Billings Senior High School - Kyote Yearbook (Billings, MT)

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Custer’s Last Service Our story proper, begins on June 21. 1876. when Generals Terry, Gibbons, and Custer met in conference to determine the best plan of attack upon the hostile Indians. 1 his meet- ing was held within one of the cabins of the Tar West, the river boat acting as trans- port and supply ship for the commands. The ‘Tar West was stationed at the mouth of the Rosebud, near the spot where Forsyth now stands. It was decided that the Seventh Cavalry, under General George A. Custer, should follow the Indian trail discovered a few days previous by Major Reno, an officer of Custer's command. Upon being selected to make the trip. Custer immediately called together his offi- cers and ordered them to provide their men with fifteen days’ rations and fifty rounds of carbine ammunition per man. This was carried on the pack mules. In addition, each man carried on his person or in his saddle bags, one hundred rounds of carbine and twenty-four rounds of pistol ammuni- tion. He also carried twelve pounds of oats on his horse. Before leaving. General Custer re- ceived instructions from General I err . These instructions stated that Custer was to proceed up the Rosebud river, following the Indian trail until he determined their direction of march. He was to be careful not to lose the Indians by allowing them to slip away to his left. Terry expressed in his orders, his desire to have Custer and Gibbons close in on the Indians together, hut this must “he controlled by circum- stances as they arise. These instructions also stated in part: “The department com- Written by K. V. Smith, Acting Assistant A dj ut a n t -Gen era I

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The Battle of the Little Big Horn J71FTY years ago within the borders of our beloved state, almost at our very door, «Occurred a mighty struggle—one of the greatest battles ever fought with- in the boundaries of our country, the outcome of which was to bring to a close, the struggle between the whites and the red men for the supremacy of the Northwest- June 25, 1926, marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, in which General George A. Custer and 265 of his command, lost their lives while opposing some six-thousand Sioux. Cheyenne, and Blackfoot Indians. These Indians, under the direction of Sitting Bull, a Sioux medicine man, left their reservations and were joined b bands of warriors from the various tribes, the latter being under the leadership of such chiefs as (rail, Crow King, and Crazy Horse. Following the Civil War, the government endeavored by peaceful means to induce the Indians to remain on their reservations. These entreaties met with little success and the government was forced to use the United States army in an attempt to crush this hostility. Three fighting units were dispatched from military posts located along the edge of the hos- tile territory. One command under General Crook was to come from Fort Fetterman, east of what is now Casper. Wvoming, another command under General Gibbons from Fort Kllis (where Bozeman, Montana, is now located) and another from Fort Lincoln. Dakota, under General Alfred Terry. Tin plan was that three units were to close in on the In- dian at or near the Little Big Horn River, where it was thought the hostiles had collected. Under Jerry’s command was a brilliant young officer with a very unusual war record. He had the distinction of being the youngest general in the Civil War. General George A. Custer had taken an active part in a number of the important campaigns in the national strug- gle and had gained a reputation as a brave and courageous leader. At the close of the Civil War, he had led an expedition into the territory of Dakota and Montana and had gained much experience as an Indian fighter, engaging the hostiles many times. Custer’s previous experience with Indians, made his services valuable to the expedition un- der Terr)'. According to Brady, the best part of the expedition was Custer's command. General George A. Ousti-r—Born December 5. 183H. New Rumley. Ohio. Graduated I . S. Military iAcademy, June. 1M 1. Brigadier General. Volunteer ». June 2f . I M3. appointed at 23 yearn of age—the youngest general In the Civil War. and commanded thousands of men. Brevet Major-General, volun- teers. October, 1M 4. Commanded Michigan Brigade of Cavalry at Battle of Gettysburg, and Third divis- loii of Sheridan’» Cavalry Corps. .Major-General, Volunteers. April. is6r . Commanded I lvision of C»v- a ry. Mexican Border. 1865-fi. Brevetted through «II grades from Major to Major-General, Regular Army, for distinguished services at Gettysburg. Yellow Tav- ern, Winchester, Fisher's Kill, Five Forks and Appomatox. Lieutenant-Colonel. Seventh U. S. Cav- alry. July. 1866. which he commanded In Indian campaigns—1867-1876. Eminently successful in the Battle of Washita (when he was sufficiently armed and provided with adequate supplies.) Commander, also, in Expedition In Staked Plains. 1 6»; Yellow- stone Expedition. 1 73; Black Hills Exploration. 1 74.

