Where Poor Jack Fell. Jerusha Sturgis at the Custer Battlefield. Lives of the Little Bighorn 

WOW. Now that is an incredible family story!!! Terrible about his friend, Jimmy Iron. It's wonderful that you are so aware of yourhistory, and that your Great Great Uncle's writing is archived and appreciated. "Buckskin" Jonny Spaulding! I love it! Thanks so much for sharing, and for the kind words!

Thank you. I am amazed at her resilience too.

history says Colonel Sturges commented,after the death of his son under Custer at the LBH,if Custer had survived he would have had him Court Marshalled !!

Yes, I agree, Jerusha, in her grief, still managed to recognize the goodness in others. Thanks so much for your comments and for watching!

Absolutely. Her insights are fascinating because they reveal both her grief and what must have been the understanding of many in the military at the time (= her social set). Though she seems steely enough that her opinions were very much her own. Thank you for taking the time to comment! 🙏

Thank YOU so very very much!! 🙏

Thank you so much!!

Yes, it is quite sad. I admire her strength in both visiting the battlefield and then being able to write about it.

Thank you so much!

Why thank you! I thought she had very interesting perspective, and we don't often get to walk the battlefield with someone so soon after the fight like that. Very good of you to comment!

Although she was wrong on a few points. But she wasn't an army officer.

Thank you! I couldn't believe how strong she was through the whole thing-- and then to be able to write so lucidly about it all. Wow.

Thank you!!!!

Thank you!!

Wow, thank you so much 🙏

Yeah, it reminds me another female account related of a famous battle - this time a Battle of Waterloo and the author was a young woman who got married just few days before Napoleon escaped Elba. She followed her husband, who was an officer, to the Belgium - but she spent the battle in Brussels or somwhere like that. After the victorious battle she went to find her husband - first learning he died, then finding him wounded but alive only to watch him die slowly before her eyes and becoming a widow in some three or four months from the wedding. She then wrote it down to a little booklet for the family members (probably it was easier than talking). I would need to think for a while to remember her name, but the booklet was foundable online. Her husband was the officer who was striken by a cannonball next to Wellington and thrown off the horse. The cannonbal was very slowed down at that time, so it didn't even break his skin, but he suffered some internal injuries and died of lung edema, if I remember correctly.

Thank you, Ron! 🙏

Do you mean Ella Sturgis? Yes, she was the subject of his final court martial and dismissal from the service! Reno was caught looking in the window at her late at night. That and other charges, after having already been court martialed from conduct unbecoming with another officer's wife, as well as the Reno Court of Inquiry (see my video on that), was his undoing.

@@SiobhanFallon7 Precisely, right on the. money! I'd heard about that but wasn't sure if that was ever substantiated. Thanks, sis.

wow... I never heard of Benny having a notebook. Cooke, yes, of course, and I think it is currently in a private collection. But Benny. Hmmm. That would be an incredible lead. I did just do a Benny Hodgson quik bio video if you want to take a look. Please let me know what you think. Thanks so much for the intriquing comments and hope to hear from you again!

@@SiobhanFallon7 Hi Siobhan. Thank you for your interest in my post . There are so many enigmas regarding the battle and the lives of the commanders. I’m nearly in my eighties now and this battle has been an interest to me for seven decades. But I still remember walking the field with Jim Court..back in 91. Quite a haunting experience with dark clouds and rain forecast.. You could almost feel the ghosts. Benny would have carried a notebook that’s for certain. Where it went to is a puzzle. What it contained more so.. But it would certainly have recorded Custer’s last orders to Reno and ‘possibly’ Benteen. ( who I still think commanded a mobile reserve..). However there’s also another character you have to look into and that’s Captain Weir. The rumour of his romancing Elizabeth Custer when George was absent is very convincing. Apparently George found out and either a thrashing or a tongue lashing ensued.. That was just before he fell out of favour of the Custer clan!! I’ve been wondering if he delayed his response to Martini’s note not just by Benteen’s disregard but by his own touch of jealousy. The fact that he failed to ride to Custer must have weighed on his mind driving him to consuming the alcohol that had him dead by years end. Just what was going to be in his letter to Elizabeth. What truth was on his conscience..that he wanted to tell her?… There, there’s another character for you to study. Now have a great day.. be safe. 🥰👵🇦🇺🇺🇸

