American History In Video: Battle of Little Big Horn
Battle of Little Big Horn from The History Channel (A&E Television Networks, 2008) 22:00.
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DAVID JEREMIAH The Old West erupts in violence when American settlers encroach on Indian lands. George Custer and the 7th Cavalry ride in to force the Indians onto reservations.
Bob Reece He was confident, they could win this fight.
David Jeremiah But Sioux leader, Crazy Horse , is defiant. His people won't let go of their land without a fight. Their fate and Custer's will be decided at the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Ernie LaPointe As they grab their horses, their weapons and they said, "Hoka hey!" It's a good day to die.
David Jeremiah You are Crazy Horse . You will face the questions that could win or lose the battle. We ask, you decide. Test your skills, strategy, and nerve in command decisions.
COMMAND DECISIONS
David Jeremiah By the spring of 1876 , thousands of settlers have moved west to seek their fortune. With their way of life threatened, the Native Americans fight back.
Ernie LaPointe Sitting Bull's Great-Grandson
Ernie LaPointe If anybody gets pushed back into a corner, retaliates the same way. And this is basically what happened.
David Jeremiah The US Army sends 2500 troopers to force the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians onto government controlled reservations. One of the troopers is a flamboyant Civil War hero, George Armstrong Custer , a lieutenant colonel with the US 7th Calvary.
Bob Reece Friends of Little Bighorn
Bob Reece As a leader, Custer was assertive. He was aggressive. He was tenacious. He was brave beyond a shadow of a doubt.
BATTLE OF LITTLE BIGHORN
David Jeremiah In the spring of 1876 , the troopers set out in three separate army columns, hundreds of miles apart. Custer and the 7th Cavalry ride with the Eastern Column in May but the troopers -
May, 1876
David Jeremiah - are unaware that nearly 7000 Indians including almost 2000 warriors have joined the Sioux leaders, Crazy Horse , and Sitting Bull at their camp.
Bob Reece They came to the conclusion and realized that this was war and that they had to come together to protect themselves.
June 16
David Jeremiah On June 16th, a small group of Cheyenne scouts spots one of the three columns, 1300 soldiers and Indians led by General George Crook . With the army closing in, Crazy Horse and the other Indians must act fast before they arrive. What's your attack strategy? Charge now. Make a preemptive attack. Wait to ambush. Hit the soldiers when they arrive at the camp. Join with others. Find a nearby tribe then rush the army together with a huge group. The answer, preparing an ambush at the camp leaves your people vulnerable if the tactic fails and it could take a long time to find other Indians to join you. You must charge now and catch the troopers off guard before they find your location.
WHAT'S YOUR ATTACK STRATEGY? A Charge now B Wait to ambush C Join with others
David Jeremiah The answer, is A.
Bob Reece They can defeat the army miles from the village where there is less risk of women and children getting hurt.
June 17
David Jeremiah At dawn on June 17th, Crazy Horse leads more than a thousand mounted warriors to surprise General Crook's men with a sudden attack.
Bob Reece For Indians to fight that way it was very unusual. I mean Crook must have been really amazed thinking, "What are these Indians doing?"
David Jeremiah The Indians attack and catch the soldiers off guard. As the battle rages, some of Crook's troops are cut off from the main army and nearly destroyed. Crazy Horse and his warriors quickly become exhausted from the fierce battle. They retreat back to their camp having successfully battled the US Army to a standstill.
Neil Mangum National Park Service
Neil Mangum Strategically, it was a big victory for the Indians because it broke or bent one of the three army prongs sent out to get the Indians in 1876 . Crook would limp back to his supply base and be out of action for six weeks.
David Jeremiah After the battle of Rosebud Creek, the Indians look for fresh hunting ground. They head North and set up camp at the Little Bighorn River.
[sil.]
David Jeremiah Unaware of Crook's defeat, Custer takes 650 men of the 7th Cavalry and heads West towards the Little Bighorn River. On June 25th, Custer's spots the Indian camp. He divides his command into three attack groups and heads into battle.
Bob Reece By splitting up your command, you're hitting the village from different areas and he split it up three ways because he had to make sure that the village might not be escaping to the South.
June 25 3:00 pm
David Jeremiah At 3:00 pm, Major Marcus Reno with 175 US soldiers and Indian scouts attacks the Southern end of the camp. Seeing the immense(ph) size of the village, Reno and his men halt before the first teepees and fired their carbines from a skirmish line. Sioux and Cheyenne warriors rushed to grab their weapons and return fire.
Ernie LaPointe The first thing the warriors did is they grab their horses, their weapons and they said, "Hoka hey! It's a good day to die."
