1. “Custer’s Fatal Charge.” Columbus Daily Enquirer, July 8, 1876, America’s Historical Newspapers, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=S6FS5AVXMTIzNTQ0MTA1OS43NDI0ODY6MToxNToxMzEuMjE2LjE2My4yMzk&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=20&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=20&p_docnum=4&p_docref=v2:1126A744DB722B38@EANX-113493BD28AAB888@2406444-113493BD352AE6A0@0-113493BDE9650FA8@Custer%27s+Fatal+Charge.+The+Disaster+Detailed.+Division+of+the+Regiment.+Reno+Surrounded+for+Nearly+Three.
2. “Custer’s Last Charge. Ghastly Details of the Fight in Which the Brave General Perished.” The Inter Ocean, July 7, 1876, America’s Historical Newspapers, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=S6FS5AVXMTIzNTQ0MTA1OS43NDI0ODY6MToxNToxMzEuMjE2LjE2My4yMzk&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=28&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=28&p_docnum=5&p_docref=v2:11675201D5ADA308@EANX-119EF8798FC984E8@2406443-119EF879A562D4D0@0.
3. Ibid., 1.
4. “One of the Bloodiest Massacres on Record. Gen Custer and His Entire Force Slaughtered by the Indians.” Lake Superior Review and Weekly Tribune, July 7, 1876, America’s Historical Newspapers, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=S6FS5AVXMTIzNTQ0MTA1OS43NDI0ODY6MToxNToxMzEuMjE2LjE2My4yMzk&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=29&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=29&p_docnum=3&p_docref=v2:1141753E5BBB74F0@EANX-11462C5436F5EA70@2406443-11462C548DF0C190@3.
5. “The Vale of Death into Which Rode General Custer and His Command.” The Inter Ocean, July 6, 1876, America’s Historical Newspapers, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=S6FS5AVXMTIzNTQ0MTA1OS43NDI0ODY6MToxNToxMzEuMjE2LjE2My4yMzk&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=30&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=30&p_docnum=85&p_docref=v2:11675201D5ADA308@EANX-119EF82A0E5FE2C8@2406442-119EF82A37953B98@1.
6. Ibid., 1.
7. “Great Indian Battle, Sanguinary Fighting in the West.” Philadelphia Inquirer, July 6, 1876, America’s Historical Newspapers, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=S6FS5AVXMTIzNTQ0MTA1OS43NDI0ODY6MToxNToxMzEuMjE2LjE2My4yMzk&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=31&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=31&p_docnum=209&p_docref=v2:110C9BFA1F116650@EANX-111FF3A361FE8B90@2406442-111FF3A36C977378@0.
8. Ibid., 1.
9. “Custer’s Last Charge. Ghastly Details of the Fight in Which the Brave General Perished.” The Inter Ocean, July 7, 1876, America’s Historical Newspapers, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=S6FS5AVXMTIzNTQ0MTA1OS43NDI0ODY6MToxNToxMzEuMjE2LjE2My4yMzk&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=28&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=28&p_docnum=5&p_docref=v2:11675201D5ADA308@EANX-119EF8798FC984E8@2406443-119EF879A562D4D0@0
10. Ibid., 1.
11. “Custer’s Fatal Charge.” Columbus Daily Enquirer, July 8, 1876, America’s Historical Newspapers, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=S6FS5AVXMTIzNTQ0MTA1OS43NDI0ODY6MToxNToxMzEuMjE2LjE2My4yMzk&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=20&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=20&p_docnum=4&p_docref=v2:1126A744DB722B38@EANX-113493BD28AAB888@2406444-113493BD352AE6A0@0-113493BDE9650FA8@Custer%27s+Fatal+Charge.+The+Disaster+Detailed.+Division+of+the+Regiment.+Reno+Surrounded+for+Nearly+Three
12. Ibid., 1.
13. Ibid., 1.
14. “The Vale of Death into Which Rode General Custer and His Command.” The Inter Ocean, July 6, 1876, America’s Historical Newspapers, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=S6FS5AVXMTIzNTQ0MTA1OS43NDI0ODY6MToxNToxMzEuMjE2LjE2My4yMzk&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=30&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=30&p_docnum=85&p_docref=v2:11675201D5ADA308@EANX-119EF82A0E5FE2C8@2406442-119EF82A37953B98@1
15. Ibid., 1.
16. Ibid., 1.
17. “Custer’s Mistake.” The Sun, July 15, 1876, America’s Historical Newspapers, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=S6FS5AVXMTIzNTQ0MTA1OS43NDI0ODY6MToxNToxMzEuMjE2LjE2My4yMzk&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=33&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=33&p_docnum=1&p_docref=v2:11343008E4D07040@EANX-117120F0606DD970@2406451-117120F0784424F0@0.
