IMHO a solely "military history" is needed of LBH. I have heard of published military staff rides on other battles.... the Ft. Leavenworth Staff College website. They have a list of papers (essentially master's thesis) on a wide variety of military subjects... to see if there are any papers on LBH.
Alan,
They have done several staff rides to the LBH, but I do not know if they have written them up or developed any dissertations from the experiences. I find, however, the teachers/professors at these military institutions quite lacking in any serious knowledge of the LBH and I doubt there are any LBH scholars-- such as that may be interpreted-- at Leavenworth or anywhere else the military teaches.
Quite frankly, I find even people like Paul Hutton and Robert Utley lacking when it comes to the LBH, and if I am correct in that harsh judgment, it is understandable when you consider the gamut of American history they need to cover.
Of course, I cannot compete with the credentials of any of these people, but that does not mean I am seriously lacking in knowledge. I have been referred to as an "avocational historian" and an "independent historian," all very kind euphemisms for "amateur," a status I am quite comfortable with.
Furthermore, I agree with you regarding a "military history" of the LBH and that is what I have tried to do with my forthcoming work, though rather than "history," I label it an "analysis." I also call it a timing analysis, for without that, the rest is just opinionated guesswork... at least in my opinion.
I will also let the tail of the cat out of the bag and post a tentative table of contents, all of which is subject to change, of course; but it might be interesting to me-- and helpful, given the much greater number and wider range of thinkers on this board as opposed to the other. Helpful comments and criticisms are welcomed:
Chapters—
1. Drums Along the Rosebud… 1
• Custer’s orders.
• June 22-June 24.
• Indian trail.
• Failure to read signs.
• Tullock’s Creek.
• Custer’s four-hour halt.
• Indian location: lower LBH.
• Discovery or not.
2. The Busby Bend… 18
• FIGURE A-1.
• A slow trek up the Rosebud.
• Time studies.
• Custer’s conference at Busby.
3. Davis Creek and the Divide… 34
• FIGURES B-2, C-3, D-4, and E-5.
• Leaving Busby.
• The packs en route to Halt 1.
• Length of column to Halt 1.
• Arrival at Halt One.
• Varnum at the Crow’s Nest.
• Varnum’s 5:00 AM note.
• Red Star back at Halt One.
• Custer moves to the Crow’s Nest.
• Halt Two.
• Officers’ call.
• A second viewing.
• At the divide.
4. The Flip Side of the Coin… 67
• Fred Gerard.
• The scolding of Tom Custer.
• Halt One to the Crow’s Nest: the Gerard and Herendeen versions.
5. Plan A: Tullock’s Creek… 75
• Custer’s orders.
• Ball’s reconnaissance.
• Tactical implications.
6. Crossing the Divide… 85
• FIGURE F-6.
• Noon.
• Battalion breakdown beyond the divide.
• Benteen’s orders.
7. Benteen’s Left Oblique… 95
• FIGURE G-7.
• Benteen’s order.
• Route of march.
• Returning to the main trail.
• No-Name Creek.
8. A Change of Plans… 101
• FIGURES F-6, G-7, H-8, I-9, and Y-25.
• Custer/Reno down Reno Creek.
• Stragglers.
• The lone tepee.
• Gerard’s Knoll.
• Reno’s orders.
• Reno’s crossing at Ford A.
• Gerard’s news changes Custer’s plans.
• Reno’s advance scouts.
• Custer’s first fatal mistake.
• Phantoms of the LBH: Indians on the bluffs?
9. The Little Big Horn Valley… 140
• FIGURES H-8 and J-10.
• Ford A.
• Moving down the valley.
• The ravine.
• Dismounting.
• Troops in the village.
• Horses to the timber.
• The skirmish line.
• Withdrawal to the timber.
• Defensibility of timber.
10. 3,411 and Retreat… 205
• FIGURES I-9, J-10, K-11, N-14, and O-15.
• Custer’s watering place.
• Custer’s route along the bluffs.
• Martini’s observation about children and dogs.
• DeRudio sees Custer on the bluffs.
• Martini and note.
• Weir Peaks and Sharpshooters’ Ridge.
• Cedar Coulee
• Custer’s arrival at Ford B.
11. A List of Messengers… 232
• FIGURE N-14.
• Kanipe and Martini.
• The Note.
12. Into the Tunnel… 239
• FIGURES I-9, K-11, M-13, and N-14.