David Jeremiah Outnumbered by nearly 1000 warriors, Reno and his men retreat to a grove of trees along the river. Crazy Horse and the other Indian warriors know the troopers will be difficult to defeat while hiding in the trees. They must somehow drive them out. What's the best way to force the soldiers out of the trees? Charge with hatchets. A fierce attack will frighten the men. Shoot rifles. The troopers will run from the hail of bullets. Start a fire. The flames will push the soldiers out. The answer, a charge into the trees will put the warriors at risk of being shot and the fire will create smoke, giving Reno a potential cover for escape. But if all the Indians fire into the trees, the overwhelming gunfire will force Reno to withdraw.
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO FORCE THE SOLDIERS OUT OF THE TREES? A Charge with hatchets B Shoot rifles C Start a fire
David Jeremiah The answer, is B. The Sioux and Cheyenne fire into the trees. Reno is talking to one of his Indian scouts when the attack hits.
Neil Mangum While Reno was sitting there conversing with one of his scouts, Bloody Knife , there's a burst of gunfire that hits Bloody Knife square in the head. Blood and brains are splattered all over Reno's tunic. It unnerves the Major.
David Jeremiah Reno panics and orders his men to follow him across the river but the warriors trap many troopers in the river and cut them down.
Bob Reece The warriors were just charging in on their horseback and knocking soldiers from their horses, shooting them pointblank.
David Jeremiah Leaving 30 dead and wounded, Reno and his surviving men climbed the steep bluffs on the other side of the river to regroup. Just then, Crazy Horse and his warriors spot Custer and 200 men on a high ridge. Torn between the two groups of soldiers, the Indians must decide who is a bigger threat. Who do you attack first Custer . He's closing in fast. Reno . He's on the run and vulnerable. Both at once. You outnumber them and can destroy both groups.
COMMAND DECISIONS
David Jeremiah June 25th, 1876 , the Battle of Little Bighorn. Custer and the 7th Cavalry mount a fierce attack on Crazy Horse's camp. With Major Marcus Reno's men retreating and Custer about to strike, the Indian warriors must make a decision.
[sil.]
David Jeremiah Who do you attack first? Custer . He's closing in fast. Reno . He's on the run and vulnerable. Both at once. You outnumber them and can destroy both groups. The answer, you'll leave the village vulnerable if you chase after Reno . It's clear he's running away defeated and won't come back soon. Custer and his battle ready men are the biggest threat right now.
WHO DO YOU ATTACK FIRST? A Custer B Reno C Both at once
David Jeremiah The answer, is A. Crazy Horse and the other warriors decide to go after Custer and let Reno's men retreat.
Neil Mangum They can always come back and get Reno because they've already shown that they can defeat Reno .
David Jeremiah While the other warriors rush to attack Custer , Sioux leader, Sitting Bull , stays behind to protect the women and children. How can you best protect the women and children? Split them up. Small groups will be harder to find. Move them together. It will be easier to move one large crowd. Give them weapons. They'll fight fiercely when attacked. The answer, moving the women and children as a big group will provide an easy target for the soldiers and most of your weapons are being used by the warriors. The safest option is to move them in small groups making them harder for Custer to find.
HOW CAN YOU BEST PROTECT THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN? A Split up B Move together C Give them weapons
David Jeremiah The answer, is A. Sitting Bull divides the women and children into small groups. He moves them to the hills north of the village where they wait for the battle to end.
Ernie LaPointe Sitting Bull's Great-Grandson
Ernie LaPointe They could not all go to one place together because they would be an easy target so they scattered along the bushes and the ravines.
David Jeremiah Leaving Sitting Bull to take care of the women and children, Crazy Horse prepares his attack on Custer . He'll need many warriors with him in this attack. How do you signal the other warriors to rally behind you? Yell loudly. Ride through camp. Fire your gun. The answer, the camp is too filled with chaos and noise for the warriors to rally to battle cries or gunfire. But Indian warriors will always follow a respected leader. A fierce charge through the camp will show the others your courage as you head into battle.
HOW DO YOU SIGNAL THE OTHER WARRIORS TO RALLY BEHIND YOU? A Yell loudly B Ride through camp C Fire your gun
David Jeremiah The answer is B.
Neil Mangum National Park Service
Neil Mangum Everybody followed Crazy Horse . He was such a well-known leader of ah, warriors that he had no problem getting them to, to follow him.
David Jeremiah Crazy Horse gallops furiously through the Indian village towards Custer . Hundreds of Sioux and Cheyenne follow his brave rush to battle.
Bob Reece Friends of Little Bighorn
Bob Reece Once Crazy Horse realized there was this immediate danger to the village from Custer and his five companies, he rode to the village encouraging the warriors to follow him into battle and they followed him -- they followed him to destroy Custer .