@madlenellul3430 Weir is my favorite officer! Yes, so much there. I have been researching his life a great deal and will definitely do a video/ article/ book about him... 🙏

@@SiobhanFallon7 Siobhan thanks for such a quick reply. I’ll look forward to reading your research on Weir. My own thoughts

@@SiobhanFallon7 Oops..old fingers. As I was saying there is an enigma over Weir. He could, when Benteen showed him Martini’s note have insisted that they , the three companies, immediately ride to Custer’s aid. He didn’t and if we accept Benteen’s version of events ignored it until after rescuing Reno’s shattered command. I wonder what clouded his vision. Anger?…Jealousy?…Envy?… Then his change of mind starting, initially, on his own before being joined by his own company, towards the sounds of gunfire. Brave..ashamed ?…What was driving the man. Have a great day. Madds 🥰👵🇦🇺🇺🇸

Or...the Indians were native to America and fighting the intruders hostlies who also broke the land treaty. 😆

history says,after the battle of Rosebud,General Cook stayed on the Rosebud for 3 weeks to supposedly recoup from the battle against 1,200 Sioux,Cheyenne and Arapaho !! sitting there fishing and hunting while the 7th was being destroyed !!

Thank you so much. 🙏

Wow, that is the loveliest comment. I needed a kind word today. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for watching and commenting!

It was so well written!! I wondered whose idea it was to publish it? And it also goes to show how often the military community used the press to air their grievances... Thanks so much for watching and commenting, Thane!

@@brucefournier2391 I think she did find some closure, Bruce. I think this trip helped her in some small way. She was quite a woman. Thanks so much for your kind comment 🙏

Thank you!! 🙏

Ooh yes, Charley Reynolds would be great! I recently found some interesting background info on him too. Excellent suggestion! And thank you for you kind words!

Thank you so very much! I am always trying to change things up a little bit. So good of you to leave a comment!

Thanks so much, Mark!! It's always great to hear from you.

@user-jv8jl3rp2i thank you! I had the same reaction the first time I read her letter, and wanted to share with as many people possible. I appreciate your thoughtful comments!

Thank you!!

Thank you, Simon! So good of you to leave comment 🙏📚💕

Oh the stories you could tell, Robert! Wow! And thank you for the kind words. I'll finally be getting another presentation up this weekend!

Oh!! I rode the battlefield on my first trip out there in Sept 2020. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I know that sounds silly, but after studying the fight and the people connected with it for years, to be there in person ON HORSEBACK made it all come to life in a completely different way. Are you riding with one of the Real Birds, do you mind my asking? I'll be out there again this coming June for the anniversary. I just can't wait. Enjoy, James! If I can help with any info about the Hardin area, please message me Facebook at Siobhan Fallon Author (sorry to give my professional account there but as this is a public forum I don't want to reveal my private ones). Thanks again for watching and you very forgiving comments!

You are too kind! I will connect and I totally understand keeping your private info private. The booking is with Go Native America and is a 3 hour ride. Like you said, a tour on horseback of a battle fought on horseback is next level! The connection will be so much greater, and your content is a part of it. Thanks, again for what you do.

@@jamesnix729 Three hours sounds fantastic! Well done!!