• Down Cedar Coulee.
• Indians on the right bank.
• Volley firing.
• Sharpshooters’ Ridge versus Luce/Nye-Cartwright.
• Boston Custer.
13. Ford B: Attack or Reconnaissance… 253
• FIGURES R-18 and W-23.
• Reasons.
14. Scouts… 268
• FIGURES I-9, K-11, N-14, and Y-25.
• Rees.
• Crows.
• Curley/Black Fox.
• Horse stealing.
15. “Benteen Is Coming!”… 283
• FIGURES G-7, L-12, N-14, O-15, P-16, Q-17, T-20, U-21, and W-23.
• The morass to Reno Hill.
• Benteen’s arrival.
• Volley firing.
• Hare is sent for ammo mules.
• Pack train along Reno Creek.
• Meeting Rees: Billy Cross, Black Fox.
• Weir departs for downstream.
16. Custer Moves North… 299
• FIGURES S-19, T-20, and W-23.
• Custer/Yates—via Deep Coulee—and Keogh move to Calhoun Hill.
• Volley firing.
• Gerard’s time estimates of downstream firing.
• The myth of Custer’s death at Ford B; Algernon Smith?
• Death of TMP Dose.
• Indian movements.
• Custer moves beyond Calhoun Hill.
• Indian infiltration.
• Resistance before Ford D.
• Custer at Ford D.
• Death of Mark Kellogg.
17. Hell In a Very Small Place… 315
• FIGURES U-21, V-22, and W-23.
• Keogh’s dispositions.
• Indian infiltration up Calhoun Coulee.
• Wolf Tooth/Big Foot positioning.
• C Company’s charge into Calhoun Coulee.
• Indian verification.
• The rout of C Company.
• Harrington’s death.
• Tom Weir reaches Weir Peaks.
• Crazy Horse’s arrival.
• L Company on Calhoun Hill.
• Markers in Calhoun Coulee, Finley-Finckle Ridge, Calhoun Hill, and the Keogh Sector.
• Timing of the end in the Keogh Sector.
18. The Graveyard Watch… 342
• FIGURES U-21, V-22, and W-23.
• Custer moves away from Ford D.
• Indians crossing Deep Ravine ford.
• Arrival on Cemetery Ridge to await Benteen/Keogh.
• Custer sends Yates into “the basin.”
• Pressure on Cemetery Ridge.
• Dust and confusion.
• Moving to Last Stand Hill: reuniting.
• The end in Deep Ravine.
19. Too Late—Reno Follows… 354
• FIGURES K-11 and X-24.
• Weir moves north.
• Edgerly and D Company follow.
• Varnum heads down the bluffs to bury Hodgson.
• The packs arrive.
• McDougall’s platoons.
• The general move north.
• Dispositions atop the Weir complex.
• Indians take note and move south.
• Benteen’s retreat.
• Edgerly and Harrison.
• Vincent Charley.
• Godfrey’s skirmish line.
• Reno Hill defense perimeter.
20. Designed to Win, Doomed to Fail… 369
• Custer’s tactics.
• Inconsistent accounts.
Appendices—
Appendix A… Place Names and Distances… 381
Appendix B… Vegetation at the Little Big Horn… 396
Appendix C… Marker Placement and Artifact Analysis… 398
Appendix D… Indian Recollections of the Time the Battle Began… 433
Time/Distance/Speed Figures—
1. (A-1) June 24: To the Busby Camp and Varnum’s Departure; 5:00 AM-9:20 PM.
2. (B-2) June 24-25: Busby Camp to Halt One; Sunset, 8:50 PM, to Sunrise, 5:10 AM.
3. (C-3) June 25: Halt One to Custer’s arrival at the Crow’s Nest; 3:41 AM-8:35 AM.
4. (D-4) The Curtiss Incident; 8:15 AM-10:00 AM.
5. (E-5) Officers’ Call—Crow’s Nest to the Divide; 8:35 AM-11:45 AM.
6. (F-6) Divide Crossing to the Flats; 11:45 AM-1:05 PM.
7. (G-7) Benteen’s Scout; 12:10 PM-1:50 PM.
8. (H-8) Custer/Reno Separation to Reno’s Dismount; 1:05 PM-1:36 PM.
9. (I-9) From Separation to 3,411; 1:05 PM-1:56 PM.
10. (J-10) The Valley Fight—Dismount to Retreat; 1:35 PM-2:23 PM.
