“Custer’s Last Stand” is one of the most famous battles in North America. I visited the Little Bighorn Battlefield, near Billings MT, back in 1972 as a little kid. Since that time, archaeological work has been done which gave a more accurate picture of the battle. Also since that time, the Native Americans who fought here have been given much more respect and remembrance than they received in 1972.

Custer had been a Brevet General during the Civil War, but in 1876 he was a Lt Colonel, sent to Montana as part of a force to round up “hostile” Native Americans who had left their reservations. On June 25, Custer’s 7th Cavalry found a Native encampment on the banks of the Little Bighorn River. Things did not go well for them.

Here are some photos from a visit to the battlefield.

The Visitors Center

The museum exhibit

Some of the weapons of the time. In the middle is a Springfield Carbine Model 1873 .45-55, the government-issue rifles used by the 7th Cavalry. This one was ballistically matched to shell casings found on the battlefield. Below it is a Winchester lever-action repeating rifle, one of several rifle models used by the Native warriors.

There are interpretive talks throughout the day by National Park Service Rangers….

…and guided tours by members of the Crow Nation (part of the park is located on the Crow Reservation).

From a ridge south of the battlefield, Custer’s Arikara and Crow scouts saw signs of a large encampment, and told Custer that he was outnumbered. Custer, however, was afraid the village would flee before he could reach it, and decided to attack immediately.

The Little Bighorn River. Custer divided his 600 troops into three groups. One, under Captain Benteen, would stay behind with the baggage as a reserve. Another, under Major Reno, would attack the village from the south. Custer, with 200 troops, would circle around and attack from the other side.

Reno crossed the river and charged at the village, but when he saw that he was outnumbered by several to one, he dismounted his troops and formed a skirmish line about where this red building is today. His 120 troops were attacked by several hundred Native warriors.

Custer, meanwhile, had taken his 200 troops north to this hill, from which, according to later Native accounts, he stopped to watch Reno’s attack. He sent a messenger back to Benteen ordering him to bring up reinforcements and the extra ammunition packs.

Reno’s troops were routed and retreated back across the river. The white stones mark the places where dead troopers were later found.

On this hill, Reno’s retreating forces unexpectedly met up with Benteen, who had received Custer’s order to move in. The two groups both dug a series of rifle pits and made a defensive circle. They would be pinned down here for the rest of the night and most of the next day. (The stone with the cross marks the place where the makeshift hospital was located.)

Once Reno retreated from the village, many of the Native warriors turned and moved to where Custer’s force was approaching the village. They drove Custer back to nearby Calhoun Hill, where heavy fighting occurred.

From Calhoun Hill, Custer and his remaining troopers were pushed onto nearby Last Stand Hill.

The white stones mark where they died

A detachment was sent from Benteen and Reno to reinforce Custer, under Capt Weir, but he got only as far as this hill before being stopped by Native warriors. By this time, Custer and all his troops were already dead.

The last group of about 30 troopers fled Last Stand Hill and tried to run to the woods along the Little Bighorn River.

They were caught and killed by a group of warriors led by Crazy Horse

One of the troopers killed was half-Lakota scout Mitch Bouyer, who was forensically identified in 1988 from skull fragments found here.

In 1972, there was barely any acknowledgment in the park of the Native people who fought and died. Today, there is a Native American Memorial commemorating them.

It is estimated that about 100 Native warriors died in the battle. Some of the places where they died were marked with rock piles by relatives immediately after the battle: today, these red granite stones mark those spots (these were not here in 1972 either).