@gfv5647 oh how wonderful!! I wish I could have gotten there this summer! And thank you for the kind words. You probably know this, but there's some current construction on the battlefield so maybe double check the website or call. And since the visitor center is closed, may I recommend you stop at the Little Bighorn museum in Hardin? It's more of a general museum about Montana but they do have some great exhibits and photos concerning the 7th Cav as well as the Tribes. You could spend a whole day there in itself. I always stop in and check out their awesome books in the shop and walk around and each time I see something new and wonderful. And of course I recommend that you watch more of my videos as you prepare for your journey... 😉🤣📚

Thank you for watching and for the kind words 🙏

Very kind of you, Steve!

Thank you, dearest Evelyn 😘💕

😁

I wonder the same things! I can only imagine that Col Sturgis felt terribly guilty, and I also wonder if his wife held Jack's death against him. But they were a military family who had survived a very violent and bloody Civil War. Also, a friend working on a book about the Sturgis family told me that after Jack's death, Jack's younger brother was told that he could no longer study to be a laywer, but had to be a soldier, and he immediately went to West Point. So it looks like the familial loyalty to the Army may be more complicated that we can understand today? Thank you for watching and commenting!

​@@SiobhanFallon7 Thank you, the story of Jack's brother is really interesting and difficult to understand for people of the 21st century. Was Jack's brother the one who became a general in the First World War?

@@donaustadt Sam Sturgis Jr?

@@SiobhanFallon7 yes

@@donaustadt that's the one!

I will hopefully be there TOMORROW!!! Flights are delayed so cross your fingers for me...

And thank you for the kind words :) I feel the same way about the battlefield.

Best of luck and safe travels! We are going back through there in august.

Great idea, thank you! And thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment! 🙏

Thank you!!

Thank you for watching and commenting!

Thank you!

Thank you so much!! I'm finishing another today and hope to have it up this evening. So good of you to watch and comment! 🙏

Libbie never visited the battlefield, but she did know Sam Sturgis and probably Jerusha. Today, as I was wrapping up the slide show a friend told me about a photo with Libbie and Col Sturgis and Custer and some other members of the 7th! I should have gotten it into the video but Jerusha wasn't in it and I was trying to keep this one short. I'll try to post here for you, Hugo, if I can figure out how...

@@SiobhanFallon7 Your amazing, being so mindful of others.. praise God for you 🙏. Not, many people left in this world like you! Don't bring an old Southerner to tears,,now,,, I'll deny it!!!! My Fair Lady,,, not only do I tip my hat to in respect,, but I will remove it thy honor... most gracious Fair Lady.. Now,, I ride into the sunset,, until your next video brings us back..

@@hugonarvaez2944 Hugo, you always manage to say the most perfect things to me about my presentations just when I am feeling doubt. Thank you. You are a very good friend to me here. My highest regards and gratitude! Siobhan

@@hugonarvaez2944 are you on Facebook? If so, send me a message at Siobhan Fallon Author (sorry to give my professional account but as this is a public forum I don't want to reveal my private one!) and then we can continue to be in touch there if you'd like :)

@@SiobhanFallon7 My dearest Fair Lady. I hope me sharing my email address was not offensive in any way... I truly am a novice with technology and the linguo. I would never dare to do anything that would be considered offensive ( never on purpose). Please, forgive me, if in any way offended.

Thank you!!

Thank you so very much! I have read so many letters about Little Bighorn but this one really stayed with me.

Wow, thank you!!

Thank you, Joe!

We will never how Custer died but it's more important why he died. You divide and maneuver on offense to increase the enemy's lines of expectation so he concentrate at the point of your attack. Reno disobeyed his orders and prematurely began the attack and then immediately went on the defensive. If Reno had remained on the defensive the Indians would have scattered and escape ending the campaign in failure. Reno lost his nerve and ran inviting the Indians to stay and attack his retreating force.

