I served as a trooper with the 3rd Armored Cav back in the early 1970's so the history of cavalry is very interesting, in fact in the history of the Brave Rifles, they were indeed with one of the Crook portion of the Campaign. I did visit the battleground about 20 years ago and it had a profound impact on me, living and working in the Dakota's I have spent more time then I would like to admit at the Fort Lincoln campground and have walked where Custer walked, slept where the troopers worked and perhaps slept as well. Our farm was on a part of the Deadwood trail, the wagon tracks still cut the prairie, my father had a 5 gallon bucket filled with arrowheads, knives and war clubs that he picked up while farming near the Pretty Rocks in South western North Dakota. When I go fishing at a nearby lake, I can see the carvings in the cliff face left by troopers of the 7th on their way to the Black Hills. I have spent the last couple days watching videos. about Custer, Oh I did get to serve with The Old Guard in the DC area during the bi-centennial.

That was a really good talk. I am so glad the topic of Vietnam came up. I turned 15 in 1970 and Vietnam had a profound effect on how I perceived American history. I Remember a few movies that portrayed Custer as a good guy. Since the early seventies I can't think of a single cultural reference to Custer in a positive light Recently I have learned a more accurate view of the Battle at Little Big Horn thanks to You Tube. Thanks for a very good overview.

As a West Point grad, and a former member of the 7th Cavalry, I came to the opinion that the indian wars had more in common with our war in Afghanistan than any other historical war we studied. We barely touched on the Indian Wars when I was at the Academy. I really had an epiphany when reading Custer's "My Life On the Plains" and Libbie Custer's "Boots and Saddles", and only then saw the similarities between the Army of 1876 chasing the plains indians with a huge logistical train (carrying fodder for the US horses) and the Army of 2010 chasing the taliban with a huge logistical train. Custer's Luck ran out that day, but arguably his predisposition for hasty attacks served him well throughout his Civil War and Indian War experiences.

Please post a reply showing how we can view past and future discussions, as listed at the end of this video. I am impressed with your complete coverage of a topic, the concurrent interaction with an intelligent audience, and your tolerance of dissenting opinions with being disagreeable. That's a combination of talents it'd hard to find in one place in these times.

Just come across this video I found it very informative and interesting. Even though I come from the UK I have a deep interest in the American West. I would love to visit one day.

Custer was a national celebrity beginning in the Civil War and it did not end at the Little Bighorn. In an odd sort of twist, Custer won the "Indian Wars" on June 25th, 1876. The destruction of the 7th Cavalry, and Custer's death, galvanized and angered the nation during it's Centennial Celebrations. Within one year, every Indian who participated in the battle was on a reservation or dead. The War on the Great Plains was over.

Colour-coding horses wasn’t about PR. It actually had a legitimate martial purpose and impact on the enemy.

The Lakota and Cheyenne deserve great credit for their great victory over one of the army's most effective battlefield commanders. No cause to denigrate anyone on that battlefield. Regarding unjust conquest issue, it's worth noting that the greasy grass battlefield was part of the territory the Lakota took from the Crow.

Great lecture! Thank you!

Overall a very fine presentation. One can find fault with anything and everything. Anyone can do that. The presenters did a great job with visual aids, too. Given the time they had the presentation was insightful and well argued.

I was at the Custer Battleground many years ago. We were the only people there & it was eerie. And I’m not one who believes in ghosts & so on.

A fascinating discussion. This is what the internet was made for! The fact that a group of academics and others with a deep knowledge and connection to the subject can sit in discussion somewhere in Dakota in 2015 and have this 2 hour in-depth seminar and then 7 years later here I am a guy in Glasgow Scotland, can stumble upon the resource on YT and engage with the event. Marvellous! Thanks for sharing. I think all small boys grow up with a fascination about Custer and the "Last Stand"- watching Errol Flynn's heroic portrayal in The Died With Their Boots On one Sunday afternoon in the early 70s captured my 10 yr old imagination. That movie did a lot of damage by creating the myth and cementing it in the international community as fact- the heroic final scene with Custer as the last man standing has been seared on our imaginations. I was surprised that no one mention the Buffalo Bill Travelling Show that always ended with the reenactment of the "Last Stand" That surely was the foundation of the myth for most American's and folks across Europe at the turn of the 20th Century. Then along comes the Dustin Hoffman movie withe the revisionist view as seen through the Vietnam lens. The more recent inclusion of the native American oral history of the battle is vital in helping us understand the events of that day. What happened to the native peoples of America is a terrible stain on the nations history- a culture and an entire way of live almost extinguished Many say this was not an important battle in the great scheme of things but in my view its an important cypher for the colonial expansionist past and serves as an important reminder of mans inhumanity to man, intolerance, racism, arrogance the myth of American exceptionalism and folly. It also serves to remind us of danger of media hype and just one man with an inflated ego and lust for glory self promotion and political ambition can pose to the lives of many- recent history has reminded us how easily we can fall into that trap.

