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Post by conz on Dec 7, 2007 14:56:44 GMT -6
This is the key issue to resolve on this "event." Its possible, but keep something in mind. If perchance, Keogh's company is attacked down in the swale at the same time that C Co. is routed by LWM's charge, then the panicked troopers fleeing the carnage would of necessity have stopped upon reaching Calhoun Hill and not continued on up and over into the bloody maelstom swirling about Keogh's swale. I don't see the evidence showing that they didn't stop with Calhoun. But remember it looks as if Calhoun moved off Calhoun hill towards Keogh by the markers. C Co guys who galloped up the hill to Calhoun would be with them...into Keogh's sector, and the guys who remained mounted probably made it back to Custer Hill even. Remember that Natives specifically state that they deliberately intervened to keep Keogh and Calhoun apart. So I see the event phases like this: Phase I: Crazy Horse gallops up Deep Ravine due east over crest of Battle Ridge while LWM runs dismounted up Calhoun Coulee behind GGR...Warriors all along GGR rise and swamp C Co. just arriving there. C Co heads back up towards Calhoun Hill (can't go back the way they came) and Keogh gets crashed into by CH. Co L is not yet closely engaged, but they are pulling in the ends of their skirmish line for all-around defense at this point. Phase II: C Co survivors join with Co L but now the Natives, right on their tails, are getting too close and as L Co fire slackens to the front (south) Gall's people rush up closer. They see Keogh in trouble down the hill too, as well as the Natives deliberately between them. About this time they also probably see Custer on Custer Hill, and Custer may be signalling them (Native witnesses suggest such). Keogh is in heavy hand-to-hand combat with mounted and dismounted natives...several small groups trying to coalesce into a larger, more defensible, group around Keogh. Phase III: Calhoun orders his group to join with Keogh. Both groups are trying to get back to Custer Hill. Neither makes it as it all becomes hand-to-hand combat in the dust, carbines are thrown away, revolvers go empty, and they don't have anything left but bowie knives. Have you figured out how long this convoluted route would take? It would only make sense if your I Co platoon is on Battle Ridge blocking the direct route for Crazy Horse to go east...otherwise there is absolutely no reason for CH to go to the north side of Custer Hill...that is a VERY much longer way around. In the meantime, LWM is charging on foot up to Calhoun Hill behind Co L? And they did this under the guns of the I Co platoon on Battle Ridge? Hmmmm..... 1/3rd mile is not very far for massed carbine fire, I think...500 yards is rather the norm, and desirable, range to force an enemy force "to ground" by concentrated fire. Not much moves near carbine lines at 500 yards away or closer. Even fire at 800 or 1,000 yards can be militarily effective to prevent enemy formations from moving easily in the open. Hard to see how I Co was caught as they were, out of any position, if half of them had a good fighting position on Battle Ridge (facing either way <g>) and the other half was mounted, so could quickly move anywhere. This is a possible model that works, I think. But it is rather more convoluted than the simpler one that has CH just charging east over the ridge. I'm not sure C Co would cause much confusion in the I Co ranks. In your model somehow Keogh misses CH moving all the way around Custer Hill and across open ground in his sight due north of his swale, and into the hills to his east. That is a long...perhaps 20-30 min. easily, of a large group of horsemen moving within his sight. Much different from the 3 min it took CH to charge up and over battle ridge against a force with no formation facing them. And yet you have Keogh's men surprised by CH's 30-minute march all the way north around CH and over to his east before charing and surprising him from that direction? <g> I personally think that Keogh's men were dismounted in reserve...rests horses and presents smaller targets to "overflying" bullets from Henryville against Calhoun. If Keogh's men were mounted, I don't think there is any way they would have been killed together in that swale...they would all be found either with L Co, F Co, or both, with very few bodies in the swale at all. That is the nature of mounted combat...the men move to fast to have time to be killed together. I think it highly probably that Keogh's men got some warning of what was coming...probably from Keogh himself, whom I'm sure saw the whole thing of LWM's and CH's charges. They just couldn't get orders, mounted, and moved to a good place before they got hit. In all the noise, they probably initially stood around wondering what CPT Keogh was all excited about! CH probably hit I Co about the same time that Keogh did... Clair
