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An essay on the battle of the little bighorn
An essay on the battle of the little bighorn
An essay on the battle of the little bighorn
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General George Armstrong Custer
During the course of this Assessment I will be sceptically and
analytically examining the role and background of General George
Armstrong Custer during the Indian Conflict at the Battle of Little
Bighorn, and during the Civil War.
All sources of information or evidence used will be thoroughly
examined in order to eliminate as much bias as possible. The essay has
been written using subheadings for easier navigation and for clearer
understanding of my findings.
The main aim of this Investigation is to answer the question, “Was
Custer a Hero or a Villain?”
What is a Hero?
===============
A Hero, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is:
1 a: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent
endowed with great strength or ability b: an illustrious warrior c: a
man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d: one that shows
great courage
2 a: the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work b:
the central figure in an event, period, or movement
3: plural using heroes: SUBMARINE 2
4: an object of extreme admiration and devotion: IDOL
“One peoples’ hero is another peoples’ villain”
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Background and Custer’s Death:
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George Custer was born on December 5, 1839 in New Rumley, Ohio. He was
educated in the United States Military Academy. By the time he
graduated the American Civil War was under way; and so he was assigned
to the Union Army as a second lieutenant. He arrived at the front
during the First Battle of Bull Run, and by June 1863, he was in
command of a cavalry brigade, with the rank of brigadier general of
volunteers. They fought at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania under the command
of General Philip Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley.
As major general of volunteers, Custer participated in most of the
actions of the last campaign (1864 – 1865) of General Ulysses S.
Grant.
In 1866, after the war, Custer applied for a leave of absence to
The 7th Cavalry Regiment's destruction at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876 is the subject of over a century of debate. LTC George A. Custer failed to exercise four key responsibilities that were expected of him as the regiment’s commander. He failed to understand the problem and environment, visualize a feasible solution, clearly describe it to his subordinates, and effectively direct his forces. These four aspects of mission command are integral to the operations process and help Soldiers understand and execute their commander's intent. Custer's failure to properly fulfill his role in the operations process resulted in his death and a strategic defeat for the nation.
LTC George Armstrong Custer did not effectively apply the concept of mission command as a warfighting function during the Battle of Little Bighorn. While it is important to understand the context in which Custer made his decisions, those circumstances offer little in terms of excusing the fiasco that was Little Bighorn. Custer failed to follow orders, did not take pertinent intelligence into consideration, did not adequately plan or execute protection of his forces, and fought without essential fires equipment available to him. Custer did exercise good sustainment, but it was for naught, as the battle was brief.
Today Custer’s last stand is one of the most famous events in American History. Two Thousand Sioux Native Americans slaughtered General George Custer’s army of 600 men armed with guns. Crazy Horse was a very important leader in the Great Sioux War of 1876.
There are many factors that did affect the outcome of this battle. George Custer could be to blame for such a tragedy. He did make the critical decisions that brought his soldiers down. Custer’s personal ambition got the best of him. Windolph explains, “Custer was partially disgraced because General Terry had superseded him in command of the expedition” (Windolph 174). He felt that he should have received control over the entire expedition. Custer made no secret of his intention to cut loose from Terry. General Terry, General Gibbon, and General Custer were all to meet on June 26, at the Rosebud, and plan their attack. But as soon as Custer struck the trail of the Indians he followed it till he came upon the Indian village on June 25. He disobeyed Terry’s orders.
Ulysses S. Grant was an American general and 18th president of the United States. Grant was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio, on April 27, 1822, the son of Hannah Simpson and Jesse Grant, the owner of a tannery. Taken to nearby Georgetown at the age of one, he was educated in local and boarding schools. In 1839, under the name of Ulysses Simpson instead of his original Hiram Ulysses, he was appointed to West Point. Graduating 21st in a class of 39 in 1843, he was assigned to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. There he met Julia Dent, a local planter's daughter, whom he married after the Mexican War.
In 1896 George Washington Carver, a recent graduate of Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts (now Iowa State University), accepted an invitation from Booker T. Washington to head the agricultural department at Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute for Negroes (now Tuskegee University). During a tenure that lasted nearly 50 years, Carver elevated the scientific study of farming, improved the health and agricultural output of southern farmers, and developed hundreds of uses for their crops.
On that fateful day in March 1836, when the sounds of battle had ended, tales of fearsome fighting, cowardice and sacrifice would spread swiftly across the Republic of Texas and Mexico. Men who stood, fought, and more importantly fell on the battlefield would become legends, ostensibly for their willingness to fight even when all hope was lost. Both attacker and defender had soldiers who were hailed as heroes, as well as villains known for their cruelty.
