Little Big Horn, A Study of a Cavalry Regiment in the Indian Wars

[dragoon500ly]

The Terry Order

By mid-morning of July 22nd, 1876, the Seventh was ready for its 15 day planned march. Custer received Terry's written orders. The instructions wer implicit and fixed the location of the hostiles. This is the order:

Camp at Mouth of Rosebud River, Montana Territory
June 22, 1876

Lieutenant Colonel Custer
7th Cavalry

Colonel,

The Brigadier General Commanding directs that, as soon as your regiment can be made ready for the march, you will proceed up the Rosebud in pursuit of the Indians whose trail was discovered by Major Reno a few days since. It is, of course, impossible to give you any definite instructions in regard to this movement, and were it not impossible to do so the Department Commander places too much confidence in your zeal, energy, and ability to wish to impose upon you precise orders which might hamper your action when nearly in contact with the enemy. He will, however, indicate to you his own views of what your action should be, and he desires that you should conform to them unless you shall see sufficient reason for departing from them. He thinks that you should proceed up the Rosebud until you ascertain definitely the direction in which the trail above spoken leads. Should it be found, as it appears almost certain that it will be found,to turn towards the Little Horn, he thinks that you should still proceed southward, perhaps as far as the headwaters of the Tongue, and then turn towards the Little Horn, feeling constantly, however, to your left, so as to preclude the possibility of the escape of the Indians to the south or southeast by passing around your left flank. The column of Colonel Gibbon is now in motion for the mouth of the Big Horn. As soon as it reaches that point it will cross the Yellowstone and move up at least as far as the forks of the Big and Little Horns. Of course, its future movements must be controlled by circumstances as they arise, but it is hoped that the Indians, if upon the Little Horn, may be so nearly inclosed by the two columns that their escape will be impossible.

The Department commander desires that on your way up the Rosebud you should throughly examine the upper part of Tullock's Creek, and that you should endeavor to send a scout through to Colonel Gibbon's column, with information of that result of your examination. The lower part of this creek will be examined by a detachment from Colonel Gibbon's command. The supply steamer will be pushed up the Big Horn as far as the forks if the river is found to be navigable for that distance, and the Department Commander who will accompany the column of Colonel Gibbon, desires you to report to him there not later than the expiration of the time for which your troops are rationed, unless in the mean time you receive further orders.

Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant

E.W. Smith, Captain 18th Infantry
Acting Assistant Adjutant General

[Legbreaker]

"Condemned horses" to pull the gatlings
Does this mean they were no longer suitable for riding

[bobcat]

While a very small portion of the information is likely incorrect (as time changes so much in history, it seems) this is a very good display of the information for the Battle of Little Big Horn.

Two years ago I made the trip to the Battle of Little Big Horn. If you guys ever get a chance, it's a rather sombering place to visit that really drives home what these guys in the 7th Cavalry experienced. Seeing the grave markers placed where (supposedly) each man fell, the white stone with the individual name on it standing out against the golden wild grass of the hills, it really gives you an idea of not only where they were, but what they were up against. I can also say, based on the chase-kills and surrounded death-pockets where the men died, there was well more than a thousand indians. Five to 1 odds would be something that the cavalry would have handled better. 10 or 20 to 1 would certianly cause the panic, the desperation, and the last ditch attempts to survive on terrain that offered no real place to hide or escape.

It's a whole different experience when you put yourself into the battle and see what they saw. Very enlightening, yet very sombering.

i completely agree. these brave riders where screwed as soon as they stepped out. one can argue weapons and tactics all day long but at those odds, even if they could have carried twice as much ammo. they would have been slaughtered. the purest sign of how overwhelmed they were is the fact they resorted to killing their mounts to use as cover. something everyone under a stetson knows is only done when you know you not coming out alive.

[Abbott Shaull]

Yeah that is one things we don't realize when we look back in history. The modern Fire Team, Squad, Platoon, and Battalion organization that we take for granted today weren't used as they are today. Even in today standards Regiment and Battalion are used to mean the same thing.

Many of times when Battalions were mention it was just a collection of Companies being lead by either the senior Company Commander or one of the staff officers from Regiment with whatever resource the Regiment Commander would offer for support.

Yes 1st Lt, 2nd Lt, and many of the NCOs were there to make sure that troops on the firing line followed orders.