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Post by conz on Dec 12, 2007 14:40:21 GMT -6
Here are some Native accounts that may pertain to this question:
"The soldiers changed from a stand to a retreat as they were crowded upon by increasing and overwhelming numbers. Yellow Nose said that they made three stands. It was the purpose of the Indians to get in the rear of the troops and gain the east slope of the ridge." – Yellow Nose
“The soldiers came up to Calhoun Hill diagonally from the east, and the Indians came up diagonally from the river crossing to Calhoun Hill. These Indians enveloped the ridge on the north side about half way and were met by Indians who had crossed the river at the lower crossing, just below the corner of the cemetery, and [who] enveloped the ridge on the north side of the ridge after coming up the nose of the ridge to the northwest. Some Indians crossed the river above this lower crossing, probably at the mouth of the ravine. The soldiers were completely surrounded… Custer stopped to fight before he reached his last place; but I think that he said Custer went to that point finally and the last defenders were killed here. At any rate, he said that those were all killed at Custer Hill before those were down along the ravine. These latter, when the others were down, made a break through a narrow gap in the Indian line and ran toward the river trying to escape. They were on foot. The Indians followed them and killed them with war clubs of stone and wooden clubs, some of the latter having lance spears on them. In this pursuit one Indian stumbled into a low place, among the soldiers, and was killed by them.” – Respect’s Nothing
“The Indians were now getting their horses in from the hills and soon came up in large numbers. Some crossed the stream farther down and others crossed the ford and followed on after Custer in overwhelming numbers. They could not see how such a small force of soldiers had any chance to stand against them. The Indians were between Custer and the river and all the time coming up and getting around to the east of him, passing around both his front and rear. Custer was following the ridges, and the Indians were keeping abreast of him in the hollows and ravines. Personally, he was with the Indians to the east, or on Custer's right. Custer charged the Indians twice (probably at Calhoun and at monument or in gully toward river from monument) but could not drive them away, and then the battle became furious. It did not appear to him that a stand was made by Custer's men anywhere except at the monument. He was in the gully and saw the soldiers killed on the side hill (Keogh) as they "marched" toward the high ground at end of ridge (monument). They made no stand here, but all were going toward the high ground at end of ridge. The gray horses went up in a body; then came bay horses and men on foot all mixed together. The men on the horses did not stop to fight, but went ahead as fast as they could go. The men on foot, however, were shooting as they passed along. When the horses got to the top of the ridge the gray ones and bays became mingled, and the soldiers with them were all in confusion. The Indians were so numerous that the soldiers could not go any further, and they knew that they had to die.” – Foolish Elk
"Crazy Horse and I left the crowd and rode down along the river. We came to a ravine; then we followed up the gulch to a place in the rear of the soldiers that were making the stand on the hill. Crazy Horse gave his horse to me to hold along with my 'horse. He crawled up the ravine to where he could see the soldiers. He shot them as fast as he could load his gun. They fell off their horses as fast as he could shoot. (Here the chief swayed rapidly back and forth to show how fast they fell). When they found they were being killed so fast, the ones that were left broke and ran as fast as their horses could go to some other soldiers that were further along the ridge toward Custer. Here they tried to make another stand and fired some shots, but we rushed them on along the ridge to where Custer was. Then they made another stand (the third) and rallied a few minutes. Then they went on along the ridge and got with Custer's men. ..Other Indians came to us after we got most of the men at the ravine. We all kept after them until they got to where Custer was. There was only a few of them left then.” – Flying Hawk