Two points in rebuttal to your comments. The Army was deep in the midst of a summer campaign against the "hostiles" on 6.27.76. Although the lack of entrenched (burial) equipment, and the state of the bodies, contributed to the hasty, insufficient burials, the prime reason for the haste was the campaign, which had now become a stern chase of the rapidly scattering hostile force. Jerusha was spot on in putting her finger on Reno's pathetic support of the regiment. I use that adjective because the preponderance of the 7th's surviving officers thought that, notwithstanding latter-day rehabilitation using "modern" sensibilities. They were the 1st hand observers on the scene. They knew of the anti-custer clique, and they witnessed, and commented, at the time, of the clique's passive-aggressive behavior. These officers did very little post-hoc analysis quarterbacking, because, they reasoned, their duty lay in not trying to guess the future, but to follow orders and established & expected military protocols. And, they knew they had numerous, explicit written & verbal orders of what to do. Orders punctuated with the urgency of overheard heavy & volley gunfire. They knew how much ammo Custer's battalion had in their saddlebags. Worse, they knew, that by 7/12's of the regiment sitting on top of that hill, with all the ammo, and not even messaging Custer that they intended to "sit this one out," they left their comrades in a precarious, unsupported predicament. They might have even surmised that Custer's companies' dispositions might well be predicated on expected support--that they'd have no way of knowing was not arriving. Those surviving officers knew this, drawing the correct conclusions. The only reason these attitudes were largely kept within the regiment was their desire not to have the honor of the regiment publicly humiliated by exposing what they reasoned was clear betrayal of their commander. So, the dead Custer takes the blame for being an idiot commander. Only, they knew the real motives for what transpired that day. They made sure that Reno & Benteen knew how they evaluated those actions. That is why those two LBH battalion commanders did not have an easy remaining time in service, or get to assume the mantle of heroes of June 25.

@@josephstabile9154 Don't you find it odd that they didn't, at least, bring back Custer's body, a National hero? The Army kept its mouth shut because of who was behind it, Grant. Grant wanted retribution because of Custer's damaging Congressional testimony. Grant's initial plan was to make the Campaign fail to give him a reason to dismiss Custer from the Army, just like he did to Burnside at the Crater. When Reno lost his nerve and ran, everything changed for the worse. The Army didn't forget and eventually caught up with Reno and Benteen.

Jeep, Monday morning quarterbacking. :( Reno blew it big time, as did Genl. Crook. Yes, I wish GAC had taken his entire force up the valley on the flatland, the same route he sent Reno on. Or even if he had sent the combined force of Benteen and Reno up the valley, together. I really think his splitting off Benteen was a grave mistake.

Thank you so much!!

Me neither. I think Maria Custer never did recover. She took to her bed and died a few years later. Their father, Emanual, died a few years after her. There is a heart breaking quote from Emanual, when he read the newspapers and was appalled about what they were saying about his son after the Little Bighorn fight, something along the lines of, "They should not say that of my boy. Why would they say that about my boy?" So much grief. Please know I am thinking about you and yours, and the unimaginable grief you too have survived 🙏

I wondered the same thing about the push and pull of guilt that these two parents must have felt. Their youngest son died in 1875 and I wonder if that played a role somehowin Col Sturgis being in St Louis on detached duty. Great points, Charles, thank you so much for commenting!

Indeed! Libbie Custer never would 😥

Thank you!! Good to know. I'll try to do a few more like that soon!

Thank you!!

You are lovely! Thanks for encouragement!!! 🙌

@@SiobhanFallon7 always a pleasure.

You did a GREAT job. Keep going. Love you Benteen Series! So much details i may never have heared

Thank you! And I have fortunately not seen a rattlesnake there... yet... 😬🙏🐍

Thank you so much. You are very kind! And I agree with you. Easy for us today to forget the physical burden of having to bury human bodies without shovels, in that hard and dry terrain. Not to mention these are bodies of your closest friends, and they have been mutilated and also begun to rot. I don't know how any soldiers and officers could have walked away from that gory scene without being haunted by it forever.