Custer & Wife Was An Advocate Of Showing Humanity Toward The Indians Treaties.

Eight years on and June 25th. 2023. All the arguments still remain but some details need correcting. If we assume that GAC was mortally wounded at the river ford as stated by Pretty Shield then command would devolve to the two battalion commanders Captains Yates , Companies C, E and F and Keogh I and L. Tom Custer was subordinate to both. George Custer’s body was mutilated the extent covered to protect his widow Elizabeth. Tom Custer’s body was so badly mutilated he could only be identified by a tattoo on one of his limbs. Can you imagine that the 150th. Anniversary is only three years away and the battle is still in focus after crossing two centuries.

Bloody knife, not Bloody nose - is the name of Custers favorite Arickara scout

Custer's top commander, Sherman, influenced drive to exterminate

The gentleman who comments on Custer regulating horse color as mere show does not understand that approach was also used by many noted cavalry leaders prior since on the battlefield one could then identify which one and where his companies were from afar. We often think of war now as these early commanders having the same technological advances of recognition during an engagement (as one of the hosts then cite with the example if Custer might have had satellite recon), but they did not and did certain things to help make decisions. Custer was fascinated with Napoleon's cavalry commander Murat, and often tried to emulate him and assorting horses by color was his way of being able to keep track of his forces during an engagement

I really enjoy listening to the Indians on this subject as they have a great insight to the actual events as they happened.

The feeling of dread is real at the battle site.

I had never heard of the appellation bloody nose. I think he was better known as bloody knife

Custer wouldn't think much about these two goons either.

thank you...that was an awesome listen...the whole thing..........helps me learn...and distill truths from this perspective......I am also very very interested in the 1st nation perspective and account...and what were the parallels in New Zealand Aotearoa at this time...did what was happening in America pervade our perspective in subduing Maori, our 1st nation people. Great listen......thank you Larry and Clay...and all participants comments and questions.

Today my people remember the Battle of Greasy Grass and Crazy Horse who's battle cry Was " HOKAHEY!! Lakota 4 ever!

That "valley" was called The Thieves Road.

I think you also failed to mention that while he may have lost, on a percentage basis, more calvary troops than other officers, he ALWAYS led the fighting. He was NOT one of those officers who say safely behind the lines and ordered men to their deaths. While he was not certainly killed as were some of his men, he easily could have, and while easy to throw around the term “narcissist,” there was no indication he was suicidal. Would he press an advantage IF he felt he could exploit it, all indications say yes. Would he take risks to win a battle, sure, but educated risks. He was a successful civil war calvary officer, he was educated at West Point, which is better than most of his peers. I think IF you believe Custer was all about “glory and fame,” you can’t have either of you are dead. Custer had a wife he adored. He had no death wish. He was in red outnumbered and faced new tactics. You can also argue with no resolution that Reno was a drunk who panicked. His drinking and panic probably saved those who ended up surviving the battle.

Keep in mind new issues, ideas, artifacts, interpretation, and re-interpretation will go on and on, just as any historical event should.

Technical point in error. The Springfield 45-70 cartridges got stuck not so much because of heat, but because the cartridges had "verdigris" a gummy residue that built up due to contact with leather.

Custer was a national figure before he ever set foot west of the Mississiisippi[...]

After many years of studying and visiting the battlefield etc I have come to the conclusion that Custer was more hero then villain , more brave than reckless. He was not perfect but neither was Patton. Thank God we have had men like them.

I have been watching a series of videos, about 4-9 minutes, on the ApolloCuster channel. He espouses a completely different view. He says that Custer did NOT want a fight. He was looking to capture all of the non-combatants, women, children & old people, in order to force the warriors to capitulate. Part of the problem was that the non-combatants moved out of the village, to the north I believe, which meant that his chances of capturing them became nonexistent. When Crazy Horse recognized that Custer was headed toward the village, he led the charge that would led to the annihilation of Custer. You mentioned another megalomaniac, MacArthur. How many died in the Philippines, on both sides, because he had said he would return. There was no necessity to take P.I. They could have been bypassed, which is what the Navy wanted to do. But, MacArthur, because he was a good friend of Roosevelt, was able to get permission to retake P.I. This was not the only place where we suffered huge losses because of MacArthur. The Battle of Savo Island, in the Solomon Islands, was another. It was because of the split areas of responsibility that the messages from the scout planes were delayed many hours.