“We crossed the Greasy Grass below a beaver dam where the water is not so deep, and came upon many horses. One soldier was holding the reins of eight or ten horses. An Indian waved his blanket to scare the horses and they got away... On the ridge just north of us, I saw blueclad men running up a ravine, firing as they ran. The valley was dense with powder smoke. Long Hair's troops were trapped... The Cheyennes attacked... from the north, and Crow King from the south.” – Moving Robe
"Our chiefs and the young men rode quickly down to the end of the village, opposite to the hill upon which now stands the great stone put up by the whites where Long Hair fell. Between that hill and the soldiers was a ravine which started from the river opposite the camp of the Sans Arcs, and ran all the way around the butte. To get to the butte Long Hair must cross the ravine; but from where he was marching with his soldiers, he could not see into the ravine nor down to the banks of the river. The warriors of my people * * * had joined * * * on our side of the Greasy Grass and opposite the opening into the ravine. Soon I saw a number of Cheyennes ride into the river, then some men of my band, then others, until there were hundreds of warriors in the river and running up into the ravine. When some hundreds had passed the river and gone into the ravine, the others who were left, still a very great number, moved back from the river and waited for the attack. And I knew that the fighting men of the Sioux, many hundreds in number, were hidden in the ravine behind the hill upon which Long Hair was marching, and he would be attacked from both sides…” -- Mrs Spotted Horn Bull
I saw Crazy Horse lead the Cheyennes into the water and up the ravine; Crow King and the Hunkpapa went after them; and then Gall, who had led his young men and killed the soldiers he had been fighting further up the river, rode along the bench by the river to where Long Hair had stopped with his men…The river was in sight from the battle, and while the whoop still rung in our ears, two Cheyennes tried to cross the river and one of them was shot and killed by Long Hair's men. Then the men of the Sioux nation, led by Crow King, Hump, Crazy Horse, and many chiefs, rose up on all sides of the hill, and the last we could see from our side of the river was a great number of gray horses.” – Mrs Spotted Horn Bull
The forces under Crazy Horse and Little Horse followed a long ravine that went east from the crossing until it passed the ridge; it then took a southerly direction parallel with and immediately behind the said ridge. Iron Star and Low Dog, on the other hand, turned southward immediately after crossing the river. The firing from the camp still continued, and as the later forces arrived, they at once opened fire upon the soldiers who were gradually retreating toward the ridge one-half mile back from the river bank….Up to this time General Custer did not seem to apprehend the danger before him. But when one company of his command reached the summit of the ridge, it was quickly forced behind the brow of the hill by the Indians. The soldiers now took up three separate positions along the ridge, but they were practically already hemmed in. – Ohiyesa
At first the General kept his men intact; but the deafening war whoops and the rattling sound of the gun shots frightened the horses. The soldiers had no little trouble from this source. Finally they let go of their horses and threw themselves flat upon the ground, sending volley after volley into the whirling masses of the enemy. The signal was given for a general charge. Crazy Horse with the Ogalallas and Little Horse and White Bull with the Cheyennes now came forward with a tremendous yell. The brave soldiers sent into their ranks a heavy volley that checked them for the moment. At this instant a soldier upon a swift horse started for the river, but was brought down. Again the Indians signalled for a charge. This time the attack was made from all sides. Now they came pelt mell among the soldiers. One company was chased along the ridge to the south, out of which a man got away. A mighty yell went up from the Indians as he cleared the attacking forces, as if they were glad that he succeeded. Away he went toward Reno's position. The rest of the company were now falling fast and the ridge was covered with the slain.” – Ohiyesa, Santee