And yes, again you are right, there were Southern Cheyenne warriors there who had witnessed Washita as well. Incredible to have this sort of connection to dark moments in history. If you haven't seen my Godfrey video yet, he was at Washita, the Little Bighorn, and then Wounded Knee. So he bridged three of the most well-known battles between Plains Indians and the U.S Army.

Here's the Godfrey bio link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mOx64lGHgcU.htmlsi=H1xRFNj3JG3Fan-r 🎉

They were too much gentlemen and didn't want the grieving mother to suffer even more, so they didn't tell her the right reason why they didn't try harder with the identification. It wasn't out of the fear of the Indians returning. They came to the battlefield some three days later - in a hot summer and the decomposition was already quite well started. To make matters worse, most of the bodies were mutilated beyond recognition even without the decomposition. But of course they weren't heartless enough to tell the mother that she herself probably wouldn't have recognized her son, had she been there with the burial detail. So they told her something about lack of time and need to move on - which they had, but not out of fear of Indians, but rather out of fear for the wounded who needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. The ground was hard, the smell repulsive and they had just few shovels and limited time - they did what they could and moved on. Her son was an officer - so, had he been recognizable, he would have gotten a stake with his name - unlike most of the enlisted mens. Alas, all that was recognizable from him and his possessions was his bloodied underware found in the abandoned Indian village.

@@Eltanin25 You are absolutely right! Thank you for taking the time to write such an insightful and informative comment!!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Oh thank you!! 🙌🙌🙌 Yes, I know of the actress Siobhan Fallon Hogan! She was on Saturday Night Live during my college years ;) I am always mispronouncing things 🤦‍♀️ thanks for being kind about it. If you only knew how many remakes I have to do putting these presentations together 🤣 My short story collection is called "You Know When the Men Are Gone" and my novel is " The Confusion of Languages." Good luck with your writing-- sounds like you have a great theme 💕

P.s. I'm finishing up a new presentation as I type... (glad you clicked the bell 😉)

Thank you 🙏

I must look that up. Thank you for the recommendation 🙏

@@SiobhanFallon7 Pack a handkerchief .

Yes, it's very brave of a mother to face such a battlefield. Thanks so much for your comments and for watching!

I agree. Fearless.

@@SiobhanFallon7 As a Father and Grandfather, I would have wanted to do the same.

@@Jay_Hall I don't know what I would do. If I could handle being where my child died. I'd like to think I would go and see it to learn what I could. Libbie Custer never went to the battlefield. And she was a tough cookie too 🤷🏼‍♀️

@@SiobhanFallon7 The Spirits are heavy there, maybe too much to bear for some, maybe many. :)

There is an account by the warrior Little Knife that says they took a soldier alive, tied him up, and later killed him. And of course many wonder if any were burned at the stake. Regarding the 20 men in Deep Ravine, personally I think we have not looked hard enough for them, and am hoping that future testing will reveal their remains.

Thank you so much. And I agree. The horror of that hasty mass burial must have stayed with them all forever.

What?? Oh how wonderful!!! 💕📚💕

I WANT THAT PHOTO 😉

@@SiobhanFallon7 I don’t know what antique photos go for?

@@user-fn2vv8kd8g old photos vary widely. I have a few randoms, including one of the eldest Sturgis sister, Nina, which I bought on ebay recently that was also an estate find. I have small mass produced pictures of Generals Grant, Sherman, Sheridan and a couple others. Are you able to email me at siobhan@siobhanfallon.com ?

I want that photo!

If it is a real photo I will pay 500.00

Darren, thanks so much! I am putting together a video now and was wondering about the sounds. Do you mean the background music or the other details? I can never decide myself what to add or cut. If I don't have music, I miss it, but if I do have music, I feel like I am shouting over it... Though I must keep the neighing horse, that sound effect always makes me smile. I appreciate your feedback!

