Reno didn’t set up a defense. He was drunk and had lost his mind. Benteen did that.

The last quote from Utley sums it up best. History is complex and the passing of time blurs memories, ultimately colored by the writers own views. Archaeology provides the most objective view of history, of course this is only my opinion.

Custer’s Last Stand: Portraits in Time www.amazon.com/Custers-Last-Stand-Portraits-Time-ebook/dp/B00IV1O6BY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401378564&sr=8-1&keywords=Custer%27s+Last+Stand%3A+Portraits+in+Time

Scholarly and well-presented.

The only reason that there is so much conjecture regarding this event, is that the recollections of the victorious party have not been objectively recorded or discussed. There wasn't a battle. There was an attack by Reno and then by Custer, both of which were repulsed and, which in Custer's case, turned into a bloodbath. Reno only escaped the same because of Benteen's arrival. Custer didn't escape because he was already dead at the river crossing. The Native Americans state unequivocably, that they killed a leader at the ford, whom they later knew to be Custer. The head of the snake had been cut off, the other senior officers were spread out with their companies and were also quickly killed and no-one gave the order to retreat. They had lost most of their horses by the time they found themselves trapped on Last Stand Hill. 28 of them tried to escape the inevitable carnage by running ( with 5 on horseback ) down Deep Ravine but found themselves again surrounded on three sides and were all killed in that ravine. That is where the rout ended. No heroics in sight... save for the Native Americans. It was over " in the time it takes a hungry man to eat his dinner" according to the victors. That alone makes a joke of the idea that Benteen could have saved the day. He would not have got even half the distance to the site of the massacre even if he had left the packs and galloped all the way. He too would have been encircled and wiped out. Lastly, Reno and Benteen were not relieved by the arrival of Terry's column. The Native Americans had already left the scene, carrying their scalp trophies and all of Custer's weapons. They set fire to the grasslands, pack up camp and left. Reno and Benteen were mystified by this and thought it was a trap to lure them out. Terry arrived later on with the news about what had happened to Custer and all of his men. It is not politically correct to give proper credence to the Native American accounts. Just due diligence. Everyone knows that the US cavalry was a shit show. But what about their adversary? The finest light calavry that ever existed. Born on horseback, expert hunters who knew the land and who very well armed. They were well rested, well fed and their ponies were in top condition. Lastly, they were fired up with the vision of a great victory, given to them by Sitting Bull. They knew they couldn't lose. Custer didn't have clue as to what he was up against. End of story.

very good presentation

This is one battle that never ended !

Classic case of underestimating the enemy. Custer knew he was facing superior numbers -- his scouts had warned him. Yet he divided his command in the face of a larger force, a classic military blunder his West Point training certainly indicated.

Excellent.

One of the most objective books on Custer is Stephen Ambrose "Custer and Crazy Horse, two American warriors", in which he compares everything about the two men and their situations. Written more from the Indian side, but a wonderful picture of how it really was, is Marie Sandoz 'Crazy Horse - the strange man of the Oglalas'.

Very interesting......

Dustin Hoffman tried to warn Custer😀😀

Had Custer done a break out move like Reno and headed back towards his other battalions, he may have saved his command and his relatives riding with him, but he continued to divide his force even further, reducing his firepower to less than what was needed to stop a charge by the Indians...He had plenty reasons to be worried about the safety of those around him but didn't seem to see the danger, the Indians were supposed to run away.?

The size of the village, and the location of the deep parts of the river, was what defeated Custer and his men. Custers scouts had given him fair warning, which he ignored. To get in front of the fleeing natives, was taking to long, plus there was way too many warriors for the army to handle. They werent running with the women and children, they were coming straight at Custer and his men. Custer was running out of men fast. There was talk of badblood between Custer and some of his officers. Thats why possibly Bentein was dragging his heels. Custers message to Bentein, was distracting. Custer knew that the ammo train was slow and possbly way behind Bentein. So he would of had to wait for it or go get it and bring it up fast. Causing more delay. There were toò many slices of holey cheese aligning. Too many mistakes were being made. Some forseeable and some unforseeable. Dog tired troopers, ignoring scout advice, indians with fast repeating carbines, not relising indians were not going to scatter, like they normaly did, not enough troopers to correl indians, not clear thinking, not a clear plan, village too big for battle feild,not enough ammo being carried by troopers, not realising how despŕite the indians were, the troopers were destroyed by the arrogant officers.

There is considerable evidence stating that Custer was shot from his horse when his command first attempted to cross the Little Big Horn ... He was rescued by soldiers and from this moment on the companies he led fought an entirely defensive battle ...

Very good. Just visited the battle field. Seeing it answered a lot of my questions. Was a lot bigger than Last Stand Hill. Much more complex. Still don't know if Custer was a fool or a pawn. I think both

1876, the year of our Centennial Celebrations, and Custer's defeat flashed across the telegraph wires of the nation. The pro-Indian lobby essentially disappeared overnight; and within the year, every Indian who participated in the battle (and many who didn't) was either dead or confined to a reservation. The Native American's greatest victory, transformed into their greatest defeat. How ironic.

I have read other accounts that Custer's plan was to trap Native American women and children as hostages which would have ended the incident. When he failed to cross the river, he became trapped by Native American warriors and for whatever reason did not retreat back towards Reno. Whatever you think of Custer, this plan would not have been totally insane.

A objective scholarly view of the battle and General Custer.

There are always 3 truths to every story...

Gold. Yellow metal make white man crazy.

