So true bro

Custer was a fool. He may well have been a brave fool. But still a fool.

The natives were betrayed by the Wasichu, plain and simple. What would you do if the army invaded your homestead or ranch and tried to force you off and into substandard housing, taking away your lively hood that you had known all your life? And raided your food pantry, destroying it before your very eyes. Would you NOT stand up for your rights ? Would you not resort to violence ? That is precisely what the native americans did. They had been persued, hunted, killed, even massacred in large amounts by government soldiers, to the point of simple desperation. They had had enough. They didn't want to have to fight the Wasichu. Too many of their men would be killed, which they could not afford. Their buffalo were being needlessly slaughtered. They often went hungry and their winters were harsh, even in times before white encroachment. They had had enough. They made an example of Custer because of his contempt for all the plains tribes. He refused to listen to their plights as did the government he was part of. They had had enough. Custer got what he deserved. The women multilated his ears with awls so that he could hear better in the afterlife. The men and women refused to heed Sitting Bull's warning of taking nothing from the dead. It must have saddened the chief that his admonitions were not needed. He believed, therefore, that great hardships would befall his people, which they indeed did. I have been to these re-inactments several times. The natives are all part of the Crow tribe, which is on their reservation. It always makes me leave with tears in my eyes and a bad feeling in my heart -- NOT because of what happened to the men of the 7th, but more of how the natives were forced to respond to the injustices and what they had to endure in the years that followed. All a sad situation for a proud, independent and strong peoples -- until they had to content with white GREED. Yes, I speak as a white wasichu, but I,as any sane person, can recognize injustice. Injustice prevails today in 2021, as it has for many generations in the past.

on my bucket list

I have been to LBH. I walked all over the area and listened to the Park Rangers who were all Native Americans. Custer was truly a hero in the Civil War for the reason that he led his troops into battle. He did not send them. And he was only in his early 20's. That said, he had clearly gotten a bit too full of himself as a so-called Indian Fighter. He was so arrogant to believe that the 7trh Cavalry was unbeatable. He could not believe that the "Indians" would be able to put together a force of warriors that would outnumber his troops 5 to 1. He paid the price for that lack of judgement. In a little less than two hours the squaws and children were stripping and mutilating every soldier and civilian who were killed. As anyone who has studied the plight of the Native Americans from the Jamestown settlement to the late 1800's has come to know, how could you not be ashamed at was was done to those people who had been on this continent for thousands of years. The white man simply waltzed in and took whatever they wanted. That was mostly the land the Indians lived on. And to worsen things the Native Americans were forced to live on reservations. And that doesn't even touch the massacres like Sand Creek and Wounded Knee. Just think about this for a moment and realize that you would do the same thing as the Indians did if things were reversed.

Lol

@Double Vision wow...just so you know people back then weren't stupid...he was an American hero ....

Almost as big as legends as Custer.

I'm pretty sure the native Americans who killed Custer are the unknown ones and not necessarily Crazy horse himself and definitely not sitting bull who is calling the shots from behind the scenes

All American Heroes who made history!!!

My two previous comments should be read together. I apologize I missed up earlier. Thanks again. 🇨🇦🇺🇸🇨🇦🇺🇸🇨🇦🇺🇸

If you go to little round top you can find a bust of him, the bust of him has a shiny nose because tourist believe it’s lucky to rub an Irishman’s nose

Funny how both the top and bottom of the class were famous men in the end. Both having endings in battle. One in glory, the other in disgrace. History is a funny thing

All and any of 'em, lol.

Well they couldn't have 90% naked Indians on film because of censorship. On hot summer days Indians dressed like the reenactors.

Hollywood screws up every historical event they touch.

I read in a history book (years ago) the only survivor of the 7th at "Last Stand Hill" was a horse named Comanche ( Officer Keough's mount perhaps).

Quite amazing that horses never got extinct due to them getting killed in battles that actually involved the soldiers riding them.. same thing as well to camels and elephants specially from middle eastern and African civilizations..

One guy died at Little Big Horn, the other at Little Round Top..

I’m sure he gets his just dues.

