Guys, say what you will about Custer (and Lord knows there's a lot to say), but it's a mistake to look at his actions without considering the context in which he operated.
Until the Battle of the Rosebud, which happened just prior to the Little Bighorn and which Custer didn't know about, the Sioux had always bolted when the Army appeared. The commanders' aim was to fix the "Injuns" in place and then destroy them; naturally, the Sioux weren't having any of it--the warriors would delay the soldiers while the rest of the camp got away, then take off themselves. Campaigns turned into long, frustrating tail-chases for the Army, and they seldom came to grips with the Sioux. Thus, when Custer came upon the huge encampment on the Greasy Grass, he wasn't thinking of survival--he was thinking of keeping the Indians from getting away. Sort of ironic, really.
Also, the Sioux had never before gathered in such huge numbers. Nor would they do so again. Nothing in Custer's experience, nor that of any other Army officer at the time, would have led him to expect to meet literally thousands of warriors in one place.
Custer ran into a set of unprecedented circumstances. His own shortcomings may have hastened his end, but given what was known (and assumed) at the time, it's unlikely that the outcome would have been different had any other officer been in charge.
JMHO, FWIW.
Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.
Ron H.