I am a white woman from Oklahoma....we praised our Indian communitys.....living in Az. now, Thank God for the land and resources saved by the Native American Indian!

No mention of Elizabeth Custer and her role in perpetuating the Custer legend!

This lecture repeats the standard anti-Custer myths and distortions that Ulysses S. Grant and other Republicans began spreading about Custer's battle at the Little Big Horn soon after it occurred. He leaves out a great deal of important information that refutes his interpretation of the event.

Custer should have waited for Terry troops

History is often written to the view point of the author. Many times history accounts are used to hide some wrong doing. or mistake.

While this is an interesting essay, it's inconclusive, proving yet again that Bill Faulkner was right when he said: "The past is never dead. lt's not even past."

wasn't Custer a colonel when he died

My big "what if" pertaining to Custer and his ambitions, would he have ultimately been the Indians best representative in treating the Indian Nations as a nationality thus enforcing and rewriting treaties?

One thing that contributed to the tout was that many of Custers men were drunk . Many Indian accounts of soldiers firing into the air and stumbling around as if impaired . Also accounts by the Indians of many canteens the soldiers had were filled with whisky.

Nice Video Folks, looks as though it was a Bueatiful Day, during your Visit. The Video was Very Good, other than it didn't encompass, much other than the Immediate, areas Around the Main Entrance, Last Stand Hill, & The Native American's, Memorials. So I suggest you next Time include, more Footage, as well as more Narrative. Also Double your time filming, & elaborate more, or Explain Better. Thank You for Sharing.

I’ve been there and I assure you. Just the Lakotas alone could have taken Custers entire force together by itself. Splitting up made no difference.

Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull are true American heroes.

What's amazing is that a ten minute battle gained such notoriety.people have played this thing every which way you can imagine. And it is amazing Benteen and Reno weren't wiped out . The indians would have finished them as quick as Custer if they had been more organized . But evidently they heard Terry with his column was hours away. So the Indians packed up and left.

With a larger nose, Benteen would resemble the actor Karl Malden quite a bit...

where did the Indians get the rifles?

Civil war hero for sure...

"It was a good day to die."

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 against that Indian Chief that senselessly murdered his family near Blanco, Texas circa 1875, and our family keep that Chief's war bonnet and we proudly still live near Blanco,Texas to this day.

Precise

Bought on by Crook not reporting the numbers and repeating rifles he would face . The man left the field and did not report the engagement to superiors for days, suppose he was to busy hunting and fishing. The man should have been court martialed.

Custer surely lied to Reno, Reno wasnt suported, like Custer promised. He had no show of pushing the indians north. Although the noncombatants did head north, while most of the warrriors went east, straight at Custer. I think that the size of the village

Reno’s position in the timber was safe, Indian commentary says they couldn’t understand why the soldiers ran away. Up until that point only a couple of troopers were killed. In the scramble to escape 50 were killed whilst the men LBH left behind in the trees escaped alive later.

I would like to know when the Lakota killers are going to return the Regimental Colors of the 7th Cavalry to the United states Army?

US Gov sent soldiers against the Indians in 1876 to remove them from gov land. Finally in 1889 the soldiers defeated the Indians. Now the Gov could claim the land.

Could it be that Custer wasn't scalped because it appeared to the Indigenous Warriors that he had shot himself in the head and that scalping a suicide release negative energy onto the scalper?

Could this be a sign from god in how things will end for the world

I am completely absorbed by these authors who detract from G. Custer. I am compelled to wonder why these self-same authors neglect employing this same scrutiny to non-white historical figures.

Right.....the red man isn't Greedy for gold like the White man......as demonstrated by all The casinos.

Whatever you deem plausible Simple Facts In Battle Superiority In Knowledge Local Terrain + Huge Advantage in Armed Warriors Really It was a Rout Indians Easily Took Out Custer and his 261 7th Dont forget Egos George C was at the top of his class He Wins Little Big Horn He Runs For President of The United States Easily Winning Wait A Day Crook Gibbon & Terry Make it A Much Better Battle Even Up Edge To US Army Thus Glory Evenly Doled Out Custer Remains In The 7th Promoted to Full Bird Colonel

We listened to four minutes before we were overcome by bullshite. H.R.H. Hannimal Two Moon's 3rd great grandson of Chief Two Moon's.

Easy n convenient to critique Custer from the comfort of 21st century academia, and therefore subjective n worthless.

"Chief me know, not there". Only thing probably killer about this clown is his breath. Who listens to these 'experts'? Imagine him on a horse? Shooting a rifle? Being a trapper? A pioneer? Hes a fish on a bicycle.

If Custer had somehow survived, he would have been lambasted. Perhaps even court-martialed. Reno and Benteen might have been viewed as the officers who displayed some common sense.

Sounds like the white man was the hostile forces, not the Indians. The white government put the Indians on the agreed upon land and the government promised to protect the Indians. The government didn't give a shit when the white man started trespassing on the Indians land looking gold. The Indians started protecting what was theirs and the white government decided the Indians were hostile for protecting what was theirs. The government hasn't changed much since the early days.

You really skew your facts to favor your perspective

If Custer had somehow survived the battle he’d have been court martial’d out of the US Army.

He was told not to engage by general terry and general crook. He was a glory seeker that met his demise. He picked on the wrong group of people that were tired of being lied to by Indian agents and the government .

If anyone deserves a reparation payment in the Excited Snakes of Saudi Israelia... it's the indigenous peoples.

CUSTER WAS A WIZ -AH-WAH-HOO!!!!!!!