The Battle of Greasy Grass or Little Bighorn…. Hardin, Montana June 2-4

We did a stopover at the Crow Agency near Hardin, Montana. Our base of operations was  Grandview Campground , $42/night with Good Sam’s and is cash only. The plan was to visit the Little Big Horn National Monument and take a tour with Apsaalooke Tours to get the Native American point of view. We were not disappointed.

The Native American’s call the Battle of Little Bighorn the Battle of Greasy Grass because the grass in the area is so tall that it rubbed the bellies of their horses and caused a shimmer on the grasses. We went on a tour with the Apsaalooke Tours, run by the Crow Indians and includes visiting the Crow Reservation. We had three Crow guides and Ray and I were the only people on this particular tour. It was an excellent two hour tour and we learned so much. I highly recommend going and engaging with the guides to learn a more complete picture of this Battle. I also recommend reading Lakota Noon by Gregory F. Michno. He used recorded Native American accounts of the battle to form a timeline and give their perspective on what really happened that day. It’s a fascinating account and well worth the read.

After the Apsaalooke Tour we went to the visitor center/museum and watched the introductory film. It was interesting that the Park Service now indicate that the Native Americans were protecting their homes and their way of life. Afterwards we went on our own self-guided tour, which was also very informative. The Monument has changed over the years and brown markers have been laid to indicate where Native Americans fell in battle. These were added well after the white markers of the US Calvary. On the knoll we saw a number of white and brown markers and the marker for General George Armstrong Custer. One thing I noticed while touring was that visitors were quiet and reverent as this was a place of loss of life and the magnitude of what actually transpired here.

The battle was on June 25-26, 1876 between the US 7th Calvary, led by General George Armstrong Custer and the Lakota-Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes who were camped together at the Little Bighorn River, while hunting. The Native Americans were led by Crazy Horse in battle and Sitting Bull at the camp. Other tribal leaders were Gall, Red Horse, American Horse, Two Kettles, and Two Eagles. The Calvary led by Reno attacked the unsuspecting encampment, which was full of women and children, and the battle began. It didn’t go exactly like the Calvary expected. The tribes fought back fiercely to protect their families and homes.

Six women and four children were killed in Reno’s original attack. During the battle thirty one Native warriors died in combat or from wounds. The 7th Calvary lost sixteen officers and 242 troops, with one officer and fifty one wounded. The 7th Calvary lost 52% and suffered a massive defeat with Reno becoming the scapegoat after the battle. I encourage you to read credible sources as to what really happened. I promise that it will be an eyeopener for you.

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I do encourage you to read more about this battle and the Indian Wars. Our history books painted a much different picture than what actually happened during this time. Live, learn, grow. Thanks for reading. Next up Rapid City, South Dakota, a beautiful and historic place.