It is misleading to suggest that the Sioux and Cheyenne hostiles had any strategy as such. After halting Crook at the Rosebud on June 17th, they shifted their camp down Medicine Dance Creek to the valley of the Little Big Horn River. There could be little doubt, that, bouyed up by their success against Crook, they would resist any renewed assault on their camp. Numerous reinforcements had joined them, and the total Indian force may have been anywhere between 2,000 and 5,000 men, at any event considerably more than Custer could have anticipated meeting.

Custer made slow progress, crossing and recrossing the course of the Rosebud. It was later to be suggested that by his stage Custer was displaying uncharacteristic signs of uncertainty, consulting his officers much more than was his usual habit. Certainly a growing number of indications suggested the proximity of an unusually large collection of Indians.

On the evening of June 24th, Custer halted for the night on the banks of the Rosebud, about 18 miles from the site of Crook's encounter, by now fairly certain that the enemy encampment was located somewhere in the lower Little Big Horn valley, not in the upper valley or on the Rosebud, as Terry had expected.

To Custer, there seemed only one acceptable course of action - to move as close as possible to the enemy that night, spend the day in concealment, and then attack the Indian camp at dawn on June 26th.

The night march, though tiring and confused, was apparently accomplished successfully, and by 2-30 a.m., an advance party of Indian scouts under Lieutenant Varnum was concealed on a vantage point known as the Crow's Nest, which at dawn would afford a view of most of the lower Little Big Horn valley. As day broke, the scouts were able to see smoke and dust indicating an Indian encampment, but not its actual size. They could also observe the camp fires of their own force, suggesting that hopes of concealing it all day were already fading. Custer himself rode over to the Crow's Nest, but apparently failed to see anything, though he accepted his scouts' assertion that the enemy camp was there.

At this stage, it became obvious that the enemy would soon be aware of Custer's force, after some scouts were sighted, and more conclusively, the Sioux found some ammunition packs which had been lost during the course of the night march. Custer called his officers together and announced that he would launch an immediate attack.

The advance up the Little Big Horn Valley began at about 11-45 a.m, and soon afterwards, Custer divided his command into three, keeping five companies, totalling about 13 officers and 200 men, plus four Crow scouts under his own command, and placing the other detachments under Reno and Benteen. Reno had 11 officers and about 130 men, Benteen 5 officers and 110 men.

Custer estimated that he was still about 15 miles from the enemy village, and, with surprise lost, he would have to press on at full speed if he were to be able to catch the hostiles before they dispersed. However, he was uncertain whether any of the enemy might be hidden in the line of ridges which lay to the left of his line of advance, and so he detached Benteen with orders investigate the ridges and the upper valley further north, in other words carry out a standard reconnaissance in force, before linking up again with the main force. Given Custer's state of knowledge at this point, and that he was wise to be pushing on so boldly against an enemy of unknown strength, there is nothing to criticise in this action.

Reno's column crossed to the left bank of the Little Big Horn, and the force continued to advance, the two columns paralleling each other on opposite sides of the stream. It was now about 2-15 p.m., and the clouds of dust kicked up by the cavalry had probably already alerted the Indians, but Custer now saw about 3 miles away, a herd of ponies and and some 40 or 50 Indians, apparently in flight towards their camp. Desperate to attack before the Indians could organise their defence, Custer instructed Reno "the enemy are two miles and a half ahead; move forward as fast as you can, and charge them as soon as you find them, and we will support." The battle was about to begin.

More Last Stand at the Little Big Horn

Introduction and Background
Custer's Order of Battle, June 25th 1876
The Campaign
Battle of Little Big Horn
Jumbo Color Map of Battlefield (monstrously slow: 601K)

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