Pros And Cons Of Converging Hostile Natives

By march of 1876, the plan to locate and engage the hostile Natives was ready and executed. The plan was for a three pronged movement with each prong converging on the Powder river valley. Because the exact location of the Natives was not known, the plan relied on any one of the prongs to be able to defeat the Natives autonomously. The first of the three prongs left Fort Ellis (near present day Bozeman) in the Montana territory comprised of about 450 soldiers. This first column was commanded by Colonel John Gibbon. Following Colonel Gibbon’s column, Major General George Crook departed from Fort Fetterman in central Wyoming. Major General Crook’s column departed in early May with approximately 1000 soldiers. The third column, commanded

However, Chief Sitting Bull had attracted many more tribes from throughout the region, based on his leadership and resistance to adhering to the terms imposed by the Treaty of Fort Laramie. During the annual Sun Dance ceremony, which took place in southeast Montana the numbers swelled, up to 8,000 people and 1,800 warriors. Two weeks later the camp had moved south and settled on the banks of the Little Bighorn river which was fertile hunting ground. It was now mid-June of 1876 and the column moving east from the Dakota territory was also in the southeast of the Montana territory. At this time, Major General Terry had decided to detach the 7th Cavalry under Lt. Col George Custer from the formation. The intent of this was so that Custer could work south towards the Bighorn river near Wyoming while General Terry would continue west and act like a blocking force if the Native camp packed up and tried to escape the north west. On June 24th 1876, Lt. Col Custer and the 7th Cavalry were 25 miles from the camp, scouts had reported the encampment was 25 miles away on the Little Bighorn river. Based on this report Custer marched through the night to get

Col. Custer developed was essentially a flank attack, whichever battalion made contact first would essentially fix the camp while the other 2 manuever battalions would maneuver and attack from their position. Lt. Col. Custer took his battalion to the northwest using the terrain to move and then turn south towards the river, Major Reno took his battalion to the southwest and Captain Benteen moved his battalion to the south turning northwest in an attempt to locate the village. The attack started at dawn on the 26th of July 1876. Major Reno’s battalion was the first to contact the village. He crossed the river and advanced on the southern end of the camp. Native warriors quickly organized and met Major Reno’s attack. Seeing a large force of warriors advancing towards him, he ordered his battalion to halt and formed a firing line. As the warriors continued the attack, Major Reno began to take heavy losses and was caught in the open terrain. He ordered a withdraw to the tree line, however by withdrawing under pressure he withstood heavy losses and was forced to continue his withdraw back to the east side of the river. Major Reno eventually regrouped on the high bluffs east of the river but had sustained heavy casualties as a result of the contact. As Major Reno regrouped he was met by Captain Benteens battalion would was not moving northwest after not making contact to the