Custer underestimated the effectiveness of the indian threat mostly by not believing the tribes could unite and function together.

The guy on the right can't have a 2-way conversation; he needs to dominate

Didn't numerous scouts warn Custer about the size of the Village in-advance?

And I am one of those people that is interested in the battle. But truth be told there hasn't been any new information about the battle come to light in decades, it's always just rehashing the same information, in maybe a slightly different way, but still the same thing in the end. Today the hottest topic appears to be the big debate over Deep Ravine, was it the true last stand or no? Bodies, or no bodies? What is the correct answer!? Having read Custer's book, My Life On The Plains, I find it astonishing at how little he thought of his troops in the 7th. He remarks about how many of them had poor horse riding skills, and how many of them had very questionable marksmanship skills. He even gives some astonishing examples. So obviously he wasn't that jacked at commanding these inept troops. But it was the only command that he could get.

Try living on that ground he died for... Like Sarpy Creek... What used to be called, the Julian B. Mastin Ranch, back in the 1950s. Hard, hard living... Among Sage Brush, alkaline water, Wild Fires, and Rattle Snakes!

Great show !! ps It is not Calvary.

You know your in trouble when the speaker’s know less than the audience.

follow the money

I disagree with their assessment ofmacauther and Patton. I admit I probably wouldn't have liked them if I had served under them. Macauther and Patton would tell it like it is no matter who it offended. Many men that served under them are proud that they served under such tough leaders.

General Custer's widow, Elizabeth survived into the 1930s. When asked about the battle she replied that the Lakota were right in the war

You first have to see that spent cartridges seized in the troops rifles!

Did that one panel fellow call Custer a ‘jerk,’ excuse me. And the other opine Crook was a ‘more interesting’ character than Custer? Really? Crook went hunting after his disastrous battle of the Rosebud. He was supposed to be supporting Custer. He never lived that shame down.

The federal government today could still honor its own treaty's and give it back. 1:04:32

“Crazy Horse”

We only did to the Sioux what the Sioux were doing to others. Ancestral lands? They weren’t in the black hills that long.

you can't judge a man 150 years ago by today's standards

custer divided his command without knowing for sure the size of the village. at the same time, the number one Indian scout in the army, a guy named mitch bouyer, who had never worked with custer before, tried to tell him that morning, "none of us has ever seen this many native americans in one place ." Mitch bouyer told the Arikara scouts, " this man will not quit until we are in the Lakota village, we have no chance...go, save yourselves." custer's favorite scout, Bloody Knife, told him, "Old friend, today you and I go home by a road we do not know." that meant he, also, thought they were going to be killed. Custer ignored the input of actual experts on Native American behavior and, instead, rode into total disaster. it's a weird and sad story. ,

36:50 "There were a lot of unlikable people in the army. "Still are."

if only Custer took Gatling guns or Canons.

Also then just like now you have a liberal east coast and woke city type talking down to people who are living right next to danger. Its easy to say ...let the wolf live ! ...as long as it isn't your children playing in the back yard in that area. So judge Custer or settlers by what they faced at their time , not by your time and in your easy safe area.

that guy on the right is odd as far as I'm concerned....for some inconceivable reason he didn't want to show the pictures??!? then he says the death of Custer eases our "guilt" and our "complex" about what was done to the Indians.... I have no "guilt" about it nor do I have a "complex" most Americans don't its a ridiculous way to view history

Could Custer have formed Square and fired volleys instead of independent fire.

32:52 Oops, time for Pepto-Bismol

The risks they talk about fail to consider he was bringing along with him the lives of other men. Custer himself failed to consider those men. Seems historians and most people fail to consider the unfortunate grunts that serve in battle. For me, a great leader and great historians are those people, though few they are, that do consider the men that make it happen, But then Im just one of the shadows.

We can never know everything Custer knew before going into the battle in June of 1776 but there is evidence that his scouts told him that it was the largest gathering of Indians they had ever seen and that the could be as many as 1,500 warriors.

