Posted on Aug 4, 2021
Native History: Custer Has First Battle in His War With Lakota
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On August 4, 1873,during the Indian Wars, while protecting a railroad survey party in Montana, the United States 7th Cavalry under Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer clashed for the first time with the Sioux near the Tongue River. One man was killed on each side. From the article:
"Colonel George Armstrong Custer and his 7th Cavalry met the Sioux Indians in battle for the first time—three years before their defeat at Little Big Horn.
Custer and the cavalry had been tasked with protecting a party of surveyors laying out the route for the proposed new Northern Pacific Railroad, which happened to cut right through Sioux homeland in what is now Montana.
With the coming of the railroad, the Lakota feared the destruction of their hunting ground, so fought the building of the railroad as they fought colonization.
But the railroad reached Montana on May 9, 1880. The day the Lakota attacked, Custer was ahead of the rest of his men camping along the Tongue River. The Indians, led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, withdrew after a brief fight in which just one life was lost on each side.
Withdrawing on August 4, 1873 may have been their best decision because three years later when Custer met Crazy Horse again he expected him to withdraw so he rushed in. This time the Indians stayed and fought leaving Custer and more than 200 of his men dead."
"Colonel George Armstrong Custer and his 7th Cavalry met the Sioux Indians in battle for the first time—three years before their defeat at Little Big Horn.
Custer and the cavalry had been tasked with protecting a party of surveyors laying out the route for the proposed new Northern Pacific Railroad, which happened to cut right through Sioux homeland in what is now Montana.
With the coming of the railroad, the Lakota feared the destruction of their hunting ground, so fought the building of the railroad as they fought colonization.
But the railroad reached Montana on May 9, 1880. The day the Lakota attacked, Custer was ahead of the rest of his men camping along the Tongue River. The Indians, led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, withdrew after a brief fight in which just one life was lost on each side.
Withdrawing on August 4, 1873 may have been their best decision because three years later when Custer met Crazy Horse again he expected him to withdraw so he rushed in. This time the Indians stayed and fought leaving Custer and more than 200 of his men dead."
Native History: Custer Has First Battle in His War With Lakota
Posted from indiancountrytoday.com
Native Americans
American History
Military History
Cavalry
Combat
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
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As the sign on the North Dakota - Montana border said, Custer was alive when he left North Dakota.
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Sgt Jim Belanus That's amazing since its been over 28 years since I saw it.
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Excellent history. In war commanders often make assumptions about the unknowns to make sense of plans and actions. Patton was genius in Europe by mitigating risk and unknowns by using fighter planes in front and flanks of his 100,000 soldier Army Group as he pushed it hard.
Custer on the other hand saw an immense village and disregarded that relevant fact. He made some horrible assumptions like the braves would sue for peace if he captured women and children. He divided his battalion into three formations. I can’t vouch for the veracity of this information but read the braves as a whole, attacked attacked Custer’s units sequentially. Off the top of my head the soldiers in each unit faced 1 to 10 odds. I read the braves had repeating rifles and the soldiers’ rifles were single shot. Custer and his 200+ men dismounted and set up a defense. They lost the ability to maneuver by dismounting. Thus they were killed in place.
Custer on the other hand saw an immense village and disregarded that relevant fact. He made some horrible assumptions like the braves would sue for peace if he captured women and children. He divided his battalion into three formations. I can’t vouch for the veracity of this information but read the braves as a whole, attacked attacked Custer’s units sequentially. Off the top of my head the soldiers in each unit faced 1 to 10 odds. I read the braves had repeating rifles and the soldiers’ rifles were single shot. Custer and his 200+ men dismounted and set up a defense. They lost the ability to maneuver by dismounting. Thus they were killed in place.
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