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. One must understand the context in which Custer fought at Little Bighorn. The year was 1876, and the country was growing. The United …show more content…
The 7th CAV had almost 900 Soldiers assigned to it at this time. Notable participants on the Indian side of the conflict were Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. More significant than the individuals was the sheer number of Lakota Sioux present for the battle. Estimates vary, but historians generally agree there were from 2,000 to 3,000 Lakota Sioux at the battle. (2)(3)(4) The intent of the Battle of Little Bighorn was to push rebel Lakota Sioux onto the nearby Great Sioux Reservation in order to regain the control of the Black Hills. The Army had planned a three pronged approach to achieve this goal, with BG Gibbons and the 2nd CAV approaching from the west, BG Terry and Custer with the 7th CAV approaching from the east, and BG Crooks with his forces coming from the south. Altogether, there were about 2,500 American Soldiers collectively approaching Little …show more content…
Terry had given Custer command of the 7th CAV and had sent Custer on a reconnaissance and pursuit mission. That is, Custer’s orders were to locate and maintain situational awareness of the Indian encampment. While on patrol with the CAV, Custer thought Indian scouts had discovered his forces, and that he had lost the element of surprise. He took a small detachment of his forces and chose to engage the Indians, trusting MAJ Reno and CPT Benteen would be able to come to his aid should he need reinforcement. Custer also believed the military ability of his Soldiers was immensely superior to that of the Indians, and that the CAV would have little difficulty during the battle. Ultimately, Custer split the small number of troops under his direct command, and they were easily overwhelmed by the Indian warriors.
COL Prescott’s role in the Battle of Bunker Hill, or more correctly know as the Battle of Breed’s Hill, is a great example of how to properly execute mission command. An overview from The Cowpens Staff Ride and Battlefield Tour (Moncure) reveals a number of operation and strategic objectives that the American militia had to consider. In this instance, COL Prescott takes charge of 1200 men with instructions to defend against incoming British forces that were seeking to occupy the surrounding hills during the Siege of Boston campaign. COL Prescott utilized a variety of steps in the operations process that contributed to his expert utilization of mission command over his forces. Through various sources from published works by experts on the subject, COL Prescott’s mission command demonstrates its effectiveness in his understanding of the situation against the British, his visualization to create an end state for t...
The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on November 7, 1811 in Battleground, Indiana between a confederacy of Native Americans and American forces. The confederacy of Native Americans was led by Tenskwatawa, often referred to as the Prophet, in lieu of his brother Tecumseh who was absent from the battle. The United States forces were commanded by William Henry Harrison, governor of the Indiana Territory. Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, were massing Native American warriors at Prophetstown because they were opposed to cessations of Native American land carried out by the United States government. Governor Harrison marched 1000 troops to Prophetstown as a demonstration of force and in order to eliminate the enemy if necessa...
General Robert E. Lee executed poor mission command during the Battle of Gettysburg by not providing a clear commander’s intent, and not creating teams of mutual trust1. General Lee commanded the Confederate Army during the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in July 1861. The Confederate Army sought supplies before they decisively engaged the Union Army. General Lee’s lack of mission command lost the Battle of Gettysburg3.
Epple J. C. (1970). Custer’s battle of the Washita and A history of the Plains Indian Tribes
... combat power against a numerically superior, well armed, and highly motivated enemy. His unwillingness to adapt to changing conditions was unrealistic and proved fatal.
Solnit, Rebecca. "Spectators." Savage Dreams: A Journey into the Hidden Wars of the American West. San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1994. 228-47. Print.
There are many ways in which we can view the history of the American West. One view is the popular story of Cowboys and Indians. It is a grand story filled with adventure, excitement and gold. Another perspective is one of the Native Plains Indians and the rich histories that spanned thousands of years before white discovery and settlement. Elliot West’s book, Contested Plains: Indians, Goldseekers and the Rush to Colorado, offers a view into both of these worlds. West shows how the histories of both nations intertwine, relate and clash all while dealing with complex geological and environmental challenges. West argues that an understanding of the settling of the Great Plains must come from a deeper understanding, a more thorough knowledge of what came before the white settlers; “I came to believe that the dramatic, amusing, appalling, wondrous, despicable and heroic years of the mid-nineteenth century have to be seen to some degree in the context of the 120 centuries before them” .
Fox, R. (2008). Battle of the Little Big Horn. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from International Encyclopedia
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.
Kinevan, Marcos E. "Frontier cavlryman, Lieutenant John bigelow with the Buffalo Soldiers in Texas." Texas Western Press, 1998.
Jortner, Adam Joseph. The Gods of Prophetstown: The Battle of Tippecanoe and the Holy War for the American Frontier. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press, 2012.
This book was written by Margaret Carrington (1831-1870), the wife of the Commanding Officer Colonel Henry B. Carrington, at Fort Philip Kearny. This novel was written from her own journal about her time spent traveling to the outpost up to her return to Fort Laramie. The book reads initially as a guide to prospective travelers on the Virginia City road, and finishes in the same fashion. In between are her first hand accounts of the troubles experienced at Fort Kearny between eighteen sixty-six and eighteen sixty-seven. The years are significant because miners were responding to the news that gold had been discovered in Montana. The resulting influx of prospectors forced the United States government to deal with the Sioux Indians in order to protect its citizens along the fore mentioned trail.
The journey of exploration to the western territories brought the white man many great things, but they did face some opposition. The US government made plans to explore the Black Hills, after hearing of the gold it contained. This was not an easy task. The Sioux, with strong force, were not giving up their sacred land easily. The only way to gain the territory of the Black Hills was to wage war against the Sioux. The Battle of the Little Big Horn was one battle that the US will never forget. General George Custer led an army of men to take out the Sioux, one of the battalions was completely wiped out including Custer. The Sioux were very strong, but US had a lot more power and technology. Why did we get massacred? This question has been a mystery to many people throughout the years. Sergeant Windolph, of Benteen’s cavalry, and John F. Finerty, from General Crooks cavalry, bring us some personal accounts and memories of this tragedy.
Lieutenant Colonel Custer led his 7th Cavalry, they were assigned to locate and drive the Indians into the other two large forces that awaited in the south and northeast. Custer was specifically told not to engage with the Indians; but he had made a career out of bold cavalry charges, and with the possibility of a promotion and political career he could not resist. He pushed his troops with the thoughts of defeating the Indians before General Alfred Terry or General George Crook could arrive to help him.
GEN McClellan may not have been a great war time General but he excelled at training Soldiers, getting his men ready to fight and raising the morale of the Armies he commanded. Multiple historians and various political leaders agreed on this point about McClellan. In a statement, President Lincoln told John Hayes,” There is no man in the army who can man these fortifications and lick these troops into shape half as well as he” . As it can be seen from a statement from a prominent figure such as the President during the war, GEN McClellan was a Soldiers General, but the ability to get political leaders on his side was another story. His cautious attitude towards war soured his reputation with both congress. McClellan’s biggest political obstacle was Edward Stanton, the Secretary of War. He started to work on a petition that would end McClellan’s career.