The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Crow Agency, Montana memorializes the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry, Crow, Arikara scouts, Lakotas, Cheyennes, and Arapaho in one of the American Indian's last armed efforts to preserve their way of life.
On June 25 and 26 of 1876, 263 soldiers, including Lt. Col. George A. Custer and attached personnel of the US Army, died fighting several thousand Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors.
Little Bighorn Battle Chronology 1876
June 18th: Sioux and Cheyenne enter Little Bighorn Valley and set-up their village.
June 21st : Supplied with news of
Sitting Bulls recent encampment along the Rosebud Valley, Gen. Terry
holds a battle conference aboard steamer far west, anchored at mouth
of Rosebud Creek and Yellowstone River.
June 22nd : Lt. Col.
George A. Custer and 12 companies of the 7th Cavalry are ordered to
march up Rosebud Creek in pursuit of Sitting Bull. Mark Kellogg,
Bismarck Tribune reporter sends back last dispatch with prophetic
epitaph " I go with Custer and will be at the death."
June
22nd : General Terry joins Col. Gibbons column and marches west up
the Yellowstone River before crossing over to the Bighorn River
Valley.
June 24th: General Terry, and his staff along with
Col. Gibbon's column are ferried to south side of the Yellowstone
River near the mouth of the Bighorn River by Captain Grant Marsh and
the riverboat Far West. The Montana column proceeds up the Bighorn
River Valley in a pincer movement toward Sitting Bull, and hopes to
reach the mouth of the Little Bighorn River at or about June 26.
June 24th : Dying dancing ceremony held in Indian encampment.
approximately 20 young Lakota and Cheyenne teenagers take suicide
vow.
June 24th: Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and 12
companies of the 7th Cavalry halts at present day Busby, Montana.
U.S. Indian scouts sent ahead to Crow's Nest to view Little Bighorn
Valley.
June 25th: From the Crow’s Nest Custer marches
forward to the Little Bighorn Valley.
June 25th : Battle of
the Little Bighorn begins.
June 26th : Battle of the Little
Bighorn ends in the afternoon.. Sitting Bull's village withdraws in
late-afternoon up Little Bighorn Valley after scouts report Gen.
Terry's column advancing up Bighorn Valley.