Also it wasn't uncommon for Officers in the various regiments to be seconded for other duties leaving most Regiments short of their TO&E for Officers. There was full Colonel listed as member of the Regiment, but it seems for most of the 7th Cavalry existence that Lt Colonel Custer was "acting" commander something that I hadn't known. That was even doing a report on the battle back in school. Then again there wasn't this thing called the internet to find all of this information either...

[dragoon500ly]

"Condemned horses" to pull the gatlings
Does this mean they were no longer suitable for riding

overaged, injured or otherwise unsuitable for riding.

[dragoon500ly]

i completely agree. these brave riders where screwed as soon as they stepped out. one can argue weapons and tactics all day long but at those odds, even if they could have carried twice as much ammo. they would have been slaughtered. the purest sign of how overwhelmed they were is the fact they resorted to killing their mounts to use as cover. something everyone under a stetson knows is only done when you know you not coming out alive.

One of intresting things about LBH is that there is very little reference to the cavalry shooting their mounts and using them as breastworks with the exception of a dozen or so mounts on Custer Hill.

The Upton manual stresses that the horses were to be pulled back behind cover, this distance was to be anywhere from 50-200 yards behind the skirmish line.

There is a lot of reference to horses having been shot during the course of the battle, but Indian oral tradition has always held that the mounts were shot in the course of the battle or were stampeded by various warriors.

[dragoon500ly]

Yeah that is one things we don't realize when we look back in history. The modern Fire Team, Squad, Platoon, and Battalion organization that we take for granted today weren't used as they are today. Even in today standards Regiment and Battalion are used to mean the same thing.

Many of times when Battalions were mention it was just a collection of Companies being lead by either the senior Company Commander or one of the staff officers from Regiment with whatever resource the Regiment Commander would offer for support.

Yes 1st Lt, 2nd Lt, and many of the NCOs were there to make sure that troops on the firing line followed orders.

Also it wasn't uncommon for Officers in the various regiments to be seconded for other duties leaving most Regiments short of their TO&E for Officers. There was full Colonel listed as member of the Regiment, but it seems for most of the 7th Cavalry existence that Lt Colonel Custer was "acting" commander something that I hadn't known. That was even doing a report on the battle back in school. Then again there wasn't this thing called the internet to find all of this information either...

LOL, internet is a wonderful thing, but I got always get more satisfaction from a good book, I've been collecting manuals and books on various topics since I was 13. My wife keeps threatening to open a library just to get the books out of the house!

[Abbott Shaull]

LOL, internet is a wonderful thing, but I got always get more satisfaction from a good book, I've been collecting manuals and books on various topics since I was 13. My wife keeps threatening to open a library just to get the books out of the house!

Yeah I understand what you mean. I wish I had all the book that I have purchased on military history. I don't know where they would all go, but it would be nice to have the entire collection on hand. One thing with these new eBook have over the physical book is that your collection is condense, on the other hand sometimes the physical page is better to show too...lol

I remember 20 years ago how computers were suppose to turn us into paperless society. In reality it has only made it where it uses more paper, because everyone has to have their own hard copy of things. Maybe eBooks trend will help some of that out, and you don't have to load box after box of often heavy books when you move too.

[Abbott Shaull]

One of intresting things about LBH is that there is very little reference to the cavalry shooting their mounts and using them as breastworks with the exception of a dozen or so mounts on Custer Hill.

The Upton manual stresses that the horses were to be pulled back behind cover, this distance was to be anywhere from 50-200 yards behind the skirmish line.

There is a lot of reference to horses having been shot during the course of the battle, but Indian oral tradition has always held that the mounts were shot in the course of the battle or were stampeded by various warriors.

That was one of the things that I always found discouraging when I was doing my report back in grade school. This was back like 1979 or 1980 time frame, that one book would say that horse were shot and used as improvised breast-works with drawing to that effect. While others made reference to the oral history that they were chased away...

I guess in many ways the little things that added up to Custer defeat there as add to the legend and myths that persist to this day of what happen there.

[Grimace]

that one book would say that horse were shot and used as improvised breast-works with drawing to that effect. While others made reference to the oral history that they were chased away...

Or, the more likely situation, there was some of each. All those men means there were a lot of horses as well. Some may have been run off, others may have been kept, shot by indians (though that would be somewhat doubtful that they would do such a thing on purpose...the Indians treasured horses) or killed by desperate cavalryman who wanted some sort of cover when they realized they were literally surrounded by indians and their fellow troopers were dying all around them.