"After he got his men ready he ordered his men to charge. They charged right up the sloping ground and hill on the soldiers who stood where the first line of stones is [on Calhoun ridge]…The soldier fire was so heavy that the Cheyennes had to fall back. He then ordered a second charge, with same result. Immediately he ordered a third charge, which was made. The Indians did not stop this time, but drove the soldiers. This did not last long; it was about all of the fight; after this it was merely a slaughter… Two Moons now swept to the right and north [sic east] of the ridge. There was a White Horse Troop, a Bay Horse Troop, and a Black Horse Troop. The Grey Horse is what he has called the White Horse. The horses in the gulch were now turned loose by the soldiers and they fled toward the river. Some horses were caught tied together. He says the fight did not last more than 2-1/2 hours from beginning to end." – Two Moon
"The Cheyennes crossed the LBH at the mouth of the creek above the present battlefield Reservation. The Sioux crossed at the crossing below the Reservation." – Two Moon
"The Sioux crossed at the lower place and waited in the breaks concealed west of the monument. When the Sioux began firing, the Cheyennes swung around north of the ridge to avoid Sioux bullets." – Two Moon
"The different soldiers [Custer's command] that the Sioux killed made five different stands. Once the Sioux had charged right in the midst of the different soldiers and scattered them all, fighting among the soldiers hand to hand." – Red Horse
"Crazy Horse rode between the opposing lines while blowing his eagle-bone whistle. This display of courage took place on the east side of Custer Ridge, near Keogh's location, where Crazy Horse later charged through a gap in Custer Ridge, splitting Keogh's battalion and causing its annihilation. The Oglala, He Dog, fondly remembered that everyone became brave when Crazy Horse appeared on the battlefield." – Red Feather
Clair
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Post by mwkeogh on Dec 12, 2007 16:47:43 GMT -6
Here are some Native accounts that may pertain to this question: This is a great contribution to the thread Clair. For what its worth, I will give you my own interpretation and analysis of the eye-witness statements given by these native warriors. My own clarifications will be put in parenthesis and bold lettering to distinguish from the original statements in an attempt to draw a more clear picture of both troop and Indian movements, as I interpret them. ""The [Keogh] soldiers changed from a stand to a retreat as they were crowded upon by increasing and overwhelming numbers. Yellow Nose said that they made three stands. It was the purpose of the Indians to get in the rear of the troops and gain the east slope of [Keogh's] ridge." – Yellow Nose"A great description by Yellow Nose regarding the action in the Keogh sector. According to YN, Keogh's battalion made 3 separate stands before the remnants retreated to LSH. The Indians were attempting to get in the rear of the troops and gain the east slope of Battle (or Keogh's) Ridge, which was where the led horses were kept, of course. These horses were always a great prize for the warriors and were often the object of their attacks. “The soldiers came up to Calhoun Hill diagonally from the east [from Luce & Blummer Ridge], and the Indians came up diagonally from the river crossing [at MTF and heading] to Calhoun Hill. These Indians enveloped the [Eastern] ridge on the north side [of Calhoun Hill] about half way [along the Eastern Ridge] and were met by Indians who had crossed the river at the lower crossing [Ford D1], just below the [NW] corner of the cemetery, and [who then rode up and] enveloped [the Eastern] ridge on the north side of the [Eastern] ridge [opposite Keogh's position] after coming up the nose of the ridge [at Last Stand Hill] to the northwest [of Eastern Ridge]. Some Indians crossed the river above this lower crossing, probably at the mouth of the [Deep] ravine. The [Keogh battalion] soldiers were completely surrounded… Custer stopped to fight [on the north slope of Cemetery Ridge] before he reached his last place [at Last Stand Hill]; but I think that he said Custer went to that point [LSH] finally and the last defenders were killed here [at Last Stand Hill]. At any rate, he said that those were all killed at Custer Hill before those were down along the [Deep] ravine. These latter, when the others were down [on LSH], made a break through a narrow gap in the Indian line and ran toward the river trying to escape. They were on foot. The Indians followed them and killed them with war clubs of stone and wooden clubs, some of the latter having lance spears on them. In this pursuit one Indian stumbled into a low place, among the soldiers, and was killed by them.” – Respect’s NothingWell, this is it for now. I will continue with my own elaorations on the other Indian oral histories later.
