The Last Days of George Armstrong Custer (46 page)

The issues that have become a matter of contention—such as disobedience of orders and separation of command—have been covered in depth with sources in subsequent chapters.

To provide the most pertinent and accessible sources for comparison with this version, however, the following works are listed for additional reading. It must be noted that every biography has its own interpretation of the battle.

There is no lack of material about this famous battle for the serious researcher or casual reader. In fact, this bibliography is one of the most voluminous in American history. A number of books, however, rise to the top of the list.

Perhaps the best single volume, although it may be somewhat studious for the beginner, is Gray's
Centennial Campaign
. Gray's well-researched study utilizes time lines, detailed documentation, and careful reasoning and analysis to reconstruct the battle. Gray then expanded on his earlier work in
Custer's Last Campaign:
Mitch Boyer and the Little Bighorn Reconstructed
.

Another notable book—a personal favorite for its informative yet entertaining readability—that will satisfy both the researcher and casual reader is
Custer's Luck,
by Stewart.

One book that has been exhaustively researched and presented in a highly satisfying manner is
A Terrible Glory,
by Donovan. This book will be a welcome addition to the library of the casual reader or the serious researcher. Also, a vivid portrayal comes from Philbrick's
Last Stand
.

A must-have volume for students at any level is
The Custer Myth,
edited by Graham. This work offers eyewitness testimony from both white and Indian participants, letters, reports, and other fascinating miscellany, including a comprehensive bibliography, albeit outdated. In the same category is
The Custer Reader,
edited by Hutton.

Another invaluable source of testimony is
Custer in '76,
edited by Kenneth Hammer, and to a lesser extent
Camp on Custer,
edited by Liddic and Harbaugh.

Other reminiscences of note from soldiers can be found in
Troopers with Custer,
by Brininstool;
Diaries of the Little Big Horn,
by Koury;
I Fought with Custer: The Story of Sergeant Windolph,
edited by Frazier and Robert Hunt; and
I Buried Custer,
edited by Liddic. An interesting memoir written by Richard A. Roberts, who was Captain George Yates' brother-in-law, is
Custer's Last Battle
.

For accounts by Indian eyewitnesses, as well as the Indian side of the story, see:
Custer's Fall,
by David Humphreys Miller;
Soldiers Falling into Camp,
by Kammen, Lefthand, and Marshall;
Warpath,
by Vestal;
Barry's Indian Notes on the Custer Battle;
and
Killing Custer: The Battle of the Little Bighorn and the Fate of the Plains Indians,
by Welch.

The official documents can be found in
General Custer and the Battle of the Little Big Horn: The Federal View,
edited by Carroll, and
The Little Big Horn, 1876: The Official Communications, Documents, and Reports, with Rosters of the Officers and Troops of the Campaign,
by Overfield.

An examination of the day-by-day activities leading up to the battle is the subject of
Little Big Horn Diary: Chronicle of the 1876 Indian War,
by Willert and Van Ess.

An analysis of the legends created by the battle—although most have been debated in every volume about the battle—is best told in
Custer's Last Stand: The Anatomy of an American Myth,
by Dippie;
Custer and the Great Controversy: The Origin and Development of a Legend,
by Utley; and
Custer and the Epic of Defeat,
by Rosenberg.

Other worthwhile sources about the battle not listed elsewhere can be found in the bibliography.

The best sources for confirmation about what weapons were carried that day by the Sioux and the Cheyenne can be found in
Archaeology, History, and Custer's Last Battle,
by Fox. See also:
Archaeological Insights into the Custer Battle,
by Fox and Scott, and
Archaeological Perspectives on the Battle of the Little Bighorn
by Conner, Fox, Harmon, and Scott.

For more about scout George Herendeen, see: “George Herendeen, Montana Scout,” by Johnson. His accounts of the battle, which were originally published in the
New York Herald
on July 8, 1876, and January 22, 1878, have been reprinted in
The Custer Myth,
edited by Graham. See also “Interview with George Herendeen” in
Custer in '76,
edited by Hammer.

Jackson's biography is
William Jackson, Indian Scout,
by Schultz. His account of the famous battle can be found in
Battles and Skirmishes of the Great Sioux War, 1876–77: The Military View,
edited by Greene.

