A Road They Did Not Know Summary

The author, Larry McMurty in his article “A Road They did Not Know” sheds light on the happenings of June 25-26, 1876, at the battle of the Little Big Horn. He mentions, in the summer of 1875, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer revealed the presence of gold in the Black Hills in front of the whole nation. After which the government was regretting their agreement of giving the Black Hills and other lands to the Sioux, to which, the whites in the peace party and many others said that the government should honor the agreement, especially, this agreement which was announced publicly in 1868. The Sioux, of many become Indian agency, their free life of hunting was possibly on in some areas; the Powder River, parts of Montana, South Dakota west of

Missouri river, due to the presence of the population of buffalo.
McMurty tells about the realization of the situation by some of the major Indian leaders that their old way of life arrived at its end. The obvious solution to this problem was to follow the white man’s road or to fight till death. While some of the Sioux warriors, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull, were very determined of the hostiles along with two others, rivals at that point. They were struggling for more food and goods for their fellow agents. As the Indians started to come in large numbers, that became a full-time need.
As the author indicates how the whites, at first, tried to trick the Sioux and tempt them and organized a mini submit, but they failed as not much of the Sioux warrior showed up.

They also forgot that there were thousands of Sioux from the northern plain who had not given the approval for anything. In spring 1876, the white army marched towards the northern plains. General George Crook was already in position, while, Colonel John Gibbon, General Alfred Terry, and Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer were on their way. By March 1876, thousands of Indian gathered in Little Big Horn in eastern Montana, with Sitting Bull and Hunkpapa band of Sioux, for the great feast along with the big fight with the army of whites. On the other hand, the author specifies how General George Crook destroyed a village and killed some Indians in search of Crazy Horse. But the failure to track down Crazy Horse, was more frustrating than the triumph of capturing the village. At the same time, Indians were celebrating and enjoying, many knew that there might be no opportunity in future. Everyone knew about the upcoming war but many didn’t care and

enjoyed.
Indians were very confident, maybe for the last time according to the author, they were ready to fight the soldiers.

This confidence was possible only because of Sitting Bulls vision about the soldiers falling upside down into the camp. Soon after that, Cheyenne informed about the arrival of General George Crook from the south. Then the Indians charged towards General Crook on the Rosebud Creek, where the one of the two famous battles were fought, there was a very intense battle between the Indians and the white army supported by Crow scouts and Shoshones. At some points, General Crook almost succeed, but even Crazy Horse, Black Twin, Bad Heart Bull and many others were very determined in dashing out the white soldiers and fragmenting Crook’s army. Then the author describes a rare incident that took place during the battle, women came running to save his brother. As the sun went down, the Indians returned home with a glorious success, see them return General Crook announced himself and his army the winner of this battle but everyone refused to believe him, even he couldn’t believe. Eight days later in Little Big Horn, even after causalities, they kept fighting, General Crook with the days end accepted the advised offered by his fellow scouts about, that they are vast in number. General Crook’s difficulties could provide an advantage to the sensible officers, Gibbon and Terry, but it didn’t slow Custer for a bit. Despite being warned serval times by his own scouts he kept

moving, he even refused to carry Gatling gun and extra troops in fear of giving Indians time to escape. He was determined to win, win alone, win instantly, and win before the arrival of any other officer. What he did on 25th June 1876 in Little Big Horn is what he has always done, according to the author many writers also suggested that he might have been running for the presidential election that summer. Even the well-experienced scouts, Mitch Bouyer, and the Arikara Bloody Knife and the Crow Half Yellow Face, told Custer that they were descending into a valley of deaths, but Custer ignored. As the author states, Custer didn’t care about how many Indians were there, as when he saw the enemy attack is what he does. On the other side, Indians felt invincible and were very happy, after some days many warriors started to leave for home and their respective business, assuming that they won’t be attacked again.
The battle of Little Big Horn has the most diverse literature, many debates on this battles details still exist, like some historians have argued that some Indian leader doomed Custer and the 7th. All these arguments are from the studies and memory, the author also tells us about the subject history and its advantages, how historians can rein to their imagination. The author even highlights, Lt. Col. Custer cut his hair short so that no one can recognize him, and nobody recognized him. After some point Custer realized that the Indians weren’t running away, in fact, they intend to kill him. Although, Custer knew that he has entered the valley of death but he kept fighting, but he enjoyed himself till his last breathe. For Custer’s men’s were so exhausted after that long journey they were barely in the position to stand, they had only tiredness, horror, and death. As for Maj. Reno he could have charged the Indians which could have resulted in disarray, but he didn’t. Hence, Indians chased him to the Little Big Horn where he hardly survived. The entry of Crazy Horse is still not confirmed, some say he seized Custer on the high ground, but it was Gall, the Hunkpapa warrior, and his men were successful in turning Reno back and harassed Custer so badly that the 7Th Cavalry; the soldiers, never create any position. Gall lost two of his wife and three of his children, he got out his anger and grief by killing Custer. A Hunkpapa, Bad Soup, also says by pointing towards his Custer’s body that how foolish he was assuming him to be the most powerful man. General Grant blamed Custer for everything, Cheyenne attack of 1868 by Custer was avenged, the Survivors: Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and Two Moon didn’t go after Reno to finish him.
As per the article, winning is only what the Army wants, therefore, Crooks defeat was an embarrassment to the army and the Custer’s defeat was a shame. Hence, by august 1876 Crook and Terry were lumbering around with thousands of soldier in search of Indians, at first, they found few Indians, while, Crazy Horse was near Bear Butte. As the fall arrived, the whites when failed to buy the hill, they took away the Black Hills with a travesty of a treaty council in which Indians not only lost the Black Hills but the Powder River, the Yellowstone, and the Bighorns. Indians were in the terrible state during the horrible winter, they were ragged and hungry. While, the opposing soldiers were warm and equipped. Indians failed to feed themselves during this hard time and were aware of the soldiers waiting to attack, so Sitting Bull decided to take his people and move to Canada, Crazy Horse rejected this idea. In early May 1877, Crazy Horse the chief surrendered in the event of August, as reported in the New York Times. Although what actually happened is a mystery, most of the books, journals and article were written by whites, only a few Indians gave their interviews, rest of the story become different for every historian perspective, according to the author.