Posted on 06/25/2022 1:07:51 PM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal
I saw a cool thing on, I think, the History Channel (back when it was about history) where a cavalry carbine still held by a Sioux
was tracked, through records, archaeology, and comparison of shell casings dug up on the battlefield
from the name of the cavalryman to whom it was issued,
to the place on the battlefield where he likely died,
to where it was taken and used by a Sioux on another part of the battlefield.
They showed the carbine, and how it had been decorated by the Sioux with brass nails and engravings.
Fascinating stuff.
👍
Yeah, but I don’t believe the real Frank Finkel survived LBH.
Anything for books these days though.
My brother went to it a few years ago. Only areas around the monuments and a few markers are mowed. At least according to the pics I saw. The battlefield too big to keep trimm d. I think having it as natural as possible brings it to life.
I’ve always been of the opinion that the theory about soft copper cartridge cases jamming and fatally slowing the soldiers’ rate of fire touches on a deciding factor (the same theory has been posited about the British annihilation at Isandlwana 3 years later, and I think it’s even more likely to have been the deciding factor in that case). The fact that clutches of bodies have been found further out from the main “last stand” area also suggests that something caused cohesion to break down significantly — maybe just the presence of a thousand Indians, but I think more likely something more panic-inducing would the inability to defend yourself with your weapon.
It’s usually over grown with prairie grass. The year of the battle that grass was very green.
There are controlled burns from time to time.
You need to go visit. You can see that battlefield, Rosebud battlefield & Pompey’s Pillar in one day if you like.
All have massive historical importance.
I’m definitely a fan of his tactics and his use of logistics.
He loved shotguns :)
I remember that presentation. It was done by several forensics experts who looked at shells, bones etc. - basically everything you stated. It was very well done.
IIRC, there was an unspent .45-70 rifle shell found on Last Stand Hill that an historian was holding at the end of the episode. He got a bit teary-eyed thinking about the young immigrant on Last Stand Hill who probably came off a boat from Germany or Ireland the year before and ended up there in that hell-hole and probably lost the bullet in a last ditch effort to load his gun one final time.
There’s some truth to that I think. Some weapons experts will refute that. I personally believe the single shot Springfield’s the Cavalry were issued were horrible for that type of warfare.
There was a battle in Colorado about 8 years before this one called Beecher’s Island. About 50 troops held off over 1,000 Sioux and Cheyenne in that battle and it was mostly because of the repeating rifles those troops were issued. Spencer Carbines had 7 round capacity.
The Army had field trials in 1872 or 1873 and went to the US Springfield single shot rifle .45-70. IMHO, that was a bad move.
Also note that prior to LBH, every single trooper carried his rifle ammo in pouches or sacks. After this battle, the battle belt was standardized or common since most troops fought on foot and couldn’t keep going back to the satchel on the horse.
A real reason they probably got overwhelmed besides numbers was that they lost all of their ammo when the horses were stampeded.
Spencer Carbines were used in the Civil War.
The 7th should’ve had them at LBH.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_repeating_rifle
I think Nash was the cartoonist who did the political cartoons decrying how poorly equipped and too small the Western army was. He claimed it was inadequate to defend the homesteading and other population.
Yes yes Nast not Nash, thank you!
I did not read the article. Did Custer win??
LOL!
“What happened? Why didn’t he retreat back towards Reno Hill after Yates’ failed charge of the village? Was he cut-off before that point? Did he really think his ~ 600 troops could subdue a village as large as it was rumored to be? Why did he refuse the 4 companies of the 2nd Cavalry under Brisbin?”
Probably pride.
I was driving to Billings once, and saw a sign on the interstate - Battle of Little Big Horn. So I pulled off thinking that it would be a long way off, stopped shortly at a small store and asked them about it. “Oh, it just over there.” I was astonished. So I went to the battlefield, open prairie, very hilly, with lots of tombstones. The snowflakes were as big as golf balls, and the wind cut through my clothes like a knife. I stayed only minutes. Couldn’t help thinking, if only I had visited as a teenager.
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