My wife and I visited the reenactment several years back, as well. You're right, the horses were amazing. Such control. Travelling through the park was sobering.

I'm guessing that the people portraying the native American tribes involved in the reenactments of the battle of little bighorn and other similar battles are actual native Americans

Custer was a major hero at Gettysburg...stopped the cavalry charge of Jeb Stewart on day 2!

I would risk my life for my people Aho hecitu Mitakuye Oyasin

Hoksila Wakian THUNDER BOY yes reckless brutal viva indian ✊

hoksila another lakota commented earlier that he very much resented the crow who performed as sioux in the re-enactment. I thought this was an interesting view and one with, at least, some merit. if you read this I would very much be interested in your view of this unusual subject thanks in advance

Exactly

Right? I had really no understanding of what happened. I was always under the impression that Custer and his men were warriors, and the good guys. I mean, that's what I got out of my learning in school. I have to say that my visit to this site 3 years ago changed so much of my perspective. I learned that the Natives also had warriors and hero's. And I learned that what they were fighting for was the right to their land and freedom. It truly was an eye opener for me. That site is sacred, and you get the chills in your spine for sure. But the educational value of seeing this is so important. I strongly encourage families take a visit here. I also think history books in classrooms need some major revamping.

@@ChrisJohnson-hk6es Learn a little more. Find out how the Sioux attained the "land they were fighting for". They took it by force from the Crow and Arikara tribes who had it before the Sioux. The Sioux drove them off. That's why Crow and Arikara acted as scouts for Custer. In history there are rarely "good guys and bad buys", there are both.

@@ChrisJohnson-hk6es Custer was the good guy.

@@ChrisJohnson-hk6es I think there's a difference between warriors and soldiers....we had soldiers

@trha2222 yes but the US Army arested indians and didnt care for them whilst the settlers got and mined on their land and the settlers broke the truice first

James Allen please read my comments in this section. You will understand what the natives were forced to do in this situation.

Boney LOL the Gatling guns only work for IDIOTS!!! The NATIVES never sat still or marched in row side to side touching arms.

Sabers.tp

Robert Boney that in and of itself would have had a devistating effect on the out come of the battle, as would automatic weapons be in modern conflicts in a similar situation now days. It's possible Custer could have survived, but with a loss of a great number of his 220 men. One can only speculate.

@@jesscast5122 oh really. I'd like to see you trying to rush a Gatling gun. Obviously they had wheels and could move too. If they were with, it would have been a different story today.

@mikhail gorbachev ok for one thing (the enemy) wasn't running way. They were advancing. The second thing. those guns weren't run by one man. Sometimes 3 men run them in a team. The third thing. Stand in front of me when I unload on you and then tell me that they we're highly inaccurate.

It's the closest you're ever going to get to seeing history with your own two eyes bud. And your problem is?

@@thomasriggle6371 No problem. It’s you who don’t have a sense of humor.

@@jayzrat laughing at that joke would be like laughing at a pile of rocks. Pretty lame.

Its history man. Every tribe on the face of the earth has its bloody history and savagery..

Dang, I was going to post that and you beat me to it.

I believe you mean Gettsyburg not Vicksburg. Custer wasn't there for Vicksburg. Actually he saved the Union by his Calvary charges with the Michigan Wolverines whipping JEB Stuart from getting into Meade's Art. Park at the East Cavalry Field West of HANOVER. This was timed with Picketts Charge as a usually successful flank movement! Fortunately it failed thanks to Custer!

David Skeels amen

You mean you shouldn't think the enemy would do what it did every single time previously when attacked by surprise?

custer ordered reno to attack a village of that size with ninety or so men. reno was the brave man that day.custer was on his way to gather up the women n children n old people as hostages. you call that brave? and he had two hundred n sixty men with him.

