The Last Stand

Yesterday, June 25th, was the anniversary of one of the most famous events in American history: Custer's defeat at the hands of the Lakota and Cheyenne at the Little Bighorn in 1876. It was a pivotal moment in the history of the U.S., as news reached the general public just as they were celebrating the centennial of the nation and, as author Nathaniel Philbrick points out in his book, The Last Stand, it was as much a last stand for the Indians as it was for Custer's battalion.

A lot has been written about this topic. I once listened to a lecture on the history of the American West and the professor pointed out that two events gained more attention that any others--Custer's Last Stand and the Alamo (ironically, two massive defeats for Americans). The Little Bighorn certainly has had more written about it than any other event occuring in the American frontier, so one wonders what Philbrick was thinking when he set about writing yet another volume. It turns out his version is lively and authoritative, and told me some things I didn't know before.

Philbrick hones in on the few weeks leading up to the battle, when Custer was hunting for the Indian encampment. His opponent on the other side was Sitting Bull, who gets as much ink as the "young and charismatic popinjay" Custer. I found Sitting Bull to be the more interesting character, as he was a very sensible man, in addition to being very brave and having a high tolerance of pain (he endured "sun dances," which required him to be hung from hooks that pierced his skin). Sitting Bull also had some amazingly prophetic visions.

As Custer moves toward his fate, Philbrick fills us in on some the background, but avoids a detailed biography of the two main figures, instead providing more information on the campaign itself and the other officers under Custer. Two of the most significant are Marcus Reno and Frederick Benteen, and scholars have been arguing about the actions of these two for quite some time. Custer's superior officer, General Terry, also comes in for some blame.

Most often Custer's Last Stand is viewed as a tale of hubris by a vainglorious and arrogant soldier (he was already thinking about running for president--that year). Philbrick doesn't dissuade us of that view. He points out that Custer underestimated the numbers of his opponent, and his foolish decision to split his force in the face of a larger enemy. But there's plenty of blame to go around. Reno comes in for some particular venom, as he had a chance to over-run the village in the initial attack, but held off. Philbrick ascribes some of Reno's mistakes to the fact that he was drunk.

Through it all, though, Philbrick maintains that Custer could have won the battle. He made a last ditch effort to capture Indian women and children to serve as hostages. Philbrick writes, "Hindsight makes Custer look like an egomaniacal fool. But as Sitting Bull, Runs the Enemy, and many other Lakota and Cheyenne realized that day, he came frighteningly close to winning the most spectacular victory of his career."

It's not hard to read any account of this battle and not feel bad for the Indians. Custer thoughtlessly desecrated a Lakota grave site on his march to Montana, which may have added to his bad karma. But certainly the end was near for the Indian way of life, and Sitting Bull realized this. He favored a pick-and-choose way of assimilation. He also knew that the greater threat to their lifestyle was the loss of the buffalo rather than the military. Sitting Bull knew that his people would have to compromise or face starvation.

Philbrick's account of the battle itself is thrilling. Reno's charge failed, and his men retreated for their lives. Benteen lost track of Custer, and was angry (he had it in for Custer from the beginning) that Custer didn't come to Reno's aid, when Custer was wondering where Benteen was. Philbrick points out that any description of what occurred on Last Stand Hill is dubious, as there are no accounts by any white men, and the Indian accounts differ. Some say Custer was hit early, others believe he fought until the very end. What Philbrick can say is that Custer's brother Tom was one of the last to fall, and he was badly mutilated (his head was pounded to the thickness of a human hand). He also may have helped his brother out with a mercy killing--Custer had two gunshot wounds: in the chest and in the temple. Perhaps Tom, who died beside him, dispatched him with a merciful head shot.

The bodies of the soldiers were badly mutilated, mainly by the women of the tribes who remembered the horrible massacre at the Battle of Sand Creek. Custer's ears were punctured, so he would be able to hear better in the afterlife. His genitals were also mutilated. Some of the men couldn't be identified. "Sittin Bull, One bull claimed, insisted that the Hunkpapa stay away from the dead on Last Stand Hill. One Bull also said his uncle predicted that for failure to comply with the wishes of the Great Spirit Wakan Tanka, the Lakota would forever, 'covet white people's belongings' and ultimately 'starve at [the] white man's door.' This victory, great as it was, had simply been the prelude to a crushing and irresistible defeat."