I agree with you, Jay, especially your pointing out that dividing the command was a method used with much success in both the Civil War and the Indian Wars. As you know, her assessment does give us insight into the sort of blame that was being parceled out in the military community (who would know more of the ins and outs that say civilians in Boston reading a newspaper). We know her husband very vocally blamed Custer immediately after the fight. Her accusation is very tame in comparison (and perhaps tempered by time). And this accusation of Custer dividing the command was one also made by Reno and Benteen (and others). I like the Patton comparison. I really appreciate your watching and commenting! highest regards, Siobhan

Great points, Shirley! I touch on a little of that in other videos. Crook was accused of fishing and taking too long nursing his wounds (and not alerting Terry of his loss) and Terry was definitely late arriving. Two factors that many people forget when they talk about the Little Bighorn. Thank you for pointing this out!

Really? That is incredible!! I have an image of that final order right by my desk and look at it all the time. So many mysteries in a scrap of paper and a handful of words... I bet your tattoo is amazing.

Interesting point. Libbie speaks of a photograph being shown to the Washita captives in 1869...

You mean in a request for the ID of 7th cav officer? Very true!

@@SiobhanFallon7 The only other time I recall of a photograph being shown was to an allied Indian, Soldier, who was shown a photograph of Lt William Winer Cooke by Walter Mason camp and kissed it. I don't know how contemporary all of Cusyer's nicknames were, for instance, but I think the Indians after perhaps becoming more familiar with him after Little Bighorn began to largely refer to him as the Long Haired Chief (this was what I presume a Chief was to them, btw, in case we have any linguistic issues as to who or what is a chief). Some of them even make note that he had cut his hair short, which is an interesting piece of information for them to acquire if they did not recognize his body on the battlefield. I'm wondering whether or not they recognized different or would have seen pictures of them years afterward.

@@SiobhanFallon7 of whom?

" A pair of bloodied underdrawers found in the Indian village after the battle were tentatively identified as having belonged to the lieutenant. One of four severed heads found in the village suggested to some officers that 22-year-old Sturgis may have been captured, tortured and mutilated."

@mitchwood6609 yes. I agree with you there. A historian acquaintance just released some further info about Jack being ID-ed, I'll try to find and paste it here. Thanks, Mitch!

Ps, I'm a veteran and a former combat engineer. I know how to pick out ground and sight lines.

Oh my, ha ha! I know you can see the battlefield from Weir Point, but Reno Hill to Last Stand Hill is quite a distance. But I trust that you have experience here.

@@mellongfield9873 really interesting, Mel! Thank you for commenting!

Hey there and Happy New Year! If you want to take a look at a series that examines the history of the conflict between the 7th Cavalry and the Southern Cheyenne: ru-vid.com/group/PLHfg6vohewsz_5UUQNdUfwYvWa5jP_3Jn

The ground was hard etc. It was very hot that day.

Custer was going after the women and children plus elderly. Same as Washita. Like I said learn your history.

Don't have nothing to say huh. I'm not being smart its something I have to say.

I've read everything about custer so I know as much as I can. I'm not being smart.😅

Yes. I'll be going into that in one of my upcoming Benteen presentations. Poor Chief Joseph. He was admired by so many.

@@SiobhanFallon7 but one thing is for sure, sam sturgis did love motorcycles.

@@spacecatboy2962 🤣🤣🤣

Thanks for stopping in, Patrick! I'd appreciate if you could give me a couple examples of the 7th Cavalry behaving like a "bunch of butchering monsters"? I am confident I can refute that accusation.

Battle of the Washita; Women and children killed. Horses slaughtered. Battle of Wounded Knee; Women and children killed. Battle of the Little Bighorn; Reno opens fire on Women and children. If the shoe fits........