David Skeels Custer was under the impression they had been spotted by the natives and historically speaking that meant they would more than likely scatter which was the norm. They were however not spotted and the village was not scattering and Custer actually caught them by surprise, twice. When Reno was ordered to attack it was with the understanding they were running. "Major Reno, the village is just ahead and running away. Move forward at as rapid a gait as you deem prudent. Pitch into anything and you'll be supported by the whole command." Reno had 140 men which if the village had been running away would have been devastating. Of course they weren't running away which forced Reno to toe a line. Custer saw this from near Reno hill where he realized that he had achieved tactical surprise. Reno was not yet in trouble so Custer moved north in a time tested and textbook move to attack the flank. This would serve to split the combatant forces in two. Custer sends a message back to Benteen who was sent south to scout to move up and bring packs as quickly as they can. This means Reno's force would double and would actually be more men than Custer had with him. Reno of course couldn't hold his ground due to overwhelming Native forces which freed all of them up to counter attack Custer further north. Reno's retreat was more than likely unknown to Custer. It is suspected that he pursued the fleeing non-combatants because this tactic had worked before and was the easiest way to win the battle and achieve the goals of the entire campaign to return the natives to their respective reservations. It wasn't about being brave or cowardly it was about meeting the goals of the campaign set forth by echelons above him. The fact that the natives actually fought when put on the defensive was a shocker to everyone because they had never done that before. They always fought retreating battles when caught by surprise and they almost always fought when it was at their choosing. This battle went against Custer because the terrain just happened to work in the native's favor. If they didn't have the terrain advantage it probably would have played out very differently.

he didn't underestimate his enemy -- he had an officers' call the night before the attack and told his officers he anticipated 600 - 1000 warriors -- they ran out of ammunition due to Benteen not bringing the pack train up

Yea it wasnt the usual women and kids custer was used to fighting.

Well he was facing actual warriors and not the terrified children and women that he was used to.

Honestly, the tribes didn't have 10,000 warriors. They didn't need that many.

Yes,with single shot trap door Infields what else could have been the outcome? They was out numbered and outgunned from the start.

Within an hour or so LOL

No the were not; probably the Comanches were.

@@robertboney4493 you don't sound certain about that

ausländer rein

😂😂

Reno was supposed to be supported by custer.instesd he rode off and left them.the 400 plus even if they had reunited with Custer would just have been killed with him.the unknown numbers of the natives played a big role in the course of the battle because it was a huge surprise to Reno. No matter how you cut it in that era 650 against 1500 to 3000 is insurmountable

@@robertallen9095 Reno panicked, fled the field and commenced drinking. Benteen...hunkered down under Reno's shadow and did nothing....all day. Custer's mistake was trusting subordinates, who hated him, to follow orders. Crook abandoned the fight on the Rosebud, and Terry and Gibbon were...shall we say, "A tad tardy". Join the club boys.

boss what does "strong presence" mean?

@@LtBrown1956 it means "not near extinct" like so many other tribes ended up. I lived in Montana much of my life, and the reservations were, for my small town, a huge part of life

@@sol2544 OK ....is there a sioux reservation at or near LBH? I've been there and there is a large crow reservation there and I believe that the actual battlefield is ON that reservation the preceding comment seems to indicate that the sioux have a reservation nearly adjacent to the battlefield ....from what I have read, the sioux reservations are mostly in S. Dakota (nearly half the state) with overflow into N. Dakota and Nebraska ....is this not true?? my info also indicates that the battlefield/crow reservation is about 200 miles from the border with the dakota's ....is that also not true??

@@LtBrown1956 just because you win a battle somewhere doesnt mean you quite literally now own that territory. Winning a battle has political repercussions, repercussions here meaning that the Sioux were able to last with a harder impact and have an advantage at the negotiating table of "please dont make us go extinct" This is what strong presence means. It doesnt mean presence near the battlefield, it means having their culture survive where many other native american tribes had theirs decimated far worse. If I remember right, americans outright revoked many reservations and forced natives off of even those in the east, so the fact that the reservations in the northwest america still are here is a small blessing compared to the trail of tears

day I am just trying to figure out if you know what you are talking about. your comments: - subject was sioux and "strong presence" - YOU linked "not near extinct" with "strong presence" and then with indian reservations - YOU state you lived in montana much of your life and "RESERVATIONS" were "huge" part of life from these comments I believed you indicated and implied that SIOUX reservations were part of a "huge" part of your life in montana I merely pointed out that a SIOUX reservation in montana was inconsistent with what I understood regarding the location of sioux indian reservations ...I asked questions regarding this subject to see if my knowledge was incorrect but you did NOT answer ANY of these questions. instead, you respond with a somewhat incoherent comment about the plight of the sioux and other tribes. were you intentionally try to mislead with your ori comment or were you simply typing before thinking ....BTW, typing without thinking is very common on YT and it is NO sin ....I have had to cancel a few comments of my own when I caught myself "typing without thinking"