18. “Rosser to Reno.” The Inter Ocean, August 19, 1876, America’s Historical Newspapers, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX&p_theme=ahnp&p_nbid=S6FS5AVXMTIzNTQ0MTA1OS43NDI0ODY6MToxNToxMzEuMjE2LjE2My4yMzk&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=34&d_viewref=search&p_queryname=34&p_docnum=1&p_docref=v2:11675201D5ADA308@EANX-119EF79886787E80@2406486-119EF7994232E1A8@8.
19. Ibid., 1.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Battle of Little Bighorn and the Aftermath
June 22, 1876
The entire 7th Cavalry is camped along the banks of the Rosebank River and are ready to disembark in search of rogue Indians. (1) The veteran group of 12 companies seems very eager to engage and dispatch of these Indians. (2) Being that I am an outsider, I have managed to remain inconspicuous about my past. As long as I drink rampantly and sing joyfully, I fit in with the soldiers. At this point, they all seem to be enjoying their time and aren’t worried about their impending engagement with the enemy.
June 25, 1876
We have found the Indian encampment! After 3 days of hard marching and “28 miles in only 24 hours” we have found them! (3) They are situated “450 miles west of Bismarck and 250 miles northwest of the Black Hills.” (4) Their village does not loom very large in the distance. The troops seem very optimistic that they will easily defeat these savages. However, I do believe that there could be a rather large encampment, but we will have to see what is over the horizon for us. The General does seem to have a lack of wariness in regards to the savages. Hopefully, we are not heading into anything more than we are expecting. Personally, I am growing uneasy due to his lack of caution.
June 27, 1876
By the grace of God I am still alive. What a massacre! What bloodshed! The General and his command with the exception of me were obliterated by the savage Indians. Their plan was that Custer and 5 of his companies were to head straight into the middle of the village and cut off the warriors. (5) Major Reno and the 7 other companies were to head to the Southern end of the village and attack from there. (6) The Major held back 3 companies in reserve in case they came upon any remarkable resistance. (7) I rode alongside Custer as we charged into the Indian village. We were completely taken aback by the sheer number of Indians. There must have been 2 to 4 thousand warriors waiting for us. (8) As we rode into their midst we were picked off by the thousands of arrows that flew through the air towards us. The order to retreat seemed to be given almost immediately, and we headed back over the rivers and towards the bluff in order to give us some protection from the barrage of arrows. (9) Custer, his two brothers, Mr. Reed, Colonels Yates and Conke, Captain Smith and I bunkered down behind our now extinct horses and exchanged volleys with the savages. (10) We bravely fought for what seemed like hours, but our ammunition began to give way, and the Indians were slowly getting closer to us. I could hear Custer continually shouting his encouragement to the rest of his men, but as I looked around I saw fewer and fewer firing back on the Indians. Suddenly, I looked up and Custer had pierced by an arrow. His blue eyes and golden locks fell upon me, and I was trapped beneath his hulking body. Knowing that this could very well be the end for me, I attempted to use my horse’s body and General Custer’s as shields and attempted to stay as hidden as possible. As the Indians finished off our remaining soldiers I heard them tramp between our dead and then quickly scamper off. I was amazed that they did not scalp the fallen troops and could only assume that they were off to engage the rest of our company.
I found out later that Major Reno’s attack had also failed. He had entered the village from the south but was immediately surrounded. (11) He fought his way to a bluff and remained bunkered down there for 36 hours. (12) In order for them to survive they had to fight their way through the Indian ranks towards a water source. After they managed to reach the source, they remained fighting for 12 more hours until the Indians abandoned their village as General Terry arrived on scene. (13)
Overall, the dead are estimated to be 315 soldiers and officers. (14) Many of the bodies were brutally mutilated by the Indians and stripped of their clothes. (15) The Indian damages cannot be assessed at this time because they took most of their dead with them. (16) The remaining soldiers are heading towards the mouth of the Little Horn where a steamboat lies that will take them further inland. This battle will live on in infamy, and it seems as if the entire country is up in arms about this massacre!
July 4, 1876
My story has been heard throughout the country by now. I am quite a celebrity, if I do say so myself. I have told the story of Custer’s last few minutes over a thousand times now. However, as the weeks have passed, the military analysts have begun to dismantle the eagerness of the General. In their opinions, his tactics were the sole reason for the massacre. The General should have waited for the other sections of the Army to arrive (Gen. Terry, Gen. Crook, etc.) and then attacked as well as having better knowledge of his enemy’s strength and position. (17) There has also been some debate about Major Reno’s decisions during that fateful day. After he had initially retreated, why did he not continue his retreat towards Major Benteen rather than making a stand on the bluff? (18) Certain accounts of the instance also charge Major Reno with not making enough of an effort to help General Custer since the Indians had withdrawn from battle after he had crossed back of the Little Bighorn river. (19) Even though I have no particular allegiance to either side, it does seem that many blunders were made by the Army, and the Indians were thoroughly prepared for a large battle. As it has seemed to be the case in American history, the egoistic nature of Americans underestimated the Indians, but this time it led to a painful massacre that will be remembered throughout U.S. history.