The Marquis de Lafayette is best remembered for the part he played in the American War of Independence. He contributed in helping the Americans gain free control over the colonies by breaking away from British home rule. For sixty years he fought with consistency and insight for political ideals and social reforms that have dominated the history of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Hence, Lafayette can be attributed to the spreading of liberty and freedom throughout America and France. Therefore, he is viewed as a symbol of liberalism in a once absolutist world.
The only battle remembered in the Indian Wars was the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Custer’s brilliant last stand. Custer made the biggest mistake of his life and that is what propelled him to fame. U.S. Army performed better without him. There were other battles besides that one. For instance the Battle of Rosebud Creek. Led by General Crook, the U.S. Army got attacked by Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warriors. The Army fought hard but lost in the end. How about the Battle of the Bear Paw Mountains? Chief Joseph had the greatest quote of the war. “From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.” Every battle got over shadowed by Custer’s biggest mistake. Like the Battle of Canyon Creek. The Army chased the Nez Perce through Canyon Creek and by Cow Island. Shots were exchanged and the Army had to pull back to Cow Island. The Nez Perce got away for the time being. All of these battles that never get any recognition. Custer’s last stand gets all of the credit and he lost. Everyone likes him because he made the biggest mistake by not waiting for backup. That does not make any sense. These battles are not talked about enough. The Battle of the Little Bighorn gets discussed the most out of any of the other Indian War battles. These are the most important battles in the war. The Battle of the Bear Paw mountains ended the Nez Perce’s run to Canada. The Rosebud battle set up the battle of he Little Bighorn. This war set the stage for the next hundred years. Making them stay in reservations, neglecting them, and treating them poorly. Letting the agents of the tribes on the reservations steal from the tribes food supply and lie to the tribes. Not caring about if they have enough food or supplies to surv...
Hiram Ulysses Grant, most commonly known as Ulysses S Grant, was the United States of America’s eighteenth president. But being president was only one of his many titles. Grant was the husband to Julia Boggs Dent from St. Louis, Missouri. Julia was twenty-two years old when she married Grant on August 22, 1848. Julia had many nicknames for her husband Grant: Dodo, Dode, and Dody. They we very in love and remained completely faithful to one and other. They had four children together and were thought of as very good parents (Ulysses, Web).
Robert E Lee is very quick and smart. He knows how to improve the quality of troops and to nullify the Union’s advantage. Lee is willing to make bold and risky moves, and does not let his defeats hinder his performance. General Lee has great relations with his soldiers, and uses his engineering experience to his advantage.
The Battle of Little Bighorn is one of the most, maybe even the most, controversial battle in American history. General George Armstrong Custer led his 210 troops into battle and never came out. Miscalculations, blunders, and personal glory led Custer not only to his death, but also being the most talked about soldier in this battle. But all the blame doesn’t just go on Custer’s shoulders; it also goes on Captain Frederick Benteen and Major Marcus Reno, who both fought in the battle. Both the Captain and the Major both made serious mistakes during the fight, most notable Major Marcus Reno being flat out drunk during the course of the battle. All of these factors have led The Battle of Little Bighorn to being the worst lost to any Plains Indian group in American history.
...nd a man of reserve against violence. Also as a man who will stand for the good of the community, protecting those who need protecting as the Vigilante of the western frontier. The Virginian was a true cowboy hero because he was a vigilante who followed his own moral code. The cowboy’s moral code was not dictated by the laws of society because he was an independent who was working to escape civilization. The Virginian was the first of the western heroes who gave the world someone to look unto as an example. He showed a very strong moral code which had a special responsibility to the protection and respect of women such as Molly. He also had a great many skills which gave him the realistic air that made the hero’s of the west so popular in the early 1900’s as the western frontier came to a close.
Author and Indian Activist, Vine Deloria makes compelling statements in chapters 1 and 5 of his Indiana Manifesto, “Custer Died For Your Sins.” Although published in 1969 this work lays important historical ground work for understanding the plight of the Indian. Written during the turbulent civil rights movement, Deloria makes many comparisons to the Black plight in the United States. He condemns the contemporary views toward Indians widely help by Whites. He argues that Indians are wrongly seen through the historical lens of a pipe smoking, bow and arrow wielding savage. Deloria views the oppressors and conquerors of the Indian mainly in the form of the United States federal government and Christian missionaries. The author’s overall thesis is that whites view Indians the way they want to see them which is not based in reality. The behavior of whites towards Indians reflects this false perception in law, culture and public awareness.