11. (K-11) Scouts; 11:30 AM-4:35 PM.
12. (L-12) Reno’s Retreat to Benteen’s Arrival; 2:11 PM-3:05 PM.
13. (M-13) Boston Custer; 12:04 PM-2:42 PM.
14. (N-14) Messengers; 12:13 PM-2:41 PM.
15. (O-15) Benteen: Reno Creek to Reno Hill; 1:50 PM-3:05 PM.
16. (P-16) The Pack Train; 10:40 AM-4:17 PM.
17. (Q-17) Benteen’s Arrival to the Arrival of the Packs; 2:57 PM-4:17 PM.
18. (R-18) The Approach to 3,411 and Ford B; 1:38 PM-3:07 PM.
19. (S-19) Ford B to Calhoun Hill; 2:49 PM-3:44 PM.
20. (T-20) Calhoun Hill Deployment; 3:14 PM-3:37 PM.
21. (U-21) Keogh to Custer on Cemetery Ridge; 3:27 PM-3:58 PM.
22. (V-22) Cemetery Ridge to the End; 3:54 PM-4:40 PM.
23. (W-23) Warriors; 1:02 PM-5:14 PM.
24. (X-24) Weir Peaks and Return; 3:10 PM-5:30 PM.
25. (Y-25) Stragglers; 12:42 PM-4:30 PM.
Charts—
1. CHART 1—Crossing the Divide: Battalion Organization… [page tentative]
2. CHART 2—Variable Cueing: Column Length… [page tentative]
3. CHART 3—Reno in the Valley (1)—After Crossing the LBH River… [page tentative]
4. CHART 4—Reno in the Valley (2)—Participants’ Locations… [page tentative]
5. CHART 5—Reno in the Valley (3)—Moving Into Line… [page tentative]
6. CHART 6—Reno in the Valley (4)—Battalion on Line… [page tentative]
7. CHART 7—Reno’s Skirmish Line: Initial Deployment… [page tentative]
8. CHART 8—Reno’s Skirmish Line: M and A Companies’ Break… [page tentative]
9. CHART 9—Reno’s Skirmish Line: Final Position… [page tentative]
10. CHART 10—Variable Cueing: Packs Along Reno Creek… [page tentative]
• Turn-off to Reno Hill.
• Lone tepee.
• McDougall catches up.
• Morass.
11. CHART 11—Custer’s Move to Ford D… [page tentative]
12. CHART 12—Keogh’s Deployment on Battle Ridge… [page tentative]
13. CHART 13—Company C Charge and Retreat… [page tentative]
14. CHART 14—Custer/Yates Deployment: Cemetery Ridge, the Basin, Last Stand Hill… [page tentative]
15. CHART 15—Final Body Placement, Custer Field… [page tentative]
16. CHART 16—Reno Hill Defense Perimeter, June 25… [page tentative]
Maps—
1. Reno Creek: No-Name Creek Environs… [page tentative]
• No-Name Creek
• Morass
• South Fork
• “Eastern” or spurious lone tepee
2. Reno Creek: The Flats… [page tentative]
• “Gerard’s Knoll”
• Lone tepee
• “Middle Knoll”
• Reno’s route
• Custer’s route
• “Cooke’s Knoll”
• Ford A
• Cooke-Custer meeting point
• North Fork watering point
• Reno’s assembly area
• Custer sighting from the valley
3. Reno in the Valley… [page tentative]
• River course
• Reno’s route
• Dismount and pivot
• Skirmish line advance
• Pullback to timber
• East bank satellite village
4. 3,411… [page tentative]
• Cedar Coulee
• Sharpshooters’ Ridge
• Weir Point
• Kanipe drop-off
• Martini message
5. Custer’s Route to Calhoun Hill… [page tentative]
• Luce/Nye-Cartwright
• Route to Ford B
• Route from Ford B to Calhoun Hill
6. Benteen Along Reno Creek… [page tentative]
• Meeting Kanipe
• Meeting Martini
• Route to the LBH
• Crow scout and turn to Reno Hill
7. Custer’s Route to Last Stand Hill… [page tentative]
• Ford D
• Route to Cemetery Ridge
And that is most of it except for the photos., bibliography, index....
Specific actions are discussed, obviously, and alternatives for each event are provided throughout the text. The final summary or "analysis" is done in the last chapter.
Best wishes,
Fred.