David Jeremiah Custer and his men are on a high ridge above the village. Crazy Horse looks for a way to lead his men to attack them. You are Crazy Horse , what's the best way to attack Custer ? Attack his flank. Go around and cut him off. Charge directly at him. Lead a huge force straight up the hill. Lure him into an ambush. Withdraw to the village, and set a trap.
COMMAND DECISIONS
David Jeremiah June 25th, 1876 , the Battle of Little Bighorn. From a high ridge, Custer and the 7th Cavalry prepare to launch an attack on the Indian camp below. Crazy Horse and the other Indian leaders must find the best way to defeat the soldiers. You are Crazy Horse . What's the best way to attack Custer ? Attack his flank. Go around and cut him off. Charge directly at him. Lead a huge force straight up the hill. Lure him into an ambush. Withdraw to the village, and set a trap. The answer, rushing up a wide open hill will expose the warriors to intense gunfire and severe casualties and leading him into a village ambush could allow Custer to gain offensive momentum but if you head around the hill to Custer's flank, you'll surprise him while he's focused on the village.
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO ATTACK CUSTER ? A Attack his flank B Charge at him C Lure into ambush
David Jeremiah The answer is A.
Neil Mangum National Park Service
Neil Mangum Crazy Horse proceeded to go downstream to the mouth of deep ravine on the battlefield. Crossing there to gain access to what soldiers could be seen on the skyline.
David Jeremiah Preparing his attack, Custer leads his battalion along the ridge. Hundreds of Indian warriors led by the Sioux Chief Gall , head directly up the hill to engage the soldiers. The Indians fired their guns as they advance.
Ernie LaPointe Sitting Bull's Great-Grandson
Ernie LaPointe It didn't matter which ah, warrior you were beside as long as you were attacking the ones in the blue uniform. That was all that mattered.
David Jeremiah Hundreds of Sioux and Cheyenne inched closer to Custer's troops using the grass, sagebrush, and ragged terrain for concealment. They have to find a way to keep up the attack while avoiding the trooper's gunfire. What's the best weapon to use in uneven terrain? Bow and arrow. It can be fired from a crouching position. Rifle, it's the deadliest weapon you have. Hatchet, it's devastating in hand to hand combat. The answer, although, a rifle is deadly, it requires the warrior to stand up and expose himself to the soldiers' gunfire and the hatchet will only be effective at very close range. But a bow and arrow can be shot from a safe crouching position, behind a clump of grass or small hill.
WHAT'S THE BEST WEAPON TO USE IN UNEVEN TERRAIN? A Bow and arrow B Rifle C Hatchet
David Jeremiah The answer, is A.
Neil Mangum Every time you fire black powder weapons, it produced a little puff of white-gray smoke which can give your position away. You also had to expose more of your body in order to aim and fire that. But many of the soldiers were killed simply by Indians bombarding that area with hundreds of arrows.
David Jeremiah Under the rain of arrows, many of Custer's men are wounded and killed but the troopers attempt to make a stand. They dismount and form a defensive firing line in front of their horses. The soldier's carbines are accurate and lethal. The warriors have to find a way through Custer's defensive firing line. How can you break the defensive line? Shoot the officers. No one will be left to give orders. Scare the horses. The animals will stampede away. Charge the line. A fierce offensive attack will force the soldiers to retreat. The answer, killing the officers won't stop the other troopers' gunfire and there's too much chaos on the battlefield to coordinate an offensive charge but if the cavalry's horses run away, they'll take ammunition and the troopers' only means of escape.
HOW CAN YOU BREAK THE DEFENSIVE LINE? A Shoot officers B Scare horses C Charge the line
David Jeremiah The answer, is B.
[sil.]
David Jeremiah The Sioux and Cheyenne wave blankets and shout at the cavalry's horses. Many of the frightened animals stampede towards the river, the warriors push forward and Custer's men scramble to find defensive cover.
Bob Reece Friends of Little Bighorn
Bob Reece If you're a cavalry man and you lose your horse, imagine what that's gonna be because your extra ammunition are in those saddlebags, and you would have been in a world of hurt, not only just to be able to move somewhere but to fight.
David Jeremiah Suddenly, Crazy Horse and his followers reach the top of the ridge. With loud battlecries, they charge at the besieged troopers.
Bob Reece Imagine seeing hundreds of warriors come out of nowhere and cut down one of your companies in a matter of just minutes.
David Jeremiah The battlefield gives way to dust and smoke-filled chaos as nearly 2000 warriors close in on the terrified troopers. Custer and his surviving men shoot their horses for breastworks and fight their last stand. Some soldiers are shot down as they run, some fall in hand to hand combat, others are overrun as they tried to shoot from behind the dead horses.
Bob Reece The sights and sound of this fight had been a nightmare. You have warriors firing their weapons, screaming, yelling.
