The Battle of Little Bighorn: Native American Movements and Their First Conflict With the Troops

The Story of the Battle: Causes of Warfare | The Expedition Against the Native Tribes | Native American Movements and Their First Conflict With the Troops | Custer's Troops Take to the Trail | Custer Divides His Command, and Reno Engages the Native Americans | Custer's Last Battle | Reno Battle Renewed by the Native Americans | The March of Generals Terry and Gibbon and Their Arrival at the Battleground | The Return to Bismarck | The Story of the Failed Attack Released |

The first 1876 clash between Native American warriors and US soldiers was on March 17. Early that morning about half of General Crook's forces, under Colonel Reynolds, attacked a Northern Cheyenne camp on the west side of Powder River near what is now Moorhead, Mont. The Native Americans disengaged, while the soldiers burned the vacated tepees.

During that spring a number of tribes moved about in the region south of the Yellowstone River and between the Powder River and Rosebud Creek. At times they drifted together, but in doing so they found the encampment became so large that difficulties were experienced in obtaining a sufficient supply of food; also the enormous pony herds cropped off the grass too quickly. Small groups of Native Americans kept in contact with their reservations, obtaining what supplies they could from Native Americans living on the reservations. With the coming of warm weather, other agency Native Americans joined the wandering tribes.

On June 17, General Crook's troops attacked a combined body of Sioux and Cheyennes, this time on the upper Rosebud Creek, about 20 miles east and south of the present site of the Custer Battlefield. Crook was forced to retreat toward his base in Wyoming, and the Native Americans then moved toward the Little Bighorn River arriving there on June 24.

It is often difficult to establish exact numbers of Native Americans involved in different engagements. Estimates of the number in this concentration which was an unusually large one, vary greatly. It may have included between 12,000 and 15,000 Native Americans, probably as many as 5,000 being warriors. Although there were scattered bands from other tribes, and quite a few were Northern Cheyenne, under Chiefs Two Moon and White Bull, the most were Teton Sioux-Ogallala, under Chiefs Crazy Horse, Low Dog, and Big Road; Uncpapa, under Medicine Man Sitting Bull and Chiefs Gall, Crow King, and Black Moon; Minneconjous, under Chief Hump; and Sans-Arc, under Chief Spotted Eagle.

The camp extended about 3 miles along the west bank of the river immediately west and south of the present monument headquarters, in the direction of Garryowen. On the extreme south rim of the camp were the Uncpapas, and at the opposite end were the Northern Cheyennes. Between them were the tribal camp circles of the other tribes and bands.