Not as bad as his brother Tom, who earned two medals of honor.

Reno and Benteen dropped the ball.

LOL there is no winner In a slaughter

Custer was an exceptional military leader throughout his career. Funny how we view these things from afar. In modern history we admire Yamamoto. Canonize Che and Fidel. Hero worship Mao and quote him everywhere. Idolize communist slaughterers like Ho. Because he was vain, Custer has become a derided and despised figure. He was a military leader of his time, where a modernizing world met with a passing world. We either live in mud huts and caves, with a life expectancy of 40 years or we advance. Judge it how you wish. Mud huts are easy to make and there are plenty of caves. Custer will always unfortunately remembered by his last actions. The course of history barely changed because of Custer. Ho, Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Che, Fidel, the Khmer Rouge etc murdered millions.

Yeah, I mean he was known mostly for destroying villages of women and children whilst the warriors where away. Real brave man. When he met the real warriors, what happened to the "brave" man? Lmao.

@@poco1174 What a load of bile. This isn't about communism vs capitalism. It was about two different civilisations clashing as one wanted to dominate the other for their resources.

Then why wasn't his weapons found by his body ?

still fighting, this time it's for blood Oil!

Biased and one-sided

Balanced

Please elaborate.

Yes and fought along with their beliefs

zeke custer was NOT mutilated (I've read it dozens of times) but some sioux women stuck their sewing 'awes" thru his ears so that he would "hear better in the after life".

Zeke 6781. His ears were reamed out by the women with their sewing awls to pierce buffalo hides. The body was stripped naked so as to humiliate him in the after life. His ears were mutilated so as to enable him to hear better in the afterlife, since he refused to acknowledge the grievances of the natives in the previous life. I don't believe he was scalped, there would have been no point to that, because he was considered unworthy and a coward, showing contemptible behavior in council with the chiefs many days before the LBH battle.

@@robertshorthill4153 the Indians did not know the were fighting Custer at the time.....

@@LtBrown1956 and slashed his thigh open . Also stuck arrow up his penis .

us Cavalry requirements is that the soldier weigh less than 140 ponds, and equipment is less than 60 ponds, no more than 200 pounds on his horse

No wonder they got wrecked

@bravo23 delta Do you want to know why that is ?? It's because they all suffer from a very poor diet. Little, if any fresh fruits and vegetables. Lots of starchy foods, junk food that they can readily obtain from res convenience stores. Try living on candy, chips, pop, whiskey or beer and an occasional carrot or potato. Ya know, alcoholism and diabetes, heart disease is rampant in older folks past the age of 30. Doctor visits are only for folks too sick to function. Medicine is scarce. They are wards of the government and largely ignored. Covid is taking a drastic toll on some of these people. Reservations are largely ignored from vaccination programs to the detriment of everyone's health, which already has underlying pre- conditions, but inadequate diet is primarily to blame for " obesity", not because they are living so "high on the hog.". Think about it for a few minutes, if you dare. I don't visit res too often unless I have to stop for gas. I see a lot of kids playing video games eating potato chips and drinking soda pop. There is nothing for them to occupy their time productively, so they'll while away their time as they see fit. I'm sure all of Montana reses are pretty much the same, sadly. If a kid is lucky and able to go to college, he ( or she ) might have a chance at a decent job for the future of themselves, their relatives, or their tribal government. That's not always the case, but there are exceptions. I have seen a few of these exceptionally lucky and motivated native folks. It is a joy to see that some can find success in this "modern world".