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General K. S. Godfrey served throughout the Yellowstone campaign, terminating In the Hattie of the Little Big Horn, as a lieutenant In General Geo. A. Custer’s regiment —the Sev- enth. and was In command -'f Tro p K.. which was in the thick «if the fight In which Major Benteen'a t attal- lion was engaged. mander places too much confidence in your zeal, ener- gy, and ability to wish to impose upon you precise orders which might hamper your action when nearly in contact with the enemv.M If possible, Terry would move on up the river to the forks where Custer was ordered to “report to him not later than the expir- ation of the time for which your troops are rationed.”• At twelve o’clock noon on June 22, the regiment passed in review before Terry, Gibbons, and Custer and started on its inarch up the Rosebud. At about 4 p. mM upon marching twelve miles and shortly after striking the Indian trail, the Seventh went into camp. About sunset, while in conference with his officers, Custer gave a few general orders, expressed his reli- ance upon the discretion, loyalty, and judgment of his men, and stated that he expected to meet about 1 5(XJ Indians, f At five o’clock on the morning of the twenty- third, the command took up the march. Fight miles out they came to the first of the recently deserted In- dian camping places. During the course of the day the Seventh passed three of these camps, finally halting for the night at 5 p. m., having marched about thirty-five miles. During the march similar camping places were passed. The troops were required to march on separate trails so that the dust clouds would not rise too high. About sundown, in order to hide the command as much as possible, they went into camp under cover of a bluff. The troops had marched about twenty-eight miles. Orders were issued to have fires out as soon as supper was over and b? ready to march again at 11 :30 p. m. At 9’:30 p. m. however, Custer called the officers to his tent and ex- pressed his desire to march at once. He wished to get as near the divide as possible before davbreak, where the command would be concealed during the day. At this time plans would be made for the attack on the twenty-sixth. J At 2 a. m. or shortly after, the march ended. At eight o’clock, after only six hours rest, the command again moved out over the trail. The Indian village had been located by the scouts some twenty miles away.fi At about 10:30, the command halted, itury. January, 1x92—Brady. War With the Sioux.” Pearson Magazine. August. 1904. tGodfrey— Custer's Hast Battle. {Godfrey, Century. January, 1X92. $ Informat ion was dispatched from General Sheridan that from the agencies about ISO© lodges had set out to join the hostile camp: l»ut that information did not reach General Terry until several days after the battle. The principal war- rior chiefs of the hostile» were ••Gall. Crow King and Black Moon, Muti«:i papa Sioux. Bow Dog,’ Crazv Horse’’ and Big Road. Ogallala Sioux; Spotted Basle. Saris Arc Sioux; Hump of the Minneconjous; and White Bull and little Horse of the Cheyennes. To these belong the chief honors of conducting the battle. However. Gall, Crow King and Crazy Horse were the hading spirits.—Godfrey. Century, January. 1X92. on the twenty-fou rth, many Major Marcus A. Reno, who lead the first attack in the Custer Battle, joined the Seventh Cavalry. December 19. 1896, with a l rav« and honorable Civil War record. He has been ac- cusal of cowardly conduct in the Bat- tle of tlie Little Big Horn; later was found guilty taccording to Brady) by a general court-marshal, of conduct unbecoming to any officer or gentle- man and dismissed from military serv- ice of the t’nited States. He died a suicide.