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Not the Battle of the Little Big Horn. I'm curious about your outlook on the Washita River. You would call it either the Battle of the Washita River or the Black Kettle Massacre depending on your view. Ostensibly where Custer got his "Son of the Morning Star" sobriquet. 1868.

My ancestor was nowhere near Little Big Horn, but he was a scout for Custer at the Washita River.

"You would call it either the Battle of the Washita River or the Black Kettle Massacre depending on your view."

FWIW, I don't believe Custer had a clue that Black Kettle was anywhere in the area. According to Capt. Albert Barnitz, the cavalry cut a trial identified by their scouts as "hostiles" because it lacked any dog tracks. Apparently dogs did accompany hunting parties, but not war parties.

The cavalry column followed the trail through the night to an indian encampment and set up for their attack in the dark. They attacked at first light, so I doubt they even saw Black Kettle's U.S. flag until it was too late. Black Kettle may have been completely peaceful, but there were other hostile bands up and down the same river. Major Elliot could tell you. I don't for a second believe Custer and Co. deliberately set out to destroy a peaceful band of indians.

I misunderstood your question. Why, I don't know. I call it the ‘Battle of the Washita’. There was plenty of fighting and the blow struck did both damage a major group of hostiles due more to killing the horse herd and burning property. Savage warfare as combat against tribal peoples was inadvertently appropriately called in the 19th century inevitably included deaths of numbers of technical non combatants. This was true on the steppes of Central Asia or the dry plains of south Argentina or the expanses of the American West.