Custer’s action against Stuart provided the “fog of war” the Federals needed to defeat Lee.

Also “The Conquerors” about Pontiac’s siege of Detroit is really good.

And St. Clair’s defeat by Little Turtle happened not far from where I presently live. I have visited the site several times (Fort Recovery, Ohio).

And you are right about St. Clair’s defeat. Something like the worst military disaster in U.S. history.

Anyways, the Fort Recovery site is very cool and if you are ever close by I highly recommend. Lot’s of cool artifacts. Especially of the native Americans.

And you are right. Cool blog entry. I’d like to see more like them. It’s very refreshing to put politics aside for awhile.

Cheers.

I’ve never been to Ohio or Kentucky or that region, but I hope to get there some day.

By the way, today’s blog entry was a great read about Custer.

“I also heartily recommend the works of Dan Eckert who writes extensively of the conflict between white and red civilizations during the Ohio River Valley period.”

Glad to see another Eckert fan. (it’s Allen by the way)

Both in “The Frontiersman” and “That Dark and Bloody River” have the most riveting description of a man being tortured to death (Colonel William Crawford) that I have ever read.

And by the way, there is a historical marker where the burning took place that I once visited. Fascinating, chilling, and horrific event.

Very Nice Post.

But there are a few things to disagree over.

First, I haven’t checked it but I am pretty sure it was Sherman, not Sheridan who fathered the “only good Indians” quote - and it may be out of context.

As for Custer’s character I think it is really a veiled PC argument to get into a discussion of his character and whether he was “good” or not. He wouldn’t fit in today and that may be good or bad. He has been called “The American Murat” because of his impetuousness and that quality would not survive in the modern army. I can’t picture his skill set in WWII. Patton is close - but under better control.

As for LBH and his “underestimating” the Indians his “racism” and his “disobediance” of Terry’s “Orders” I hold a contrary position. I find Custer was roughly 25% responsible for the debacle. One, The fact is that no one in the United States government thought it important to be able to talk to the Sioux in their own language even though they had been identified as the dominant tribe in the region as early as the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Thus, no one had any idea what they wanted, what their demands were and how many there were in the Bighorn Valley. Custer knew some sign language but had to depend on white officers interpreting through Indian allies hostile to the Sioux. Custer can hardly be faulted because the State Department and the War Department didn’t have native speaking translators. Or any sense that it was needed. Or any real idea of who the Sioux were.
Two, the ridiciculous brevet system coupled with nepotism destroyed the fighting quality of the regiment. It was top heavy with officers all of whom had been Civil War generals. Benteen had been a colonel whose promotion to general had been disallowed by war’s end. Cramming Sturgis (the absent colonel in chief) Custer, Reno and Benteen into the same regiment (all downgraded generals) was the fault of congress and small military appropriations. It is very hard for men who have held high command to command together. Worse,Custer was allowed to fill the regiment with friends and even relatives. Two brothers and a brother-in-law were killed at LBH. The deadly monotony of frontier posts made divisions in the regiment poisonous. An up or out system would have had Custer either in charge of the campaign (Terry’s job) or retired on half-pay.
Three, Custer was chosen above all officers in the army precisely because Sheridan knew he was the most aggressive officer available and Terry gave him orders that allowed his aggressive nature full reign. This was done because it was, despite Fetterman and Grattan, Army DOCTRINE that natives would run from the army as soon as troops arrived in force.
Number three is the real cause of the defeat and is why I feel Custer is scapegoated. No one thought for one minute the Indians might stand and fight so the possibility was never considered.
So what is Custer’s personal responsibility for the debacle?

There were a few minutes around Medicine Tail Coulee while he waited for Benteen and Reno when he needed to assess the situation, realize the danger he was in and then retreat. Pure and simple, he waited too long. Some think he was “betrayed” by Reno and Beenteen, others think he was afraid they had run into trouble and was staying to try and rescue them. Whatever the facts are his aggressiveness made sure he kept looking for a ford and seeking to attack and thus lost the whole command - whose doom had actually been sealed by lack of intel, rigid doctrine, poorly conceived orders and a system that subverted discipline.