Many historians have attempted to tackle what happened to Gen. George Armstrong Custer and his 7th Cavalry soldiers on June 25, 1876. Recently, author Nathaniel Philbrick wrote about the topic in the new book "The Last Stand."
Two things about this book are interesting: Philbrick's prior writings have focused on maritime history in the New England area. "Mayflower" was a Pulitzer finalist for non-fiction and "In the Heart of the Sea" won the National Book Award. Both are fascinating stories. Philbrick is venturing way outside of his comfort zone with this book. Secondly, Philbrick uses resources to reconstruct the battle that a lot of other historians have discounted.
After finishing "The Last Stand" recently, I decided to make a return trip to Little Bighorn in southern Montana. This time though, I explored it much more thoroughly than I have in the past. I spent several hours walking the battlefield last Wednesday. The area is as well preserved as Gettysburg, which I visited last year. It truly is hallowed ground.
Markers like these are spread out over a five mile area known as Battlefield Ridge. The battle consisted of three main parts: Major Marcus Reno's initial attack on the large Indian village along the banks of the Little Bighorn River, The routing of Custer and nearly 200 men under his immediate command, and finally, a siege of the remaining 7th Cavalry soldiers under the command of Reno and Captain Frederick Benteen. The marker above is near the area of the siege, nearly 5 miles from where Custer and his men had already been killed.
Two markers just below Last Stand Hill, the place where Custer and his soldiers made one last attempt to hold off the Sioux, Cheyenne and Crow warriors.
On Last Stand Hill, the place where Custer died is marked. The marker in the foreground is for his brother, Tom Custer, who won the Medal of Honor twice prior to his death at Little Bighorn. 
Last Stand Hill. The trees in the distance are where the Indian village was located.
Most of the remains of the soldiers who died were buried where the obelisk is in the background. The remains were eventually exhumed and given proper burials.
It was a beautiful Montana afternoon. Even though the weather was cool, you got the feeling the rolling prairie looked just as it did on that day 134 years ago.
In the top of this photo, you can see the Little Bighorn River at the point where Reno and the men under his command retreated. These markers are for a group of Arikara scouts who were working for the 7th Cavalry.
In Philbrick's book, he describes how survivors under Reno's command claimed that he had been drinking whiskey most of the morning, and was probably drunk when he ordered the initial attack on the village. Reno is now buried at the National Cemetery at Little Bighorn. Surprising, in my opinion, given that it's likely the scene of his greatest failure. Both Reno and Benteen survived the battle and both spent the rest of the lives criticizing Custer's decisions about the attack.
If you're a history buff like I am, Little Bighorn is well worth your time. 