@@robertshorthill4153 Many of them had spinal problems from riding many miles on horseback. And what is not generally known is that many troopers were immigrants from Europe. The Army was always looking for new recruits.

@@christopherfranklin1881 yes, and those that joined the army were generally low skilled, thus unemployable in civilian life. Rather than starve, as they had probably been doing in their native country, they joined the army. Pay of $13 a month wasn't too bad in those days and free food and clothing wasn't either. But can you imagine sleeping in flimsy tents while on bivouac on the Montana prairie, during a thunder storm at night or when temperatures reached near 100 degrees during the day with a wind of 60 mph. Life must have been brutal at best. Officers didn't fare much better, I'm sure, but with the tune Garryowen running through their head, they might have been inspired to carry on. I often wonder if that tune was even thought of by the boys of the 7th as they were being surrounded by native warriors in unbelievable numbers -- nearly 8 or 9 to one. The 7th had inferior weapons on top of being outnumbered. Doom was definitely in the cards for the white soldiers.

Ich auch

Benteen &nearly all the officers hated Custer,they were found not guilty at the court martial

Nobody was court-martialed over the Little Bighorn. Major Reno requested a court of inquiry over allegations that he was a coward and had disobeyed orders.

They love you Custer and all his men were dead before Benteen could ever have gotten to him... for Custer it was over in maybe a half hour.

What is incorrect about the assessment of Custer?

He died from a gunshot just below his ❤heart.

@@johnrogan9420 he also had a gunshot wound in his left temple

1103 interesting point and your view should be taken serious if it is shared by a significant portion of your tribe. BTW, I just finished informing a rather ignorant fellow that the crow rode with custer. He did NOT believe it although you and I might disagree on much of the historical interpretation of this fascinating event, I believe your views and those of your fellow tribe members (sorry, that is a very awkward way to say that) should be respected. Maybe a little like having germans play jews in the story of ann frank.

The Real Bird Family are playing both sides of the multi-culturalism issue. Go to one of their re-enactments and you will be completely confused by their stance on this epic event and the future and even the past of natives in MY COUNTRY!

1103jbrown what you say is 100% true, my native brother. The Absaroka peoples were always on the side of the Wasichu. Many of the men became scouts for the army because they knew the land and terrain, where the best water was and grass for horses ( the Greasy Grass country) Good feed for the horses of all the natives. There must have been plenty of buffalo meat for the warriors and women and children too. Life was probably pretty good before Totanka Yotanka had his vision days before the 25th of June. What if the Lakota and Cheyenne had heeded his admonition about taking NOTHING from the dead soldiers ? Would it have made a difference to the army and the government ? Frankly, I doubt it. The natives were to be considered " hostiles" -- mainly because they refused to "sell" the Black Hills country, so it had to be taken by force. And wiping out the people who were betrayed by wasichu policies was the only solution. Hence, the campaign of the plains, and Custer's demise.

No kidding

What do you think

Brevet Major General, his actual rank was Lieutenant Colonel

Apparently. Some interesting and somewhat disturbing 'sightings' and experiences: www.friendslittlebighorn.com/ghosts-along-the-little-bighorn.htm

Brad Hamilton; Europeans are losing the war to multi-culturism and islam.

The Germans, French and Italians gave up.

The European? Custer was born in America stop trying to make everything about race

Outnumbered 10 to 1 at least.

Sitting Bull was a medicine man, not a Chief

He split his forces--there were survivors from the forces led by Benteen and Reno

Also, Custer sent his bugler with a message to Capt. Benteen and the supply mule train to hurry up with ammunition. The bugler was with Custer's companies until right before their attack, and being sent back with the message saved his life. He was the last trooper to see Custer and the doomed companies he took with him.

Ernest Marshall Well you do when you want to take women and children hostage, like the ‘hero’ Custard...

actually the fighting chiefs were crazy horse and gaul and two moons of the cheyene

@@grioghairmacgrioghair5311 Indeed. Sitting Bull was a leader not a war chef.

