One of the more interesting places I have visited was the site of Custer's Last Stand. It is otherwise known as the Little Big Horn Battlefield. The battlefield is located near the Little Big Horn River. It was here that Col. George A. Custer lost his entire command.

Last Stand Hill where Custer died. Most of the cavalry men are buried under the obliesk.


Custer's death marker. It is blackened. These are markers of where the soldiers fell. Col Custer is buried at West Point.



Rugged Terrain with the Little Big Horn River in the background. This is looking west toward the Big Horn mountains.



Indian Chief Low Dog. This was (I believe) photographed around 1900. The battle took place on June 25th, 1876. I think Low Dog was 17 years old at the time of the battle.

That's cool Louie

Did you take any of your own pictures while you were there? If so you can upload them in your profile for us all to see.

Louie, wonderful photos. i am interested in native american history and the civil war. Custer was a very arrogant man, and if he had done more research, and if Reno and Benteen had followed orders, this terrible battle might not have occured. Thanks for posting these pictures. its beautiful land.

River Spirit:

I can't put them in my profile because Mingle2 flags them and removes them. The pictures have to be of me.
I took all of those pictures. I made 3 trips to the battlefield. Here is a bloody Cavalry standard that was found on the body of a dead trooper. Sections of it had been cut out as souvenirs sometime in the 19th century. The flag was rediscovered at some university in Michigan. The triangular tails are there so the flag will flap vigorously as it is carried on horseback. Those are not missing from souvenir hunters.

Animal Lover:

There is one good book on the battle that I gave to a friend. Unfortunately, I have forgotten the title. It had an extensive collection of pictures drawn in colored pencil, made by the indian warriors. These sketches were made around 1910 I believe. The Indians never really told the truth about the battle as they feared reprisal.
From what I have read, the untried cavalry soldiers panicked. It is reputed that many of the soldiers committed suicide by shooting themselves.

Nice Louie! I love traveling, especially out West. I like exploring caves and the National Forest more than the historical sites though.

That's pretty cool what you're sharing... Thanks!

In 1983, a fire burnt away all the vegetation from the battlefield
http://www.friendslittlebighorn.com/1983fire.htm

It allowed archaeologists to search for remains.
http://www.friendslittlebighorn.com/Dig-of-1984.htm

The result was they were able to trace the movements of some of the troopers by examining
the cartridges ejected from their Springfield rifles. The re results show that the soldiers panicked.
Some readers may contest this but I am inclined to believe it. There are several reasons why a rout by Custer's men is disliked:

1) No one believed that "savages" could defeat a modern army. It turns out that the indians were
equipped with Henry repeating (lever action) rifles. These rifles delivered a t much higher volume of accurate rifle fire than the single shot 0.45/70 Springfields.
2) There were about 2,500 indian warriors to only 280 soldiers. Custer was badly outnumbered.
3) Col. Custer was considered a reckless fool.

I visited there.

actually Custer was given that little big horn assignment to get his arrogant person out of the post where he was. Like many battles throughout the years, we will never know the precise truth of the matter. I have never been to little big horn, but did have an opportunity to go to the Wounded Knee massacre site - I was going to take a photo, but my native american friend stopped me saying the sorrowed souls were still there and one photograph years before showed a gray dead soul when it was developed. That snapping a photo was bad luck and disrespectful, so I "obeyed". That was on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, and i remember feeling strange and sad when we left.

Animal Lover:

"actually Custer was given that little big horn assignment to get his arrogant person out of the post where he was. "

I have read that in sveral accounts. Custer had a huge ego.

Yeah..he really got his a*s kicked down there.. what a shame.

came back tonight to view those beautiful photos and sketches again.
The BIG sorrow is that the government ignored most of the signed treaties. I feel a great sadness for all the atrocities committed against the Native Americans in the name of progress. Thanks again for posting those wonderful pictures.