Girard is the subject of “Interview with Frederic F. Gerard, January 22 and April 3, 1909,” in
Custer in '76,
edited by Hammer; “F. F. Girard, Scout and Interpreter,” by Lounsberry; and “F. F. Gerard's Story of the Custer Fight” in
The Custer Myth,
edited by Graham. Girard's criticism of Major Reno at Little Bighorn can be found in the February 22, 1879, edition of
The Bismarck Tribune,
and his quote accusing Reno of drinking can be found in Hammer's
Custer in '76,
232.

Ryan's quote about Reno's indecisiveness is on page 293 of Barnard's
Ten Years with Custer
.

More about Isaiah Dorman can be found in: “Isaiah Dorman and the Custer Expedition,” by McConnell; “Custer's Negro Interpreter,” by Ege; Ege's “Braves of All Colors: The Story of Isaiah Dorman Killed at the Little Big Horn”;
Custer's Black White Man,
by Boyes; and
Troopers with Custer,
by Brininstool. The quote by Sioux chief Runs-the-Enemy can be found in
The Vanishing Race,
by Dixon.

Material about Donald McIntosh can be found in “Donald McIntosh: First Lieutenant, 7th U.S. Cavalry,” by Lyon. McIntosh is also the subject of numerous references in
The Custer Myth,
edited by Graham.

Biographical material about Hodgson can be found in “In Memoriam. Lieutenant Benjamin H. Hodgson,” by Remak and “Who Buried Lieutenant Hodgson?” by Tuttle. The quote about Hodgson's death is in
Of Garry Owen in Glory,
by Chandler. A more flowery version was written by Captain Charles King in his “Custer's Last Battle,” which was reprinted in
The Custer Reader,
edited by Hutton.

For Dr. DeWolf: “The Diary and Letters of Dr. James M. DeWolf, Acting Assistant Surgeon, U.S. Army; His Record of the Sioux Expedition of 1876 as Kept Until His Death,” by Luce. A notebook belonging to DeWolf was stolen while on display in the museum at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and has never been recovered.

A biography of Dr. Porter is Walker's
Dr. Henry Porter: The Surgeon Who Survived Little Bighorn.
His quote to Reno and Reno's answer on the hilltop about the men being demoralized can be found in Graham's
Reno Court of Inquiry,
63.

Chapter Twelve

Battle Ridge

In 1908, Kanipe accompanied historian Walter Camp on a tour of the battlefield, which resulted in “Daniel A. Kanipe's Account of Custer Fight Given to Me on June 16 and 17, 1908,” in
Custer in '76,
edited by Hammer. Letters written by Kanipe to Camp are in the Walter M. Camp collection, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University. See also: “A New Story of Custer's Last Stand, by the Messenger Boy Who Survived,” by Aiken, and “The Story of Sergeant Kanipe, One of Custer's Messengers,” by Kanipe, is in
The Custer Myth,
edited by Graham.

“Interviews with John Martin, October 24, 1908 and May 10, 1910,” can be found in
Custer in '76,
edited by Hammer; “John A. Martin—Custer's Last Courier,” by Ross; “Custer's Battle Plan,” by Graham; a letter from Martin to D. R. Barry, dated April 7, 1907, can be found in the collection at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument; numerous references to Martin, including his own story, are in
The Custer Myth,
edited by Graham.

Another version of the Benteen duel with the young warrior is recounted in Hoig's
Battle of the Washita
.

Although there are several sources for the attitude, reaction, and behavior of soldiers under fire listed in the bibliography, this version can be attributed to the author, based on his experiences and observations as a United States Marine Corps Vietnam veteran.

Custer's quote about praying before each battle is on page 95 of Merington's
Custer Story
. Libbie's quote about the two of them dying together is also in Merington's
Custer Story,
144.

Chapter Thirteen

The Siege of the Hilltop

Reno's plea to Benteen “For God's sake…” can be found in Lonich, “Blacksmith Henry Mechling,” 31.

References with respect to Weir's gallant actions at the Little Bighorn are contained in
The Custer Myth,
edited by Graham. See also “Tribute to Colonel Weir,”
The Bismarck Tribune,
January 3, 1877, and “Death of Tom Weir” in the
Army and Navy Journal,
December 27, 1876.

