The above statement is categorically false. It was one of the first I came across and copied it. But then I became overwhelmed by so many instances of misinformation, that go way beyond simple conjecture, that I became disheartened and gave the project up. I guess it’s the manifestation of so many theories that have been promulgated over the last 133 years. The real problem is that there is much that we do know about the battle (such as Custer’s orders from General Terry) and judging by many of the above posts the known facts or the most likely scenarios as supported by the evidence have been completely obscured and debased by the wild conjecture on the less supportive evidence. It seems that many people are unable to carry fact, very solid, very good, and good evidence from one article/book to the next. Or they’re not interested enough to read more than one piece regarding the subject and then form their opinon on that one piece.

For example: after sifting through so much of the information of this battle for so many years, taking into account testimony afterwards by Curley, Martin, etc., knowing which horse Custer was riding that day (Vic), that Custer had taken off his buckskin jacket and tied it behind him on the saddle (Peter Thompson and the Arikara scout Soldier), the different colors of the horses in the various companies, I think it’s very likely that Company E alone went to the river (Medicine Tail Coulee) for a reconnoiter of the ford there, and it was E Company C.O. 1st Lt Algernon Smith who was shot at the river, not Custer.

Am in agreement with all your points except two:

When Martini gave Cooke’s note (Custer’s order) to Benteen, he (Benteen) would have headed southeast (away from Reno), to find the pack train, which was behind him with Capt McDougall’s B Company. Thus,he would not have then “found a decimated Reno”, as Reno was already northwest of him.

I too, believe that Custer was shot in the chest, either at or in the river (many believe he didn’t go to the river), and that his troops carried or dragged him up the hill. But I like to think the post mortem temple shot was delivered by one of the Indians after the battle, as they were known to do. No particular reason – maybe just don’t wanna think his own people had to do it.

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Crook showed that a formidable sized unit was no guarantee of success against a foe who was not fighting as expected.

These elements had a major contribution to Custer’s demise.

Cookes Benteen note, as I read it, was for Benteen to bring the packs, indicative of Benteen needing to locate the pack train THEN meet Custer. Custer’s “scouting” orders to Benteen would indicate that Custer had not intended Benteen to be part of his battle. I believe that Benteen received his note, made for the pack train, found a decimated Reno and assisted him, By this time Reno’s outfit were in a defensive position and fighting for their lives. I think that Benteen and Reno accessed that going to look for Custer would have led to the annihilation of the 7th.

It seems to me that if Benteen had gone to Custer, Reno would have run out of ammo. Benteen would have found Custer’s command essentially finished and I believe he would have shared their fate. No doubt Reno’s command with no ammunition would also have been destroyed.

Reno was originally told to attack the village and that Custer would support him with the whole “outfit”. Reno attacked the village, was getting his ass whipped and Custer did not come to his aid. Reno then went on the defensive and ultimately saved his command.

If Reno and Benteen went to aid Custer, the end result would have been no 7th Calvary survivors and a busier burial detail when “relief” came.

Custer’s command seemed to have a variance in its actions till its demise. Some companies fought and died in situ, others “ran”. I believe that Custer was at least mortally wounded while attempting a ford crossing…and this meant the command was essentially broken to the point where individual company commanders fended for themselves…with no “battle plan” . I think that Custer was incapacitated is indicated by his head wound applied post Morten. I believe that due to the shortness of the Custer fight, his body was still warm and those who recovered him from the river, shot him in the head in the final moments, to ensure a living Custer did not end up tortured by Indians.

Gen Crook got his butt kicked (and retreated to Wyoming with his tail between his legs) by those same Indians the week before on the Rosebud. He knew they would stand and fight and how large a force they had but never sent word to Terry, Gibbon, Custer, Reno, Benteen or the man in the moon.

The biggest failure to Custer was his own belief that the Indians would scatter rather than fight and that his 7th Cavalry could “whip any Indians they might come across”.

There is NO evidence of the Regular Army purposely killing women and children as a prescribed tactic. Women and children were killed, just as they are in war today, by accident and by the the acts of sick individuals. The evidence is overwhelming at the Battle of the Washita (for example) that the army strived to avoid non-combatant casaulties. The Sand Creek Massacre was carried out by Colorado Militia, not the Regular Army. I challenge anyone to show me evidence that the Regular Army ever puposely went and killed non-combatants on the post-Civil War frontier.

You’re evidently not old enough to understand, but without the U.S., Europe would be speaking German and most of the Western World would have had to learn Russion about 30 years ago. We don’t wave it under peoples’ noses until idiots like you bring it up.

Don’t worry, we won’t won’t be invading Canada any time soon – nothing there worth fighting over. On second thought, we’re softies for things like freedom, so if it needed saving, we’d probably do the same thing again !

Who inhabited Canada before white people ? Musta been the Frenchmen who wanna leave & take their Province with ‘em. Couldn’t have been Indians (they woulda been treated better).