Cùster did understand Intelligence, at one battle in the Civil War, he had had himself winched up in a balloon to 600 ft so as to get a proper view of the battlefield! Apparently, the 45/70 cartridges were copper and more prone to tearing! That was the War Department! Custer should have had Winchester 50/95 with brass cartridges for those who were good marksmen, and single shot for those who were not? That way he would have had better firepower than the indians?

No dought in my mind ,Custer would have been President of the United Stif he would have been successful in his Campaign against the Siuex

Look this is all I,m going to say about this topic , are Government broke the treaty we had with the Indians that are native to this land just because they wanted what was in the ground or what they could harvest from the land & in my eyes that’s wrong in so many different ways , back when I was in my 20s I had the privilege to sit & talk to a American Indian for the Cherokee nation me & my dad sat down just to talk to him he must have been in his mid 30s dude was way to cool & well rounded & all the wile dude was making a bone choker with conch , sinew & deer skin that later after about a hour he gave to me with no questions asked or given , so out of respect for him I reached into my pocket & gave dude $75.00 bucks for he told me that he didn’t want it because he felt like it was to much to give him & that just me & my dads time was enough to pay for it that’s all , my dad standing behind me said ( the craftsmanship is remarkable it’s worth the money take the money kid ) he did & wished us safe travels , I never seen that guy again or the choker after 8 years I gave it to my step daughter & she has it to this day.

You found Custer's body

the winchester 27 shot rifles appears in the last year of the civil war not 1866 there was a general who supplied is company from his own pocket the war office reject them because they said it would cost too much on ammunition

You forgot to mention Sitting Bull premonition after he, himself, had his body painted yellow in celebration of "Sun Down Ceremony" and during this ceremony he cut the full length of his arms causing much blood, then he danced around the camp and singing and after exhausted went into a trance and when he awoken he told all that were present that he was told by the spirits to go forth and fight the white man with united Indians tribes and they would win against the White men and he went forward to acquire full cooperation of all the Indians Tribe to be United and there was no way for Custer to anticipate what he was up against and if he would of he would have been allowed more soldiers. He did not know the Indians almost doubled him in numbers till the moment his Indian Scout rode to him with the news that there were many Indians and for some reason he chose knowing that not to back down. I think he was getting much pressure from President Grant, lets not forget President Grant had just had Custer thrown into jail for testifying against Grants brother. That and because of the gold needed from the Black Hills and many miners were in Indian territory and the Indians weren't interested in selling the Black Hills land and feared the White man would take over by force and Custer knew timing was everything and when would there be another opportunity to know where they were camped out., so much pressure from President Grant. After following the scout to assess the situation learning there were many horses and many tents but all Custer saw were children and women outside the tents but no men so he came to the conclusion that the men were out hunting buffalo when in fact they had a late night and were catching up on their sleep inside their tents. The Indian warriors were aroused by Reno's men coming into their camp and the fight began. Our troops were out numbered. So I would have to refer back to the premonitions of Sitting Bulls connection to the spirit world. Sitting Bull did warn his people that they were absolutely not allowed to take one thing from from those that were killed. The Indian Warriors did not listen to Sitting Bull and the demands of their Spirit World, so they will pave out their own misfortune but this day the White Man will suffer. Custer was not there to kill the Indians he was there to take them to the reservation, he wanted to use the women and children for a shield because he knew there would be much less fighting/killings in order to protect the Indian's warrior cherished tribal woman and children. It had worked before but would not work out that way this time.

Excuse me, sir - truly not being rude, but Crazy Horse was an O-GLA-LA. NOT “O-ga-la-la”. Thank you for all your knowledge and a nice presentation. 💜🔆📿💕🙏✝️✡️🙋‍♀️

Custer was killed before he crossed the river. He was killed at the beginning of the battle. I'm a Crow Indian and part Sioux Indian

You guys referred to Custer's shameful fight at the Washita. The Chief had a white flag of peace flying above his teepee. What Custer did was charge his men into that sleeping Indian camp, and committed slaughter. No one could call that heroic. And, Custer DID know what size the camp was. He stood on top of one hill and observed the entire camp. So, he shouldn't have been surprised at the size of the force of the Indian braves at the Little Big Horn.

That attitude towards indigenous peoples not only here in the continental US, but in Southeast Asia, South America and elsewhere has largely been ignored by the public education system and our elected representatives

Custers concerns about the Indians getting away, let's move in now, was based on how he dealt with the "indian problem".He didn't want the women/ children to get away before he rode them down.The men and boys of fighting age at such large numbers were not what Custer expected.Listen to his scouts was what he should have done.

