Battle of Greasy Grass Creek 1876

[AmigoKumeyaay]

June 25, 1876 became known as "Custer's Last Stand" because the U.S. Army needed support from Congress to expand their expeditions against the Plains tribes. The defeat happened only weeks before the United States would celebrate 100 years of Independence from England. "Manifest Destiny" had blinded white Americans from seeing the need for Natives to be independent also.

Congress increased the size of the U.S. Army, and these new forces were sent against the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho...and other tribes...


June 25, 1876 from the Native point of view:


How the Battle of Little Bighorn Was Won | History & Archaeology | Smithsonian Magazine

[wardancer]

My great Grandfather was there......said it took about 2 hours !

[White Powwow Dancer]

My great Grandfather was there......said it took about 2 hours !

Custer got his a** handed to him in about 2 hours

[AmigoKumeyaay]

The Smithsonian article details the battle from interviews of Natives over the years, the witness accounts, and the tactics employed by the Natives, who basically separated the cavalry soldiers from their horses, forcing them to fight from the ground. The Natives understood horses better than the soldiers, using tactics to scare the Army horses during the battle caused massive confusion amongst the soldiers.


Custer was next to last in his graduating class, so he was always looking for personal glory to compensate for his lack of credibility. Custer escorted the first mining expedition into the Black Hills, after that the white men wanted all that gold. The plan was to push all Lakota onto reservations, so the gold mining could continue.

There are still plenty of "General Custers" working in Govt today.


The aftermath of this battle is tragic:

The Army making Custer into a hero so they could pressure Congress to pay for a bigger force out on the Plains. "Custer's Last Stand" was how the white people portrayed the battle, a tragedy to be avenged.

After this, the Army was granted Repeating rifles instead of the single shot Smithfields, also Gatling guns, Hotchkiss canons, etc Also, another 2,500 recruits were authorized by Congress. General Miles was assigned to lead the fight on the Plains.

Crazy Horse was then murdered while in captivity by soldiers.

and of course, the massacre at Wounded Knee was revenge for Custer.

[Joe's Dad]

I was once invited to ride in the reenactment of the Batte of the Greasy Grass. Didnt get a chance to make it.

I do know the great warrior, stillrezin, has carried his war pony into the Battle of the Greasy Grass many times.

Im juss saying.