Being at the battle site showed very plainly that there was NO cover for Custer's men. The trees that are within a mile of the place where Custer fell are all probably only 40-60 years old. So those trees weren't even there during the battle and they were only in a location where Benteen could have used them had they existed at the time. Where Custer was...no trees. Simple, exposed hillside.

[dragoon500ly]

Or, the more likely situation, there was some of each. All those men means there were a lot of horses as well. Some may have been run off, others may have been kept, shot by indians (though that would be somewhat doubtful that they would do such a thing on purpose...the Indians treasured horses) or killed by desperate cavalryman who wanted some sort of cover when they realized they were literally surrounded by indians and their fellow troopers were dying all around them.

Being at the battle site showed very plainly that there was NO cover for Custer's men. The trees that are within a mile of the place where Custer fell are all probably only 40-60 years old. So those trees weren't even there during the battle and they were only in a location where Benteen could have used them had they existed at the time. Where Custer was...no trees. Simple, exposed hillside.

It all comes back to the Upton manual, the cavalry were taught to fight as dismounted skirmishers, and while a trooper was allowed to take cover, this was only if it did not interfere with the skirmish line. There are a lot of references to the troopers actually being discouraged from seeking cover.

Photos of the battlefield taken in 1878-79 confirm that there was very few trees, mostly in the ravines and along the LBHR. There was some sage and lots of tall grass. One of the intresting things about the battlefield is the somewhat gentle slopes of some of the key areas. For example, there is a low ridge facing Battle Ridge that is known as Henryville (the Fox dig found over 100 Henry/Winchester casings here). You can walk up the slope to a point where you can still stand erect and be in a position to see the cavalry positions along Battle Ridge. Take another couple of steps and you can whip up your rifle, fire a couple of rounds and then step back into safety. And this is one of four locations within easy rifle shot (150-300 yards) of the cavalry positions.

Dr. Fox has a rather intresting theory of what is called bunching. The tactical manual required the file closers, i.e. the officers and ncos to remain standing in order to better direct fire of the kneeling skirmishers. As the Indian attacks became increasingly heavy, these key people were killed or wounded. The effect on the enlisted men would be to move closer to the remaining command structure. This would lead to gaps in the skirmish line that would be exploited by the Indians, who would take advantage to gett closer, kill more exposed troopers, force the remaining troopers to bunch closer and repeat the process over and over. The good doctor was trying to explain why several of the cavalry graves (the Custer bn was buried were they fell) are grouped together in rather small areas (Keogh and Custer areas). Its an intresting theory.

[mikeo80]

To help visualize

I thought it might help to see where BLBH took place and the best know movements of the pricipals involved.

http://www.nps.gov/libi/planyourvisit/upload/LIBImap1.pdf

Hope this helps.

Mike

[dragoon500ly]

The Nativity of the Seventh

Of the men of the Seventh, about 57% were born in the United States, remember those old classic John Ford cavalry movies with the old First Sergeant with a thick Irish accent

Canada = 14
Denmark = 3
England = 40
France = 8
Germany =126
Ireland = 128
Italy = 6
Scotland = 12
Switzerland = 13
Other = 17

Connecticut = 8
Illinois = 17
Indiana = 23
Kentucky = 20
Maine = 13
Maryland = 15
Mass. = 45
Michigan = 8
Missouri = 8
New Hampshire = 7
New Jersey = 11
New York = 101
Ohio = 61
Penn. = 81
Other = 59

Immigrants were not confined to the lower ranks:

Captain Myles Keogh: Ireland
1st Ly Henry Nowlan: Corfu
1st Lt Charles DeRudio: Italy
1st Lt W.W. Cooke: Canada
1st Lt Donald McIntosh: Canada
1st Lt Henry Jackson: England
1st Lt Edward Mathey: England

Finally, a brief of mention of race. The Army of this period has a segregated one until the Korean War. The Seventh was a white regiment. Only two members were of other races. Civilian Interpreter Isaiah Dorman was African-American and married to a Santee Sioux woman, he was killed in the rout from the valley fight. First Lieutenant Donald McIntosh was of mixed ancestry, Scottish-Indian, he was a member of an old Canadian trading family.

[dragoon500ly]

The Frontier Army

"There was Sergeant John McCaffery and Captain Donahue,They made us march and toe the mark, in gallant Company Q. Oh the drums would roll upon my soul, this is the style we'd go. Forty miles a day on beans and hay, in the Regular Army O."

