw. Seems to sum it all up.

I was always taken by this quote I saw in a museum from Sitting Bull. I think it is a a good lesson on warfare and life.

 

[Iggy]

Reports from burial details made up of Gen Terry's men would tend to indicate that Sittin' Bull was full of bull.

Mutilation of Custer and his men was withheld to protect the widows, Libby Custer in particular.

 

[Step N. Mud]

Custer finally caught the enemy after chasing them for ten years and they always ran away before. Battle of Rosebud just previous a few days before and fought to a standstill caused the opposing force to think the army was re-supplied to continue the attack.
No doubt there were some brave men who fought to the end.
Seems like lack of of communication was a partial factor, either intentionally or disregarded.

 

[Texas Star]

Custer had it coming. Insolence and egotism only go so far.

I'm thinking mainly of the men who had to follow his orders.

 

[Targets Guy]

That is the sad part of the story.

 

[eb07]

Custer had it coming. Insolence and egotism only go so far.

Real men are far and few between these days. He was also a civil war hero. What's your pedigree?

 

[30-30remchester]

An interesting side note was the complete massacre of a detail sent to find Custer a week or 2 before. A young lieutenant and a detail of men were sent out to locate Custer at his assigned position and give him orders. When the company arrived, Custer had already left and on the return trip the soldiers were killed to the man in Kansas. It is called the Kidder Massacre in honor of the lieutenant Lyman Kidder who was leading the party of soldiers.

 

[Absalom]

An interesting side note was the complete massacre of a detail sent to find Custer a week or 2 before. A young lieutenant and a detail of men were sent out to locate Custer at his assigned position and give him orders. When the company arrived, Custer had already left and on the return trip the soldiers were killed to the man in Kansas. It is called the Kidder Massacre in honor of the lieutenant Lyman Kidder who was leading the party of soldiers.

Umm.... that actually happened in 1867, nine years earlier .

On a side note, I think the term "massacre" is used much too inflationary whenever a battle (or in case of the LBH, part of a battle) ended with no survivors.

All those battles of the Indian wars, be it the "Grattan Massacre" of 1854, the "Fetterman Massacre" of 1866, or the "Custer Massacre", involved well-armed units who, usually through poor decision-making and other circumstances, found themselves in a situation without support and were wiped out when unit cohesion, vital for survival in the age of the single-shot weapon, collapsed.

But these were still battles, fights between armed men, not true massacres, like the Whitman massacre of 1847, where the Cayuse killed a group of missionaries, or the Sand Creek massacre of 1864, where the Colorado militia wiped out a Cheyenne village.

 

[30-30remchester]

Umm.... that actually happened in 1867, nine years earlier .

On a side note, I think the term "massacre" is used much too inflationary whenever a battle (or in case of the LBH, part of a battle) ended with no survivors.

All those battles of the Indian wars, be it the "Grattan Massacre" of 1854, the "Fetterman Massacre" of 1866, or the "Custer Massacre", involved well-armed units who, usually through poor decision-making and other circumstances, found themselves in a situation without support and were wiped out when unit cohesion, vital for survival in the age of the single-shot weapon, collapsed.

But these were still battles, fights between armed men, not true massacres, like the Whitman massacre of 1847, where the Cayuse killed a group of missionaries, or the Sand Creek massacre of 1864, where the Colorado militia wiped out a Cheyenne village.

You are correct about the date. It has been years since I read the book. I am at point in my life when I can clearly remember something whether it really happened or not. I read too much and retain little. And a note on the Sand Creek massacre, there were survivors including Black Kettle.

 

[Absalom]

....And a note on the Sand Creek massacre, there were survivors including Black Kettle.

You're right. That just came to mind as an example, just like Whitman, for a more appropriate occasion to use the term "massacre", as those both involved the intentional killing of unarmed non-combatants.

 

[30-30remchester]

Since we are talking Indian battles, there is one that few have ever heard about. It is the Milk Creek fight in northern Colorado. Answering a call for help from Nathan Meeker, troops were summoned from fort Steele in Wyoming. About 10 miles before they got to Meeker, the Utes ambushed the troop. The Utes were above the surrounded trooper who were caught out in the open. The Utes were pouring fire down upon the troopers who lay behind their dead mounts. Unable to get water in the hot sun, the battle lasted several days IIRC. At night volunteers were sent out for help. I think every movie about the Calvary being pinned down and no help coming was written about this fight that few have ever heard of. When relief arrived the dead were buried and the troop left. The land is private and the soldiers are still buried there. All attempts to relocate them have failed as the land owner thinks they are just fine where they lay. Now take the facts with some skepticism as it have been years since I read about this battle as well.

 

[steelslaver]

Custer had it coming. Insolence and egotism only go so far.

Custer may well have had it coming. I don't have much sympathy for him The troopers under his command had little choice in the matter.

 

[OLDSTER]

Custer

If any of you are ever here in Bismarck, ND., take a few hours to visit restored Fort Abraham Lincoln on the banks of the Missouri River . The 7th Cavalry departed this fort on its ill-fated journey to the Powder River, to the west, in SE Montana. The Park Service and various Historical Societies, as Well as the local Sioux and Mandan Native American communities have done a fantastic job of restoration of the fort and grounds, and provide guided tours, museums, fully restored George and Libby Custer residence, the restored native ( and friendly to the "white-man") Mandan Slope Indian village and much more. All very well worth your time. And if you are a real history buff, you can travel about 370 history-filled miles out west to the actual battle field, which is also a very well done restoration and historical visit

 

[Ray]

Quite interesting, yesterday, June 25 was also a Sunday !
Regards, Ray

 

[the ringo kid]

Real men are far and few between these days. He was also a civil war hero. What's your pedigree?

Negitivity..........and ZERO added value.

 

[Iggy]

Custer's men were exhausted, horses were hungry and staggering. Custer was desperate to redeem his reputation. He made some real blunders on the Greasy Grass that day.


Libby spent the rest of her life trying to make a hero out of him.

 

[sigp220.45]

Poor LTC Custer. I can't think of a single American serviceman killed in action who is so regularly belittled (often by those who have never worn their country's uniform).