David Jeremiah By 6:00 p.m., the last of Custer's men are finished. As the dust settles, the Sioux and Cheyenne realize the battle is over. Custer lies dead, shot in the chest and head. His 210 men are scattered about the battlefield mixed with the bodies of less than 20 Indian warriors.
Neil Mangum Seeing the battlefield was one of sickening, ghastly horror.
David Jeremiah But the battle is not yet over. Major Reno and the rest of the 7th Cavalry are positioned on the bluffs above the village, firing from behind their defenses. Unwilling to lose more men, the Indians remain at a distance and return fire.
Bob Reece The warriors after they finished Custer and his five companies, they went back. They fought Reno and Benteen and the rest of the 7th Cavalry.
David Jeremiah On June 26th, a day after the victory over Custer , the Indians spot another column of soldiers arriving to support Reno . Fearing more loss of life, Crazy Horse and his people break camp and head to safety.
Bob Reece It was a great victory. They knew it so they didn't need to kill every white male in that hill.
David Jeremiah Where do you take your people? Join with nearby tribes. They'll help you in case of attack. Scatter into the wilderness. It'll be easier to travel and find food in small groups. Establish a big camp. You'll be safer if you stay together in one place. The answer, if you join with other tribes, you'll put more Indians in danger and the big camp will be too large to find enough food to sustain itself. Scattering into the wilderness in small groups is the best way to keep your people safe for now.
WHERE DO YOU TAKE YOUR PEOPLE? A Join with nearby tribes B Scatter into wilderness C Establish big camp
David Jeremiah The answer is B.
[sil.]
David Jeremiah The Indians split into tribes to hunt buffalo before winter arrives.
Bob Reece I think they just felt it was time to start splitting apart for safety reasons. It's harder to follow a lot of trails of Indians than one big one.
David Jeremiah Although the army continued its campaign against the Sioux and Cheyenne, the Battle of Little Bighorn was the Indians' greatest victory over the United States government. But once the American public learned of Custer's defeat, there was an outcry to force the Indians onto reservations once and for all.
Bob Reece Back East, the American public was shocked at the outcome of this battle that we could still die out here in the plains fighting the Indians.
Ernie LaPointe The American public branded us as a savages.
David Jeremiah Within a year, Crazy Horse was captured and killed. Five years later, Sitting Bull surrendered. The US government confined the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians to reservations and seized their land. The Indian wars of the Northern Plains were nearly over but in the Indian legend, the bravery of the warriors at Little Bighorn will be recounted for generations.
NEIL MANGUM Symbolically, it ah, is ah, a point of pride in Indian country that, that they won against the might of the government of the United States , that they defeated ah, Custer and his soldiers.
ERNIE LAPOINTE I would say that was the greatest victory that we had but in the end, we still lost ah, our land, our way of life.
H INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Michael Hoff CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Chris Valentini SENIOR PRODUCER Erika Trott SENIOR WRITER Shirley Tatum WRITER Dan Bree ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Marlon Singleton PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Lisa Bothen Elena Cruz EDITORS August J. Beucke Charity Ellis Assistant EDITORS Federico Aquino Brandy Brumley Ronna Malson Chris Sellers PHOTOGRAPHER Rico Corona CHIEF ENGINEER Jim Du Vardo OPERATIONS MANAGER Kathryn Pacheco ART DIRECTOR Auguste Raffael GRAPHIC ARTIST Kristopher Johnson GRAPHICS ASSISTANT Terri Brown RECREATION ACTORS Steve Alexander AS GENERAL CUSTER Harford Bear Claw Greg Casteel Peter Czarnowski Jenny Lamia Dan McCluskey Richard Old Coyote Savanna Old Elk Hamley Real Bird RECREATION ACTORS James Real Bird John Real Bird Wolfy Real Bird Dora Rideshore Evaline Rideshore Arnold T. Stein NARRATED BY David Jeremiah MUSIC BY John Lawrence for Power of 2 Music ADDITIONAL FOOTAGE PROVIDED BY Getty Images National Archives Records Administration Library of Congress Prints Photographs "Little Big Horn" by Robert Nightangale SPECIAL THANKS Robert Nightangale Fort Custer Friends of The Little Bighorn J.C. Andrus Associates Kennard Real Bird Bill Yenne SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Anke Pahmeyer SR. DIR. Of FINANCE OPERATIONS Dennis Newburne DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS LEGAL AFFAIRS Kristen Fleming CLEARANCE COORDINATOR Wella Lasola BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Rex Vigil FOR THE HISTORY CHANNEL PRODUCTION COORDINATOR David Blatt EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Margaret G. Kim PRODUCED BY Michael Hoff Productions, Inc for The History Channel © 2004 A Television Networks. All Rights Reserved.
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