For more about Charles DeRudio, see:
Charles C. DeRudio,
by Mills; “Interview with Charles DeRudio, February 2, 1910,” in
Custer in '76,
by Hammer; “Carlo di Rudio, 1st Lt. 7th U.S. Cavalry,” by Stone; and “Charles DeRudio: European Assassin,” by Shoenberger. According to DeRudio, the following article attributed to him was actually written by Major James S. Brisbin: “My Personal Story,”
New York Herald,
July 30, 1876, and reprinted in the
Chicago Times,
August 2, 1876.

An autobiography of Frank Grouard, which was written with the assistance of newspaperman Joe DeBarthe in 1894, does not mention Grouard's involvement in the death of Crazy Horse and occasionally suffers from historical inaccuracies but nonetheless offers a fascinating insight into the life and exploits of this colorful character:
The Life and Adventures of Frank Grouard
by Joe DeBarthe, edited by Stewart. Grouard's early life can be found in “Frank Grouard: Kanaka Scout or Mulatto Renegade?” by Gray. His association with Crazy Horse is contained in his own “An Indian Scout's Recollections of Crazy Horse” and the less flattering
Crazy Horse,
by Sandoz.

Eyewitness testimony with respect to Reno's actions on the hilltop can be found in
Reno Court of Inquiry: The Chicago Times Account,
by Utley; and
Reno Court of Inquiry,
edited by Nichols. Reno's admission of being drunk is in
Indian Fights and Fighters,
by Cyrus Townsend Brady. Reno's suggestion to abandon the hilltop is discussed at length in
I Fought with Custer,
by Frazier and Robert Hunt. Reno also told the
Northwestern Christian Advocate
in 1904 that “his strange actions” during and after the battle were “due to drink.”

Chapter Fourteen

Bodies on the Field

James Bradley, the man who found the bodies of Custer's battalion, was killed while commanding a mounted detachment at the August 9, 1877, Battle of Big Hole during the Nez Percé Campaign. Bradley was a prolific writer, however, who maintained journals of various military operations in which he participated. His most famous work is an account of Gibbon's Montana Column in 1876, which has been published as
The March of the Montana Column,
edited by Stewart. Other narratives by Bradley have appeared over the years in issues of
Contributions to the Historical Society of Montana
.

The quotes of the Seventh Cavalry officers upon viewing the dead bodies on the field can be found in a letter from Lieutenant Edward S. Godfrey to John Neihardt, January 6, 1924, Francis R. Hagner Collection. See also: Godfrey's article “Custer's Last Stand,” first published in
Century Magazine
43 (January 1892) and reprinted in
The Custer Reader,
edited by Hutton; and “After the Custer Battle,” by Partoll. Other testimony and quotes can be found in
The Custer Myth,
edited by Graham.

The controversy over Rain-in-the-Face's assertion that he cut out and ate Tom Custer's heart can be found in
Custer and the Great Controversy,
by Utley.

The statements by Kate Bighead and Wooden Leg have been attributed to Thomas Marquis. The careful researcher should be warned that Marquis occasionally had trouble separating truth from fable in his
Custer Soldiers Not Buried, She Watched Custer's Last Battle, Two Days After the Battle,
and other publications.

For more about William Van Wyck Reily, see “Profile: Lieutenant William Van Wyck Reily, 7th Cavalry,” by Pohanka. A ring that Reily wore when he was killed is on display at the Smithsonian Institution.

Biographical material on John J. Crittenden can be found in
The Crittenden Memoirs,
by Crittenden, and “Lt. Crittenden: Striving for the Soldier's Life,” by Cecil.

For Dr. Lord, see “Dr. George E. Lord, Regimental Surgeon,” by Vaughn and “Custer's Surgeon, George Lord, Among the Missing at Little Bighorn Battle,” by Noyes.

David Humphreys Miller, who consulted dozens of Indian participants for his
Custer's Fall: The Indian Side of the Story
, lists the names of only twelve Cheyenne and twenty Lakota Sioux who were said to have been killed. And one of those, Cheyenne chief Lame White Man, was shot and scalped by a Sioux who mistook him for an Arikara or Crow, perhaps because he was wearing a captured cavalry uniform. In addition to the preceding source, an excellent commentary with plentiful references can be found in
Custer's Luck,
by Stewart. Also see
Hokahey! A Good Day to Die!: The Indian Casualties of the Custer Fight,
by Hardorff.