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In 1926, to coincide with the 50th
anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, William A.
Graham published the first authoritative book on the battle entitled The Story of the Little Big
Horn: Custer's Last Fight.
Graham’s book was based
largely on the voluminous information provided during the 1879 Court of Inquiry
into the conduct of Major Reno.
Of the number, intention
and armaments of the Indians, Graham writes: “The Seventh Cavalry was sent by (General)
Terry to round up a band of recalcitrant variously estimated at between eight
and fifteen hundred fighting men. They
found almost three times the number at the highest estimate.
They rode to locate and
to drive or capture a band which, judged by all past experiences, would scatter
and run at their approach; they found instead a force of stern warriors who
fought with determination and tenacity equal to their own….
They thought to find a
band equipped with ancient muskets and discarded rifles, with primitive spear
and bow and arrow. Instead, they found a
foe far better armed than they themselves, possessing Winchester rifles of the
latest pattern and stores of ammunition that seemed inexhaustible.”
Graham writes, “When Reno
rode into the attack with his pitiful force of 112 men, his was the only part
of the regiment on the western or village side of the river….Benteen’s
battalion was at this time miles away to the left and rear, its whereabouts
unknown, and had no orders to cooperate with Reno or with Custer. Reno, when he crossed the river, believed and
had reason to believe that he was expected to bring only an advance-guard
action, and that Custer, with his larger and stronger force would deliver the
main attack, supporting his charge from the rear. But instead of supporting, Custer changed
direction and rode five miles down the river without notifying Reno of his
change of purpose.”
Of Custer’s flawed logistics, Graham
writes, “The pack train, which with its escort accounted for 130 men, more than
twenty per cent of the regiment, and which had in charge all the reserve
ammunition, had been left far back on the trail, to struggle along the best it
might. The men of the (other) three
battalions carried only one hundred rounds apiece of carbine ammunition, and
four loadings, or twenty-four rounds, for their pistols. When the fight in the valley began,
therefore, not one of the three fighting battalions had ammunition sufficient
for prolonged combat, nor was within communicating distance of the reserve
supply; nor was any one of the four detachments of the regiment within
supporting distance of either of (the) others.”
One of the interesting aspects of Graham’s book is that he effectively
provides a timeline of the events of June 25, 1876. (1) 12:07 PM, Custer divides his command,
Benteen marches south; (2) 2:30 PM Reno crosses the river and commences
offensive operations; (3) 3:00 PM Reno retreats to the timbers; (4) 4:00 PM
Reno retreats to the bluffs; (5) 4:00 PM Benteen receives the “Come quick”
order from Custer; (5) 4:30 PM Benteen joins Reno. Firing is heard downriver.
Captain Weir marches to the sound of the guns; (5) 5:00 PM the last of the pack
train joins Reno and Benteen; (6) 6:00 PM Reno and Benteen join Weir and are
engaged by the Sioux; (7) 7:00 PM Reno and Benteen complete a fighting
withdrawal and take up the command’s original defensive positions.
Custer’s
Last Stand: Portraits in Time
Since his death along the bluffs
overlooking the Little Bighorn River, in Montana, on June 25, 1876, over five
hundred books have been written about the life and career of George Armstrong
Custer. Views of Custer have changed over succeeding generations. Custer has
been portrayed as a callous egotist, a bungling egomaniac, a genocidal war
criminal, and the puppet of faceless forces. For almost one hundred and fifty
years, Custer has been a Rorschach test of American social and personal values.
Whatever else George Armstrong Custer may or may not have been, even in the
twenty-first century, he remains the great lightning rod of American history.
This book presents portraits of Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn as
they have appeared in print over successive decades and in the process
demonstrates the evolution of American values and priorities.
Paperback:
E-Book:
All
other: https://books2read.com/u/3nWD6m
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qwUlCP
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