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1)
Custer did not lose at the Little Bighorn just because of his
actions that day. The Indians had been pressured for many years. They
had seen their lands stolen, their people killed, their women and
children taken away as prisoners and their chiefs put in prison. They
had seen the buffalo (an animal sacred to them and totally necessary for
their way of life) almost wiped off the face of the earth. By the time
of their summer council they were as angry with the white man as they
could be.
2)
Crazy Horse organised his warriors into an organised fighting
force. Instead of each man going for personal glory the Sioux, Cheyenne
and Arapaho formed a fairly well disciplined fighting unit which was
much more dangerous than the old ways.
3)
Edward P. Smith’s orders to the Indians were impossible for
them to comply with even if they had wanted to do so. How did the
stupidity of these orders increase the numbers of “hostiles” on the
plains?
4)
Each tribe had a reason to hate Custer. The Cheyenne in
particular for his massacre at the Washita and all three tribes for his
invasion of the Black Hills. However, it is uncertain that most of the
Indians even knew it was Custer they were fighting until after the
battle.
5)
A large force of Cheyenne and Oglala were on the way to the
agency when they were attacked by Reynolds. They then turned back to
their free cousins. This group was led by Two Moons who took over as
Cheyenne war chief when Lame White Man was killed. The Oglala were led
by He Dog, a friend and lieutenant of Crazy Horse. Their return to the
plains after the attack must have put other Indians off the idea of
making the move into the agencies.
6)
The timing of the battle was totally wrong. At any other time of
year the bands would have been separated as they had to be as
hunter/gatherers. The annual Teton Council would naturally attract all
the Sioux on the plains. As they were closely allied with the Cheyenne
it would be obvious that they would be there as guests. It had also been
a hard winter for those Indians already at the agencies with lack of
food bringing near starvation. What little food they were given was
usually unfit for human consumption. It was only natural that agency
Indians would leave the reservations (as they were allowed to under the
terms of their treaty) and go to hunt food. The Santee and Yankton Sioux
had come west due to the pressure of the white man in their own lands.
7)
Sitting Bull’s medicine vision should not be under estimated
and was of great importance. Sitting Bull’s power as a great medicine
man was so great that not one Indian in that huge village doubted that
his vision would come true. This was one of the three things that filled
them with confidence on June 25th. The other two were the
sheer size of the village and the numbers of warriors in it, and the
battle at the Rosebud on June 17th when they proved they
could beat soldiers out of the country. Remember that Crook had more
soldiers than Custer.
8)
Did Custer disobey Terry’s orders or were they so open as to be
virtually the equivalent of a blank cheque.
9)
Why did Custer divide the troops into three? Even if you understand
sending Reno against one end of the village
while Custer moved to what he thought was the other end, why was
Benteen sent on a wild goose chase through
the neighbouring valleys? Custer was repeatedly told by his scouts about
the numbers of Indians he would meet. Why
did he choose to ignore this information? Did he believe it?
10)
The soldiers’ carbines were notorious for shells sticking in the
breech when the gun had been fired a few times. If the carbines had been
better would it have made much difference in the battle? Custer had been
offered both extra men and Gatling guns but he turned them down. What
difference would either one or both of these made?
11)
Custer wanted the
Democratic nomination to enable him to run for President. Did this
eagerness to acquire a victory against any Indians make him
foolhardy and foolish
12)
How much did he
actually contribute to his own death? If he had not announced that the
Black Hills was full of gold would this battle have ever happened?
13)
If Crook had not been
beaten at the Rosebud (or if he had been beaten but not retreated with
such haste) would his troops have got there in time to contribute to the
battle and aid Custer?
14)
It is well known that Custer gave each of his men 100 rounds of
ammunition and ordered that swords should not be worn. The remaining
ammunition was brought on mule trains, famous for lagging behind the
cavalry. Would extra ammunition and/or swords have made much (if any)
difference)
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