@@nigelsmith2457 Hey there, Nigel. So good of you to leave a comment and allow me to pick up where the above gentleman left off. The Cheyenne women prisoners taken at the Washita stated the Washita death toll was 13 Cheyenne men, 1 Arapaho, with a total of between 29 to 38 people. George Bent, who was half Cheyenne and married to Black Kettle’s niece, had lived in Black Kettle’s village, and actually participated in the very raids along the Saline and Salomon Rivers with the Cheyenne warriors and Dog Men that prompted the U.S Army Washita campaign, consistently claimed the losses were 11 Cheyenne men, 12 women, and 6 children. In regards to deliberate slaughter, Custer himself ordered the Osage scouts to stop killing women and children, and the ONLY accusation of 7th CAV deliberately killing women and children was a redacted statement made by Ben Clark to a newspaper. Ben Clark, who was the interpreter that day, who ended up marrying not one Cheyenne woman but three in the course of his lifetime, living among the Cheyenne and raising their children there at the Darlington Agency, Ben Clark who was so devasted by the death of his third Cheyenne wife that he committed suicide. This Ben Clark said that the journalist got his quote wrong and that the 7th Cav never deliberately shot women and children but it was the work of the Osage scouts, traditional enemies of the Cheyenne, who also scalped Black Kettle. In terms of scale of “slaughter”-From August 10th to Nov 27th 1868, it is estimated that the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho had been involved in 78 specific acts of aggression, resulting in the deaths of 131 civilians, the rape 15 women, capture of several children. Raiders burned 12 farms, two stage buildings, a range, three wagon trains, captured 735 horses and mules and 931 head of cattle. These violent act instigated the US military retaliatory action that led to the Washita fight. And it was a severe tragedy to both the Cheyenne and the US that Custer followed a raiding party's trail into the village of Black Kettle on that fateful morning, as Black Kettle (and his camp) was the best advocate for peace at that time and did not deserve to die. Regarding the Little Bighorn, Crow scouts were the first to attack and are thought to have gotten the closest to the village, and also to have been the perpetrators who killed Gall's wife and children. And please remember there were 250 plus US soldiers killed, no wounded left alive, though Cheyenne and Sioux witnesses talk of soldiers who were wounded and asked for mercy and were not spared, some scalped while alive, one taken prisoner, tied up, and killed later that night. Whereas the Lakota and Cheyenne losses at the LBH were about 40 warriors over the course of two days of heavy fighting. So perhaps you could rethink your accusations of slaughter? Wounded Knee is outside the purview here, and all of those who supposedly “deserved” their deaths in 1876 had, well, already died at LBH in 1876. Please let me know if you need me to cite any of the above statements and tallies and I can give you Author, Book title, and page number upon request. Thanks again for stopping by.

@@SiobhanFallon7 hi Siobhan, and thanks for the reply. Thanks also for the content you provide, I've picked up quite a few things that I didn't previously know. Firstly, I don't go with blaming these deaths on the Indian scouts. The native Indian regardless of tribe, was known to value both women and children. It's why they captured them and tried to integrate them within their own societies. Nowhere is there any evidence that they indiscriminately killed women and children. Secondly, you cannot justify the actions of the 7th cavalry by comparison to the native Indian. Wrong is wrong. Finally, I don't believe that innocent parties should be forced into war. If people want to fight, let them find a field out of the way and settle their issues there. Leave the rest of us alone. We didn't cause wars and we're not interested in participating.

@@nigelsmith2457 Nigel, your reply is appreciated too. I absolutely agree that wrong is wrong, regardless of who commits it. I did not call either side "butchering monsters" who deserved the tragedy that occured or initially list conflicts that attempted to make this a wholly one-sided equation. And I believe both whites as well as Native Americans value women and children. I point out the list of depredations in response to your list to show that no race is blameless. To illustrate an example of inter-tribal warfare you might want to take a quick look at the Massacre Canyon fight to see that noncombatants often fell during Plains tribes conflicts just as they unfortunately did throughout the bloody history of our violent human kind. Thanks for having a civil and thoughtful conversation here, Nigel. I'm grateful to hear your point of view.

Thank you so much! I'm wrapping up a new one now so please stay tuned! 🙏💕