The entire 7th Cavalry is camped along the banks of the Rosebank River and are ready to disembark in search of rogue Indians. (1) The veteran group of 12 companies seems very eager to engage and dispatch of these Indians. (2) Being that I am an outsider, I have managed to remain inconspicuous about my past. As long as I drink rampantly and sing joyfully, I fit in with the soldiers. At this point, they all seem to be enjoying their time and aren’t worried about their impending engagement with the enemy.
June 25, 1876
We have found the Indian encampment! After 3 days of hard marching and “28 miles in only 24 hours” we have found them! (3) They are situated “450 miles west of Bismarck and 250 miles northwest of the Black Hills.” (4) Their village does not loom very large in the distance. The troops seem very optimistic that they will easily defeat these savages. However, I do believe that there could be a rather large encampment, but we will have to see what is over the horizon for us. The General does seem to have a lack of wariness in regards to the savages. Hopefully, we are not heading into anything more than we are expecting. Personally, I am growing uneasy due to his lack of caution.
June 27, 1876
By the grace of God I am still alive. What a massacre! What bloodshed! The General and his command with the exception of me were obliterated by the savage Indians. Their plan was that Custer and 5 of his companies were to head straight into the middle of the village and cut off the warriors. (5) Major Reno and the 7 other companies were to head to the Southern end of the village and attack from there. (6) The Major held back 3 companies in reserve in case they came upon any remarkable resistance. (7) I rode alongside Custer as we charged into the Indian village. We were completely taken aback by the sheer number of Indians. There must have been 2 to 4 thousand warriors waiting for us. (8) As we rode into their midst we were picked off by the thousands of arrows that flew through the air towards us. The order to retreat seemed to be given almost immediately, and we headed back over the rivers and towards the bluff in order to give us some protection from the barrage of arrows. (9) Custer, his two brothers, Mr. Reed, Colonels Yates and Conke, Captain Smith and I bunkered down behind our now extinct horses and exchanged volleys with the savages. (10) We bravely fought for what seemed like hours, but our ammunition began to give way, and the Indians were slowly getting closer to us. I could hear Custer continually shouting his encouragement to the rest of his men, but as I looked around I saw fewer and fewer firing back on the Indians. Suddenly, I looked up and Custer had pierced by an arrow. His blue eyes and golden locks fell upon me, and I was trapped beneath his hulking body. Knowing that this could very well be the end for me, I attempted to use my horse’s body and General Custer’s as shields and attempted to stay as hidden as possible. As the Indians finished off our remaining soldiers I heard them tramp between our dead and then quickly scamper off. I was amazed that they did not scalp the fallen troops and could only assume that they were off to engage the rest of our company.
I found out later that Major Reno’s attack had also failed. He had entered the village from the south but was immediately surrounded. (11) He fought his way to a bluff and remained bunkered down there for 36 hours. (12) In order for them to survive they had to fight their way through the Indian ranks towards a water source. After they managed to reach the source, they remained fighting for 12 more hours until the Indians abandoned their village as General Terry arrived on scene. (13)
Overall, the dead are estimated to be 315 soldiers and officers. (14) Many of the bodies were brutally mutilated by the Indians and stripped of their clothes. (15) The Indian damages cannot be assessed at this time because they took most of their dead with them. (16) The remaining soldiers are heading towards the mouth of the Little Horn where a steamboat lies that will take them further inland. This battle will live on in infamy, and it seems as if the entire country is up in arms about this massacre!
July 4, 1876
My story has been heard throughout the country by now. I am quite a celebrity, if I do say so myself. I have told the story of Custer’s last few minutes over a thousand times now. However, as the weeks have passed, the military analysts have begun to dismantle the eagerness of the General. In their opinions, his tactics were the sole reason for the massacre. The General should have waited for the other sections of the Army to arrive (Gen. Terry, Gen. Crook, etc.) and then attacked as well as having better knowledge of his enemy’s strength and position. (17) There has also been some debate about Major Reno’s decisions during that fateful day. After he had initially retreated, why did he not continue his retreat towards Major Benteen rather than making a stand on the bluff? (18) Certain accounts of the instance also charge Major Reno with not making enough of an effort to help General Custer since the Indians had withdrawn from battle after he had crossed back of the Little Bighorn river. (19) Even though I have no particular allegiance to either side, it does seem that many blunders were made by the Army, and the Indians were thoroughly prepared for a large battle. As it has seemed to be the case in American history, the egoistic nature of Americans underestimated the Indians, but this time it led to a painful massacre that will be remembered throughout U.S. history.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
An Unexplainable Occurrence
Hello, My name is James Tierney and the impossible has just happened to me. I was transported into the year 1876 with only the clothes on my back and a magical device that allows me to communicate into the year 2009. Upon arrival I was somehow aware of my situation and did not act hysterically about my sudden departure from 2009. I seem to have a profession as an Army Private and am under the command of a General by the name of George Custer. We are somewhere in Montana and are attempting to find a renegade band of Indians.
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