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Post by mwkeogh on Dec 12, 2007 18:07:16 GMT -6
“The Indians were now getting their horses in from the hills and soon came up in large numbers. Some crossed the stream farther down [at Deep Ravine and Ford D1] and others crossed the ford [at Medicine Tail Coulee] and followed on after Custer [actually Keogh's battalion] in overwhelming numbers. They could not see how such a small force of soldiers had any chance to stand against them. The Indians were between Custer [actually Keogh] and the river and all the time coming up and getting around to the east of him [along Eastern Ridge], passing around both his front and rear [gaining Eastern Ridge from both the north and the south of Keogh]. Custer [Keogh] was following the ridges, and the Indians were keeping abreast of him in the hollows and ravines. Personally, he was with the Indians to the east [behind the Eastern Ridge], or on Custer's [Keogh's] right. Custer [Keogh] charged the Indians twice [1st to repel an assualt against L Co's led horses, then with C Co. at Finley/GGR] but could not drive them away, and then the battle became furious. It did not appear to him that a stand was made by Custer's men anywhere except at the monument [Foolish Elk arrived in the swale too late to witness Keogh's stand.] He was in the gully [in Keogh's swale] and saw the [Keogh's] soldiers killed on the side hill as they "marched" [retreated] toward the high ground at end of ridge [the monument]. They made no stand here, but all were going toward the high ground at end of ridge. The gray horses went up in a body [This is interesting, as Foolish Elk appears to suggest that Custer may have sent E Co. to support Keogh's battalion's retreat to LSH]; then came bay horses [of I Co.] and men on foot all mixed together [Keogh's dismounted troopers]. The men on the horses did not stop to fight, but went ahead as fast as they could go. The men on foot, however, were shooting as they passed along [only the dismounted troopers of Keogh's battalion put up resistance, the mounted men were recalled to LSH]. When the horses got to the top of the ridge [at LSH] the gray ones and bays became mingled, and the soldiers with them were all in confusion. The Indians were so numerous that the soldiers could not go any further, and they knew that they had to die.” – Foolish Elk
"Crazy Horse and I left the crowd and rode down along the river. We came to a [Deep] ravine; then we followed up the gulch to a place in the rear [ie. to the east] of the soldiers that were making the stand on the hill. [here Flying Hawk refers to the crossing over to Eastern Ridge, "a place in the rear of the soldiers that were making the stand on the hill."] Crazy Horse gave his horse to me to hold along with my 'horse.[Crazy Horse dismounts in the ravine at the base of Eastern Ridge]. He crawled up [to the top of] the ravine [at the Ridgeline] to where he could see the soldiers [about a dozen C Co. troopers detailed under 1st Sgt. Bobo to guard L Co's led horses along with L Co's horseholders] He shot them as fast as he could load his gun. They fell off their horses as fast as he could shoot. (Here the chief swayed rapidly back and forth to show how fast they fell). When they found they were being killed so fast, the ones that were left [Bobo's C Co. detachment & L Co's horseholders] broke and ran as fast as their horses could go to some other soldiers that were further along the ridge toward Custer. Here they tried to make another stand and fired some shots, but we rushed them [here Flying Hawk refers for the 1st time to a charge by the warriors against Porter and Bobo's men and the led horses down in Keogh's swale on the east side of Battle Ridge. At this point, the action becomes hand to hand] on along the ridge to where Custer was. Then they made another stand (the third) and rallied a few minutes. [this refers to Keogh leading the dismounted 1st platoon of I Co.--who had been positioned on the west slope of Battle Ridge-- in a charge down into the bottom of the swale, where, according to Flying Hawk, Keogh was able to stabilize and rally his men for a few minutes....it was at this time that I believe that Calhoun's troop attempted to come to their support, and in doing so, brought about their own abrubt demise.] Then they [the mounted remnants of Porter's 2nd platoon of I along with the survivors of Bobo's C & L Co's horseholders] went on along the ridge and got with Custer's men. ..Other Indians came to us after we got most of the men at [Keogh's] ravine [or swale]. We all kept after them until they got to where Custer was. There was only a few of them left then.” – Flying Hawk
