| June 25 |  |
This story was published in the May 2012 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.
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In 1876, scouts inform Colonel George Custer that a massive number of natives, under the command of Sitting Bull, is poised to attack them at the Little Big Horn river.
Little Big Horn
by Robbie TaylorAfter hearing the report, he sent back to his superiors, Generals Alfred Terry and John Gibbon, for reinforcements. When they reached Custer with their two columns of soldiers, they then pressed forward to attack Sitting Bull. Their movements had given the Sioux Chief time to arrange his forces for an ambush, and he fell upon the American soldiers with great ferocity. However, just as it looked like Sitting Bull was on the verge of defeat, his secondary force under the command of Crazy Horse attacked the US soldiers from the rear. Trapped between the two mighty forces, General Terry was killed, and General Gibbon ordered a retreat. He limped out of the Little Big Horn with barely a hundred men and made it back to Fort Ellis.
In his official report on the battle, General Gibbon blamed Lt. Colonel Custer for the disaster, claiming that if Custer had attacked the Sioux instead of waiting for reinforcements, the natives wouldn't have had time to move into the ambush that claimed so many American soldiers.
Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor
© Robbie Taylor, 2004-Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Generals Source: Wikipedia Labels: General Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Little Big Horn, America.
~ The definition of damned if you do, damned if you don't...
~ Indeed.
~ The most important person killed there in OTL was General Custer himself and his death is not mentioned here. Therefore, I infer that he survived the battle in this AH. As a result, he never becomes the folk hero that he was in real life, thanks largely to his widow Elizabeth's glowing biographies. (Sure, there were some military men who criticized his actions, but they were in the definite minority.) If Custer had survived but lived on in disgrace, the country might have shown new respect and even admiration for his Indian opponents, which might have helped win them more generous terms. Then again, it might not.
~ Whatever happened to the country's attitude toward Native Americans after this version of the Little Big Horn, Custer might well have wwished he'd died there. His reputation, which had been stellar after his performance in the Civil War, would be in the toilet, and he might well have faced a court-martial.
~ Defeated leaders often seek to blame subordinates, however calling for reinforcements is sound military doctrine and the fact that so few survived even with reinforcements would prove the folly of attacking with a small force.
~ Accusing Custer of excessive caution would never fly. The man's rep was set by 1865.
~ And we know for sure the outcome had Custer attacked the larger force without reinforcments. Cause he did. A wise commander knows how to advance and not get ambushed. You should know the danger points alonge the rout of march and be prepared for them.
~ I wonder what this might have done to Custer's political ambitions? ISTR he had designs on the Democratic nomination for president. President George Custer....*shudder*
~ Democrat? Would have taken him for a radical Republican. Cite please.
~ The Cheyanne were natives. The Souix (or Dakota) were from Minnisota.
People forget that before the horse, the Great plains were uninhabitable.
~ The world would've been deprived of the song by Larry Verne.
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