Luis Chavez. Sitting Bull ( called Totanka -- buffalo, Yotanka -- that sits down ) was not a real "chief". He was considered a powerful medicine man with powerful visions that mostly came true and was revered for what he saw. He was 45 years old, too old to fight in battle. He told his people to take NOTHING from the dead soldiers or misfortune would befall his people. They did not, however, heed his admonition. The women stripped him naked to humiliate him in the afterlife and pierced his ears to enable him to hear better the grievances of his enemies in the afterlife. Custer was just an arrogant fool who had nothing but contempt for all the plains nations and got what he deserved. I am a white wasichu who can recognize injustice, no matter the age.

robert you are likely correct and they had a good example to follow Chief Red Cloud did just what you described a few years prior to the battle. He was a brave and shrewd warrior but when he traveled to the east he saw how badly the sioux were outnumbered and how mechanized american society was. realizing he was going to be beaten, he made the best peace he could and advised the others to do the same. crazy horse and sitting bull thought he was soft.

Custer had poor judgement??? Most of the us Calvary commanders would have approached it the same way with the same results research most of the battles in the west at that period custer was following protocol, that’s how they fought native Americans during that period they divided the forces and attacked from several side to avoid the natives from escaping, do ur research before saying that custer used bad judgment

His ears being pierced is mutilation. No evidence at all he shot himself.

That’s made up None of the Indians who were actually there tell that story Crazy horse himself tells of the last stand on the hill and Custer died there. The made up bull of a soldier in buckskins and gold hair being dot crossing the river is a lie. None of Custers soldiers made it to the river

It's a complete myth that Custer was shot crossing the river. A Lakota warrior called White Cow Bull claimed to have shot a figure dressed in a buckskin shirt leading the charge across the river. As another poster pointed out, Custer's command never actually got into the river, as substantial numbers of Indians had already crossed from the village side to the other bank to repulse them. Some of the soldiers and accompanying civilians were wearing buckskins that day (the frontier army was fairly relaxed about dress regulations), but Custer wasn't one of them. He'd already changed into regular battle fatigues. None of the other warriors present claimed to have seen any soldiers shot in the river and some of them later refuted it. A few even said that White Cow Bull was not present at the river when the Lakota engaged Custer's troops. In the heat and chaos of battle, the Indians had no idea they were fighting Custer, particularly as he had taken them somewhat by surprise. It was only after the battle that they learned who commanded the cavalry which attacked them.

at last someone who has looked properly at what happened three cheyenne warriors bobtail horse, roan and calf were watering their ponies when custer attacked they opened fire on them and a statement later said a man in the front and middle of the attack was hit we saw blood on his buckskins would explain the following chaos of the seventh cavalry having lost leadership coordination

Leonard Fleet thought his brother shot him

He was actually more like a cheerleader. Indians didn't have a command structure where one person gave orders and the troops carried them out. They fought in small groups or individually. There was no grand strategy and Custer didn't ride into a trap.

@@MJ-we9vu That sounds correct I think really the thing was he made some tactical decisions they weren’t good and also the Indians a lot of them were there at that time and obviously they were very angry what can I say they thought very well.

Absolute fiction. A very entertaining, well-acted, movie, but historically very innacurate.

Robert Hamilton at best, a totally fictional account. Hollywood did it's level best, but fell drastically short of what actually took place. The Son of the Morningstar with Gary Cole is much better, with David Strathairn as Benteen.

Little Big Man is a anti war ...anti Vietnam era movie.....

I completely agree. By the way, I am Lakota from Pine Ridge.

but losers in history

@@rogerreyne1877 unfortunately yes

@@rogerreyne1877 not on that day

7thcalvarysong

david custer expected about a thousand warriors while the indians estimated 2,000 warriors there were likely about 5000 total indians on the LBH

@trha2222 reno was a drunken fool and was drinking on the day of the battle ...all he realized is that he was afraid

@trha2222 that may be true

Even if ALL of Custer's troops were with him, they would have been out numbered and out gunned by the native warriors. It would have taken a little longer to completely rub out the whole of the 7th, with a lot more native deaths, but it would have been the end of the entire 7th.