“We crossed the Greasy Grass [the LBH River] below a beaver dam where the water is not so deep [at Deep Ravine ford C], and came upon many horses. One soldier was holding the reins of eight or ten horses. [probably the led horses of C Co. just arrived at the junction of Finley and GGR.] An Indian waved his blanket to scare the horses and they got away...[here Moving Robe confirms that Custer used one trooper to hold 8 horses, thus increasing his available firepower. She also confirms that capturing the horses were a major objective of the Indian warriors] On the ridge just north [or above] us, I saw blueclad men [the retreating troopers of C Co.] running up a ravine [Calhoun Coulee], firing as they ran. The valley was dense with powder smoke. Long Hair's troops were trapped... The Cheyennes attacked... from the north, and Crow King from the south.” – Moving Robe [it is interesting to note that she makes no mention at all of any charge led by Crazy Horse and his warriors. Just the Cheyennes from the north and Crow King and the Lakotas from the south]
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Post by mwkeogh on Dec 12, 2007 20:48:08 GMT -6
OK, here is my interpretation of Mrs. Spotted Horn Bull (my clarifications in bold parenthesis):
"Our chiefs and the young men rode quickly down to the end of the village, opposite to the hill upon which now stands the great stone put up by the whites where Long Hair fell. Between that hill and the soldiers was a [Deep] ravine which started from the river opposite the camp of the Sans Arcs, and ran all the way around the butte [ie: Finley Ridge]. To get to the butte [ie: Finley Ridge] Long Hair [ie: C Co.] must cross the ravine [ie: Calhoun Coulee]; but from where he was marching with his soldiers, he [ie: Harrington] could not see into the ravine nor down to the banks of the river. The warriors of my people * * * had joined * * * on our side of the Greasy Grass [ie: LBH River] and opposite the opening into the ravine [at Ford C]. Soon I saw a number of Cheyennes ride into the river, then some men of my band, then others, until there were hundreds of warriors in the river and running up into the [Deep] ravine. When some hundreds had passed the river and gone into the ravine, the others who were left, still a very great number, moved back from the river and waited for the attack. And I knew that the fighting men of the Sioux, many hundreds in number, were hidden in the [Deep] ravine behind the hill [Finley Ridge] upon which Long Hair [actually Harrington's C Co.] was marching, and he would be attacked from both sides…” -- Mrs Spotted Horn Bull
I saw Crazy Horse lead the Cheyennes into the water and up the [Deep] ravine; Crow King and the Hunkpapa went after them; and then Gall, who had led his young men and killed the soldiers [ie: Reno's troopers] he had been fighting further up the river, rode along the bench by the river to where Long Hair had stopped with his men…The river was in sight from the battle, and while the whoop still rung in our ears, two Cheyennes tried to cross the river and one of them was shot and killed by Long Hair's men. Then the men of the Sioux nation, led by Crow King, Hump, Crazy Horse, and many chiefs, rose up on all sides of the hill [she is now referring to Last Stand Hill here, not the Keogh position], and the last we could see from our side of the river was a great number of gray horses.” [the Gray Horse troop's horses had been scattered down towards Deep Ravine by the suicide boys near the end of the battle, thus drawing the remnants of E Co. down into the vicinity of Deep Ravine where the final fighting took place] – Mrs Spotted Horn Bull
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Post by mwkeogh on Dec 12, 2007 21:16:49 GMT -6
My interpretation of Ohiyesa's version of the battle, my clarifications in bold parenthesis:
