Battle of the Little Bighorn: A History from Beginning to End

The Battle of the Little Bighorn and the massacre of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and five companies of the U.S. 7th Cavalry in June 1876 is one of the best-remembered events of the turbulent period known as the Wild West. This defeat came as a stunning shock to most Americans. Before Custer’s Last Stand, there was a general assumption that in any full-scale battle between Native Americans and the U.S. Army, the army would prevail. Events at the Little Bighorn River changed that perception, and people soon began to wonder just why this defeat had happened. In the immediate aftermath of the massacre, Custer was hailed as a hero who had died with his men attempting to stop Native American warriors who were threatening white settlers. It would be more than 50 years before a new version of events emerged in which Custer’s presumed arrogance and hubris were given as the reason why he led his troops against a Native American force that outnumbered them by almost ten to one.

What precipitated this fateful battle? Did Custer really make tactical mistakes that led to his death and the death of all the men under his direct command? Given that no member of the five companies of the 7th Cavalry survived, can we even establish what really happened on June 25, 1876? Let’s take a look at the real story of the Battle of the Little Bighorn.