Battle at the Little Bighorn

It was tough to leave Billings, despite our best efforts there were stories and memories left lingering and the weekend was a bit of an emotional blur. On the way out of town we drove up to Airport Road in an attempt to see if the distant Beartooth Mts. were visible, sadly they too were clouded in a distant haze.

Traveling southeast we turned off at the Hardin exit and headed towards the Little Bighorn Battlefield Monument. It had been 30+ years since Sous-Chef had last visited. Since that time there has been little change in the landscape but there has been a total change in philosophy and understanding of the events that took place there on June 25, 1876. It is a place where truth merges with myth and reality with legend.

"Custer's Last Rally," by John Mulvany

First established as a national cemetery on January 29, 1879; proclaimed National Cemetery of Custer's Battlefield Reservation on December 7, 1886 (AKA Custer National Cemetery); changed to Custer Battlefield National Monument by act of Congress on March 22, 1946; changed to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument on December 10, 1991.  With each name change there has been a sense of new focus to the area.  It is interesting to note that as early as 1881 the horses of the 7th Calvary were memorialized and yet it wasn't until 110 years later that that we had grown enough to commemorate the native peoples as well. 

I highly recommend anyone visiting our national parks, national monuments and like avail themselves to the interpretive programs available at the location you are visiting. They offer depth, context and understanding to the places you are visiting. Secondly take the time to explore the site…forego the quick photo op and the urge to take off to the next place. While there we viewed the film produce by the National Park Service, an interpretive session with a park ranger and a walking tour also with the park ranger. On certain days they also have guest speakers as well.

View from Last Stand Hill

The interpretive programs made some interesting comparisons between June 25, 1876 and September 11, 2001: the state of our union, the economy, the ideals and shortcomings of our leadership, the sense of loss and hopelessness felt by the citizenry at the events that unfolded on their respective days. The anger and need for retribution, the desire to preserve a way of life and the hunger for consumables like gold and oil.

Time has given us the perspective to look at the events of June 25th with hindsight. Many myths have been proven inaccurate either by historical or archaeological findings. One of the greatest being there were no survivors, in reality there always was including both army soldiers and Native Peoples. It is only through modern scholarship that these accounts have been legitimized and the other part of the story are beginning to be commemorated at the battlefield.

They have started adding red granite graves for the fallen Native Peoples.

The Indian Memorial: Peace Through Unity

The site's first mission was and continues to be a National Cemetery for veterans of our nation's wars, known and unknown soldiers from abandoned military posts, spouses of military personnel buried there, woman and children from frontier outposts, "Indians", scouts and Medal of Honor recipients.

Bivouac of the Dead

The muffled drums sad roll has beat

The soldiers last tattoo

No more on life’s parade shall meet

That brave and fallen few

On eternal camping-ground,

Their silent tents are spread,

And glory guards with solemn round

The bivouac of the dead.

Theodore O’Hara

August, 1847