The forces under Crazy Horse and Little Horse followed a long [Deep] ravine that went east from the crossing [of Ford C] until it [ie: their route] passed the [Keogh's] ridge; it then took a southerly direction parallel with and immediately behind the said [Keogh's] ridge [ie: this would be Eastern Ridge opposite Keogh's position]. Iron Star and Low Dog, on the other hand, turned southward immediately after crossing the river [unlike Crazy Horse, Iron Star & Low Dog turned southward and remained in Deep Ravine and Calhoun Coulee area focusing on Finley Ridge]. The firing from the camp still continued, and as the later forces arrived, they at once opened fire upon the soldiers who were gradually retreating toward the ridge one-half mile back from the river bank [this refers to the Keogh battalion retreat from MTF to GGR/Finley Ridge--1/2 mile back from the river bank-- and from thence up to Calhoun Hill]….Up to this time General Custer did not seem to apprehend the danger before him [ie: Custer was still operating in an offensive mode and was separated from Keogh]. But when one company of his command reached the summit of the ridge [ie: L Co. on Calhoun Hill], it was quickly forced behind the brow of the hill by the Indians [or so it seemed. In actuality, it referred to the L Co. troopers dismounting behind the brow of Calhoun Hill where the horses were kept before returning to take up positions dismounted on the hill, it was also at this time that E & F Co.s dropped down the back end of Calhoun Hill out of sight of the warriors from the valley to begin their foray to the northern fords] The soldiers now took up three separate positions along the ridge [ie: Calhoun Hill, Keogh's battleridge, and C Co's Finley Ridge] but they were practically already hemmed in. – Ohiyesa
At first the General [actually Keogh] kept his men intact; but the deafening war whoops and the rattling sound of the gun shots frightened the horses [again, an indication that the warriors were focusing on capturing the horses]. The soldiers had no little trouble from this source. Finally they let go of their horses and threw themselves flat upon the ground, sending volley after volley into the whirling masses of the enemy [here, Ohiyesa describes a mass charge against the horseholders behind Calhoun Hill, causing the horses to be let go and the troopers to return fire dismounted.] The signal was given for a general charge [just after the successful attack upon L Co's led horses, being guarded by a detachment of C Co. under Sgt. Bobo, the signal was given for a general charge into the Keogh swale on the east side of Battle Ridge to follow up the confusion stemming from the paniced retreat of Bobo's detachment and the frightened horses of L Co joining those of I Co's led horses]. Crazy Horse with the Ogalallas and Little Horse and White Bull with the Cheyennes now came forward [from the cover of the East Ridge] with a tremendous yell. The brave soldiers [of Keogh's dismounted 1st platoon at the top of Battle Ridge] sent into their ranks a heavy volley that checked them for the moment. At this instant a soldier upon a swift horse started for the river, but was brought down. Again the Indians signalled for a charge [after Keogh's 1st platoon rejoined the others near the bottom of the swale]. This time the attack was made from all sides [on the eastern side of Battle Ridge]. Now they came pelt mell among the soldiers [in hand to hand fighting]. One company was chased along the ridge to the south, out of which a man got away [probably referring to Calhoun's L Co. attempt to reach Keogh]. A mighty yell went up from the Indians as he cleared the attacking forces, as if they were glad that he succeeded. Away he went toward Reno's position [this refers to 1st Sgt. Butler of L Co.] The rest of the company [Calhoun's L Company] were now falling fast and the ridge was covered with the slain.” – Ohiyesa, Santee
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Post by mwkeogh on Dec 12, 2007 21:44:57 GMT -6
My interpretation of Two Moons, Red Horse & Red Feather's accounts, with my own comments in bold parenthesis:
"After he got his men ready he ordered his men to charge. They charged right up the sloping ground and hill on the soldiers who stood where the first line of stones is [on Finley Ridge]…The soldier fire was so heavy that the Cheyennes had to fall back [this refers to the 1st charge led by LWM against C Co. you will note that this first charge, which drove C Co. back towards Calhoun and Keogh, did not succeed due to heavy return fire from both Calhoun Hill and Keogh's 1st platoon stationed atop Battle Ridge] He then ordered a second charge, with same result. [interesting that Two Moon refers to a 2nd charge from the west which was apparently driven back by intense fire from Keogh's positions on Calhoun Hill and Battle Ridge]. Immediately he ordered a third charge, which was made. The Indians did not stop this time, but drove the soldiers [the 3rd charge launched against Keogh's battalion from the Deep Ravine/Calhoun Coulee area was finally