Two New York vaudevillians sang this song in 1876, popularizing a song to which the Regulars themselves would add verses. But often public irreverence was a less pleasant affair. With the end of the Civil War, the beloved Boys in Blue had, once again, became hated mercenaries---an army that was dismissed by the New York Sun as "composed of bummers, loafers, and foreign paupers."

The Regular of 1876 was paid $13.00 a month in federal greenbacks that was often not accepted in the various frontier towns, to add insult to injury, the soldier would often have to "redeem" his paper money with coinage, and often had to pay a fee to do this. From his pay, the soldier would have deductions for such things as drawing too much clothing (especially if the issue boots wore out before they were due to be replaced) as well as the requirement to pay the company tailor at least once every three months, Charges for this service could range from $6.00 for altering a dress coat, $1.00 for alterations to the service blouse and $3.00 for letting out or taking in the seams of his pants. Ten dollars every three months was a high price when the soldier only earned $39.00 and many soldiers bitterly complained about why they had to pay the company tailor for work that the government had already paid the contractor for.

Typically, the soldier would receive very rudimentary training (little more than close-order drill) and his first issue of clothing at one of the recruit barracks and then was transferred to his post. Where he often shared a straw-filled mattress with his "bunkie". If he had enlisted in the infantry, he would serve three years, five years as a cavalryman, unless, of course, he deserted (about one third of those enlisted inbetween 1867 and 1891 deserted). If the trooper stayed, he faced isolation, wretched food, shoddy clothing and sometimes ferocious discipline. Enterainment might include bad whiskey and fornication with laundresses, Indian women or prostitutes.

The Regular's best hope of overcoming the Indian's superiority as a fighter lay in his steadiness and discipline. But his training in marksmanship, horsemanship and the other skills needed by a soldier was often neglected, mostly due to soldiers being kept busy as manual labor to build or sustain their posts.

The soldier might never see a hostile Indian, but when he did, he was always outnumbered. Congress limited the strength of the Army at 25,000 in 1874 and the Army usually numbered under 19,000. Much of this force was still serving on Resonstruction duty in the South. A German immigrant, a former Prussian military officer, had this to say about his fellow soldiers: "The handsome, finely organized cavalries of Europe know nothing of real hard cavalry work. For the work I have seen a squadron of United States Cavalry perform on the plains, German would send two regiment, and deem it hard service."

In spite of the fighting of the Indian Wars, Congress provided no moral support, in 1877, barely a year after the Little Big Horn, a appropriations dispute left the Army payless from June until November, even as soldiers died fighting in the Nez Perce War.

If the solder proved himself brave, he might receive the nation's only military decoration, the Medal of Honor (Thomas Custer, brother of George, was one of only a handful of men to win the Medal of Honor, twice). The only other acknowledgement of valor was the seldom adwarded Certificate of Merit. The Certificate was rarely adwarded because money was often tight and its recipients were paid an extra two dollars a month.

Hollywood often characterizes the soldier as little more than a brute, murdering and raping helpless Indians as part of the country's brutal drive westward. The reality was that the soldier often sympathized with the plight of the Indains and often married Indian women. If the trooper stayed in service after 1905, he could wear the Indian Campaigns Medal, forever marking him as a soldier on a vanished frontier.

[dragoon500ly]

A Day in the Life of a Cavalryman, in Garrision

Each and every day of a trooper's day was carried out in a rigidly organized routine. Here is a typical "training roster".

5:45am Assembly for trumpeters
6:00am Reveille and roll call
6:30am Mess Call (breakfast)
7:30am Fatigue Call (work details)
8:00am Sick Call
8:55am Assembly of trumpeters
9:00am Assembly of Guard Detail
9:45am Recall from Fatigue Duties
10:00am Drill
11:30am Recall from Drill
11:45am First Sergeant's Call (for morning reports)
12:00pm Mess Call (lunch)
1:00pm Drill for target practise (Mon/Weds/Fri);
drill for saber practise (Tue/Thur)
2:00pm Fatigue Call
4:15pm Recall from Fatigue duties
4:30pm Stable Call (care for horses)
5:30pm Recall from stable
6:00pm Mess Call (dinner)
7:00pm Retreat and Roll Call
8:55pm Assembly for trumpeters
9:00pm Last Call
9:30pm Lights Out


You will note that there was daily weapons practise. This did not necessarily mean with ammunition since the Army only issued 90 rounds per man, per year. This would be firing drill, cleaning weapons or close-order drill with weapons.