[PzLdr]

What "rush to engage"? It's the Cavalry for Chris' Sake!. Custer struck a hot trail, and he followed it. He was under orders to make sure any hostiles [read all Indians not on reservations] did not escape. Custer intended to lay low on the 25th and attack at first light on the 26th. Reason for the change of plan? His rear elements made contact with some Sioux in the AM of the 25th . Custer thought they were warning the village. In point of fact, they were returning to a reservation after hunting buffalo with their relatives. [The Army's estimate of 800 warriors was accurate until late Spring when a lot of Sioux jumped the reservation for the summer hunt - a fact the Indian agents knew, but didn't pass on.]That left him with his orders - not to let them escape.

Custer conducted a combination meeting engagement, reconnaissance in force. Of the the three prongs in that operation, two failed in their mission, and based on John Gray's work, it is probable that Custer feinted at Medicine Coulee to take pressure off Reno. He succeeded too well. Neither Reno, nor Benteen did anything, including a feint, to take any pressure off Custer subsequently. They left that to Cpt. Weir.

I've always thought it odd that all the commentators who castigate Custer for attacking early never mention that Gibbon and Terry, who were to rendezvous with Custer on the 26th, showed up a day late. So if Custer had attacked on the 26th, as he planned, and in expectation of the other two columns from the north, he still would have gone in alone.

[USMCBOMBGUY]

You obviously are very passionate about the subject and I feel I need to clarify my statement.

I stand by my view that Custer rushed in, I believe his plan was doomed from the start. While it was proper to pursue the "war party" to prevent the alerting of the village, it was not prudent to launch the attack on the village without Gibbon and Terry, without reconnaissance of the routes, without reconnaissance of the village, and without messaging Terry and Gibbon. While it is true that he was under orders to make sure all the Indians were destroyed, he was also under orders to attack WITH Terry and Gibbon.
As you say its the "Cavalry", and as a Calvary officer Custer should have known the terrain that his units can operate in, and what terrain will impede them. The area surrounding Little Big Horn is a mesh of ravines and bluffs, not terrain conducive to cavalry operations. The Indians chose this area because it was easily defendable and had the resources they needed to survive. As I see it, even if the estimate of 800 warriors turned out to be true, the Seventh would have still have had a bloody battle on their hands.
Hindsight is 20/20, and it is our duty learn from history, we are expected to apply this knowledge to future decisions, Custer failed in this, lets not forget Custer had charged in before and had been surprised.
There were many contributing factors to Custer's defeat, their were many heroic acts and many mistakes and not all made by Custer. Custer had many successes but he was not infallible, his decisions made at Little Big Horn did unquestionably lead to the Sevenths defeat. I do not see Custer as a villain or as an incompetent commander, nor do I see Benteen as an incompetent commander, I believe both acted honorably.

[USMCBOMBGUY]

You obviously are very passionate about the subject and I feel I need to clarify my statement.

I stand by my view that Custer rushed in, I believe his plan was doomed from the start. While it was proper to pursue the "war party" to prevent the alerting of the village, it was not prudent to launch the attack on the village without Gibbon and Terry, without reconnaissance of the routes, without reconnaissance of the village, and without messaging Terry and Gibbon. While it is true that he was under orders to make sure all the Indians were destroyed, he was also under orders to attack WITH Terry and Gibbon.
As you say its the "Cavalry", and as a Calvary officer Custer should have known the terrain that his units can operate in, and what terrain will impede them. The area surrounding Little Big Horn is a mesh of ravines and bluffs, not terrain conducive to cavalry operations. The Indians chose this area because it was easily defendable and had the resources they needed to survive. As I see it, even if the estimate of 800 warriors turned out to be true, the Seventh would have still have had a bloody battle on their hands.
Hindsight is 20/20, and it is our duty learn from history, we are expected to apply this knowledge to future decisions, Custer failed in this, lets not forget Custer had charged in before and had been surprised.
There were many contributing factors to Custer's defeat, their were many heroic acts and many mistakes and not all made by Custer. Custer had many successes but he was not infallible, his decisions made at Little Big Horn did unquestionably lead to the Sevenths defeat. I do not see Custer as a villain or as an incompetent commander, nor do I see Benteen as an incompetent commander, I believe both acted honorably.