Custer was not well liked by his subordinate officers and men. He was a strict and at times petty disciplinarian. He underestimated his opponent and his arrogance got his command and himself killed.

Fróm Wounded Knee 2 !... Set Lenard P. free!

Some interesting aspects indeed, but basically not much new. Some in the audience have more knowledge than those two on stage. Also, not everything is accurate, like the first talker says when given the microphone, and Larry Skogen even has to brag about that, perhaps ironically but not funny rather tasteless. For one, Clay Jenkinson claims that Sitting Bull was "in his 50's" in 1876. The Hunkpapa holy man was most likely born in 1831, so he was in his mid 40's. It's also claimed that Crazy Horse was 31, when he was at least 36 years old at the time of the battle. It's appropriate to question these two experts' credibility when they not even can get the age of most pivotal persons right. For the record, Custer was 36, and it's perhaps easy to think of this as young, but the average expected age in the 1870's was no more than 39-40.

Reno's assault drew the warriors south, from the village, to attack him. To me it is likely, Custer assumed this would happen, and was using it to take the women and children hostage at the north end of the village. His most recent engagements on the plains suggest this. It is less likely but possible that Reno knew this and was therefore not terribly interested in keeping up the fight or coming to Custer's aid, later in the day. If Custer waved his hat at Reno to say he would support him, perhaps that was because Custer knew Reno was suspicious of Custer's plan.

The NATIONAL ATTITUDE at the time called out for GENOCIDE, and unfortunitly , is still the current attitude today . . .

Custer was AWOL to visit his wife which is understandable

Hello you have no idea what Custer have in his killing head. The good guys have a beautiful Victory. saludos

you cant judge him by the standards of the 21 century the charge of the light brigade in 1854 was for a long time always looked on with awe but we know now it was a foolish folly by the arrogant British officer class and continued to make the same mistakes in the ww1

These guys lost me when they spoke of United States colonial activity in Vietnam. I don't think they truly left the 70s behind. The weapons at the wagon box by the troops, who were sent to protect the woodcutters more mechanically no difference than the calvary carbines (45/55 not 45/70). They in fact had Allan conversion Springfields an early trap door design. The scout's name, was bloody knife. Not bloody nose. Cavalry regiments did not organize their horses by color to look good on parade. It was a functional device allowed the commander determine the position of his units at distance in the field. The 7th stationed together in one place and it's entire existence until shortly before its deployment on Custer's last Ride. Hence the need to" color" the troops. There is much to know about this event in our history. It is probably not good for us to try to judge a man in his times from ours.

to call the Washita a "battle" is an insult to battles and various military s around the world have been color coding their cavalry regiments from the dawn of time

Crazyhorse was a little bit older than 32 at the littlebighorn. He was closer to 36 or 37. Probably 36. Or maybe 35. Otherwise a very informative lecture

Custer had no idea of the terrain & did not have a clear cut # of how many warriors he was up against, him & his men where not prepared for this battle.

Custer at the battle of Little Bighorn was an example of how not to be.

Custer flamboyance was not bad thing during war war two we had patton, field marshal Montgomery both flamboyant and primadonnas

" Battle" of Wachita...?????

The Indians had better guns, bigger men, more men, and the element of surprise by having more men. Custer and his men had no chance.

Custer said there wasn't anything the 7th couldn't lick. He might have attacked anyway. Even if he knew how many people were camped there. i have a hard time beleiving custer would have turned around after seeing the camp. the hunk papa had a sundance they were probably resting.

Libby & Custer / Jackie & JFK

People fought one another all through Human History! Why is one group so darn self-righteous when it had feuds and wars with others besides the "Whites?" How many murders of Women and Children did they have part in? Isn't it true that many Indian Tribes slaughtered "White Women and children? If you look at Chicago history, there was the Fort Dearborn MASSACRE where those self-righteous Potawatomie's and Chippewa's took part in the slaughter of many Women and Children who were fleeing the fort to somewhere in Michigan, where they would avoid a fight!! Where was this old American Indian Principle that said in a close paraphrase: "The LAND does not belong to anyone?" Yet they Believed that all land in America was theirs! How disingenuous is that? For the Most part, 99.9 % of the land was unoccupied and open to settlements whether he Indians liked it or not! How many times did one Indian group trespass on the others' so-called territory and reversely as well? How much hatred was there among MANY tribes? Innocence is not warranted for those groups, Caucasians included!

