George Armstrong Custer
Custer participated in a few small battles with the Lakota Indians in the Yellowstone area in 1873. In 1968,the United States government signed a treaty with the Lakota, guaranteeing them that the Black Hills of South Dakota would continue to be the land of their people. When gold was found in the Black Hills, the government made amendments to the treaty. In 1874, Custer lead an expedition of twelve hundred people into the Black Hills.
Custer was ordered to take part in an anti-Lakota campaign in 1876, along with Generals George Crook and John Gibbon. In March, Ulysses S. Grant relieved Custer of his command because of testimony he had given about Indian Service corruption. Grant was forced to reverse his decision.
The United States government planned for Custer, Crook and Gibbon to lure the Lakota and Cheyenne into a trap, surround them and defeat them. Custer took it upon himself to advance more quickly than the other forces. On June 25, 1876, he came upon Sitting Bull's encampment on the Little Bighorn River. His orders were to drive the Indians down the Little Bighorn toward Gibbon's troops. He wasn't aware that Crook had been forced to retreat when Crazy Horse and five hundred warriors attacked them at Rosebud Creek. He should have known that Gibbons forces were far behind.
Custer split his forces into three groups to ensure that no Indians would escape. He was positive the Seventh Cavalry could defeat Sitting Bull's warriors. Not only would it be a glorious victory for the United States government, but he would gain fame as the commander of the defeating forces.
Custer issued the order to charge. Suddenly, thousands of Lakota, Arapaho and Cheyenne warriors appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Custer realized he was outnumbered, but it was too late. The Indians forced the Seventh Cavalry onto a dusty ridge parallel to the Little Bighorn River. There were no survivors.
Custer died trying to gain fame. His wish did come true. He has been the subject of books, songs and paintings.
Custer's Last Stand has gone down in history as the biggest fiasco of all time. Maybe it's not what Custer had in mind when he sought glory and fame, but somehow, in a sad way, it seems fitting.
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