Hardin, Montana.

About 20 minutes south of Hardin Montana, the Little Bighorn National Monument memorializes one of the American Indian’s last armed efforts to preserve their lifestyle. The battlefield preserves the site of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which was fought on June 25–26, 1876. A significant victory for the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, the combined forces defeated a cavalry of over 200 US soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer.

On Last Stand Hill, General Custer and the remaining members of the Seventh Cavalry out of North Dakota died in the battle. The battlefield, however, was much larger than the Last Stand Hill implies. The battle lines were located on a rolling plain along the Little Bighorn River. The area is dotted with bluffs, ridges, and ravines, which provided cover for the Native American warriors during the battle.

When I was in school, some decades ago, we learned of “Custer’s Last Stand” but I have no recollection of the other units under Custer’s command. On our visit, I learned much more about Captains Reno and Benteen and their respective battles against enormous numbers of Native Americans. Here is a short synopsis gleaned from the “Story of the Battle” page on the national monument’s website.

The Lakota and Cheyenne village was located in a broad valley along the Little Bighorn River in the background of the image above. Major Reno, under orders from Custer, crossed the river two miles south of the village and began moving downriver toward its southern end. The warriors were initially surprised, but they quickly rallied to defend their village. Reno halted his troops, dismounted them, and formed them into a skirmish line. The soldiers began firing at the warriors, who were now advancing on them from the village.

This is where the other two parts of Custer’s command were defeated. The monument above is located about 4.5 miles (7 km) from the Last Stand Hill. You can drive to the battlefield on the tour road, or you can take a short hike. The battlefield is a beautiful place, and it is well worth the trip. When we were there a few decades ago, I don’t remember that we had access to this area. It does cross private lands so discretion about crossing private property is important. Please follow the directive signage and stay on marked trails.

Mounted warriors pressed their attack against Reno’s skirmish line and soon endangered his left flank. Reno’s demoralized command retreated back across the Little Bighorn River and up steep bluffs to regroup on high ground east of the valley. Captain Benteen, who had been sent to find Indians to the south, returned empty-handed. He arrived on the bluffs just in time to meet Reno’s men.

Earlier, a messenger from Custer’s Cavalry had delivered a message to Benteen that said, “Come on. Big Village. Be Quick. Bring Packs. P.S. Bring Packs.” After hearing heavy gunfire downstream, Benteen led D Company north in an attempt to find Custer. The rest of the story is well-known. Rescue for the 200 men at Last Stand Hill did not happen.

In the years since we first visited the monument, many things have changed. Today, markers also identify Native Americans who lost their lives in the battle as well. The two markers in the image above honor Limber Bones (left) and Closed Hand with their Cheyenne names and the simple message, “A Cheyenne warrior fell here on June 25, 1876 while defending the Cheyenne way of life.”

A multi-walled memorial is now a short walk from Last Stand Hill, built to honor all of the tribes who fought there. Dedicated on June 25, 2003, to commemorate the sacrifice of the Arikara, Apsaalooke (Crow), Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Oyate (Lakota Sioux) tribes in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

The memorial is a circular wall made of red granite, with a bronze sculpture of three warriors riding to battle in the center. The sculpture was created by artist John R. Collins. The wall has openings to the four cardinal directions, symbolizing the four directions of the Lakota spiritual world.

The granite sections of the wall are laser engraved granite that tells the stories of the people and tribes in photos and text. The memorial is a powerful reminder of the Native American perspective on the Battle of the Little Bighorn. It is a place of peace and reflection, and it is a fitting tribute to the warriors who fought and died for their way of life.

Start your visit a short walk from the parking area. The Visitor Center is a great place to start your journey through the history of the battle and the people involved. There is a museum, a bookstore, and a theater that shows a film about the battle.

Just behind the Visitor Center, the Custer National Cemetery was established in 1886. In 1978, it was closed to further interments with the exception of about 100 available spaces reserved for veterans and spouses who are still living. When completely full, there will be about 5,000 plots. I learned that the cremains of veterans are accepted, but may only be scattered in the cemetery without markers.

You can read more about the national monument on the National Park Service website here. Entrance passes range from $15-25 USD as of this writing, and America the Beautiful passes are accepted. In 2023, there are five free admission days in the year. By the date of publication of this post, there are two remaining free days, September 23, National Public Lands Day, and November 11, Veterans Day.

Our visit was educational and we were there for a little over two hours. For those who really wish to delve into the history of the battle, expect to spend at least a half-day. The photos in this post, along with several others, can be viewed in 2K HD on my Flickr site in the album here.

Coincidentally, Marsha of Always Write features a story this week about the culture clash of our westward expansion. You can read that story here.

John Steiner