All it boils down to is you euro people came and took what was not yours.to this day your still doing it.i think it's time GOD WE BRING THE REIGNS ON EVERYONE.WE HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN...

Custer had scouts. The Indian Nation had scouts. Custer had recon information. On his way there he inspired men in a forced march which he did as well as his men did. At that point he knew he was a pawn so Government could escalate the extermination of the Native American.

How in the world did Custer lose when he had the high ground? Crazy Horse deserves SOOO MUCH CREDIT.

Custer was a rock star...

Custer was betrayed

C

best thing on the subject I have ever seen two true brainiacs with more degrees than there are on a thermometer. However on the subject not much is new except when Custer was shot and by whom. It was mentioned there are rumors he was shot among the first as they came down medicine tail coulee and Custer always led from the front and was shot immediately among at least four other officers which was not only witnessed by Chief John Grass and its possible HE shot him. Him and others were already on the other side of the river on both sides and they knew quite well to shoot the top leaders. Yet he is stricken from history because as I uploaded because of bias. He and others used the name Custer in retrospect but they said "no way could they know it was Custer". But after the battle many indians used the name Custer because they THEN knew who it was. Yet only the top leaders took all the credit even though Chief John Grass was the "Audie Murphy" who did alot of the killing at the exact location where Custer was shot but also up the slopes where CHIEF JOHN GRASS identified Custer and asked that he not be mutilated very much. It was CHIEF JOHN GRASS who identified him and the women gored out his ears because of the meeting in the black hills where Grass met and smoked the pipe with him where Custer said "I will not kill another Cheyenne". None of the women had any idea who Custer was further proof that Chief John Grass was not only there on last stand but witnessed him shot as he approached the ford and he possibly was the shooter. as far as the maneuvers rushing up the slopes we have dozens of movies that demand that Custer fought to the end up on the hill even though he was drug up between two horses dying. HUGELY important information but Chief John Grass is in effect "stricken from history" because he saw the soldiers drinking whiskey and throwing the bottles knowing they were being overwhelmed. This is not something the US would want known. Nor would the movies want it known. The movies demanded Custer up on the hilltop last person killed fighting with a non existent saber otherwise the movies could not have been made. Those movie clips then pervaded history and are used to this day. Custer shot immediately approaching the ford? CANT HAVE IT. men drinking as Custer likely was? CANT HAVE IT--not acceptable. so you have true history spoiled when an ultra important person Chief John Grass who witnessed if not shot Custer stricken from history because he cooperated with whites where the indians did not like him and you end up with a bunch of garbage like white cow woman killed by rushing up to his horse and killing him. In the next twenty years Chief John Grass will come to the fore. in the meeting on the hilltop next day who was there? Chief John Grass sitting bull and Crazy horse with indians ringed around them.

Such an intriguing battle and I don’t think Custer was a good leader. Reno was a smart leader, live to fight another day. Regroup, fall back and make a new assault strategy. Custer was too arrogant to do that and got his whole unit killed. I been studying this battle for several years and been to the last stand hill twice. I’ve also grew up in south central PA and been to Gettysburg where all three Benteen, Reno, and Custer also were a part of

It's so facinating, because America lost, in a big way. Custer, died at his "full moon". Shelby Foote who wrote the 1.5 millon word naritive history of the Civil War, said that the war was an obsession for the south, 'cause they lost; big time. The generals should lead the charge! That's the habit of a society, that's emotionaly well, properly laid out.

Custer didn't perform in a breathtaking way in the Washita fight.... They outnumbered the indians and attacked a village at dawn. After killing the majority of braves they took hostages.... After they had secured the hostages the main force of indians arrived.... As they were Cheyanne indians the squaws were very important so Custer was able to bribe his way out by threatening to kill the squaws.

Well thank God "flamboyant" freedom is restricted within the officer corps today...

If soldiers had the winchester repeaters the results would have been different. the indians had them. Now why?

I am a proud European-American and glad that we prevailed over the Indians. I'm tired of all the Indian sympathy, several of my relatives were brutally murdered by Comanche Indians in Central Texas, but my great great-grandfather extracted revenge on that Indian Chief near Blanco, Texas circa 1875, and our family kept that chiefs war bonnet and we proudly still live peaceable near Blanco to this day.

He led them into a trap! A very poor tactition

and the winners account of the battle are simply thrown out and dismissed