successful as Keogh had withdrawn his 1st platoon to counterattack against Crazy Horse's attack from the east and Calhoun had abandoned his position and attempted to reach Keogh]. This did not last long; it was about all of the fight; after this it was merely a slaughter… Two Moons now swept to the right and north of the ridge [beyond the Keogh position to a position just north of Last Stand Hill]. There was a White Horse Troop [E Co. on Cemetery Ridge], a Bay Horse Troop [F Co. on Last Stand Hill], and a Black Horse Troop [obviously mistaken but possibly referring to the mixed sorrels and bays arriving from Keogh's survivors]. The Grey Horse is what he has called the White Horse. The horses in the gulch were now turned loose by the soldiers and they fled toward the river [ie: the E Co. horseholders positioned in a gulch between Cemetery Ridge and LSH came under attack at the end of the battle resulting in their being scattered and driven towards Deep Ravine. The troopers of E Company then charged down towards the ravine in a futile attempt to retrieve their horses]. Some horses were caught tied together. He says the fight did not last more than 2-1/2 hours from beginning to end."[Two Moon has the fight lasting roughly between 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm] – Two Moon
"The Cheyennes crossed the LBH at the mouth of the creek above the present battlefield Reservation [Two Moon's Cheyenne warriors--not Lame White Man's warriors-- crossed at the north fords to reach the battlefield]. The Sioux crossed at the crossing below the Reservation [many of the Sioux warriors crossed at Medicine Tail Ford to reach the battlefield]." – Two Moon
"The Sioux crossed at the lower place [at MTF & Deep Coulee] and waited in the breaks [Deep Ravine & Calhoun Coulee] concealed west of the monument. When the Sioux began firing, the Cheyennes swung around north of the ridge [north of LSH] to avoid Sioux bullets." – Two Moon
"The different soldiers [Custer's command] that the Sioux killed made five different stands [this refers to the last stands made by each of Custer's 5 Companies...each company had its own battle, more or less, as they were each in separate positions on the field.] Once the Sioux had charged right in the midst of the different soldiers [this refers to both the Keogh position in the swale and the action on Last Stand Hill] and scattered them all, fighting among the soldiers hand to hand." – Red Horse
"Crazy Horse rode between the opposing lines while blowing his eagle-bone whistle. This display of courage took place on the east side of Custer [Battle] Ridge, near Keogh's location, [this clearly establishes Crazy Horse's position on the east side of Battle Ridge before his charge took place] where Crazy Horse later charged through a gap in Custer [actually Keogh] Ridge, splitting Keogh's battalion [this splitting of Keogh's battalion might refer to the separation between I Co's dismounted 1st platoon under Keogh and its mounted 2nd platoon under Porter, which later made an attempt to retreat to LSH. It might also refer to Crazy Horse cutting off a supporting Company-- perhaps the Grey Horse troop-- who might have attempted to ride to Keogh's support as Foolish Elk claims in his version] and causing its annihilation. The Oglala, He Dog, fondly remembered that everyone became brave when Crazy Horse appeared on the battlefield." – Red Feather
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Post by conz on Dec 13, 2007 9:14:03 GMT -6
The gray horses went up in a body [This is interesting, as Foolish Elk appears to suggest that Custer may have sent E Co. to support Keogh's battalion's retreat to LSH]; then came bay horses [of I Co.] and men on foot all mixed together [Keogh's dismounted troopers]. The men on the horses did not stop to fight, but went ahead as fast as they could go. The men on foot, however, were shooting as they passed along [only the dismounted troopers of Keogh's battalion put up resistance, the mounted men were recalled to LSH]. When the horses got to the top of the ridge [at LSH] the gray ones and bays became mingled, and the soldiers with them were all in confusion. The Indians were so numerous that the soldiers could not go any further, and they knew that they had to die.” – Foolish Elk This is one of the accounts which leads me to believe that the reason E Co died in the ravine rather than at their original firing position at the cemetery is because they were ordered to charge south, up the west side of Battle Ridge, to rescue Keogh's squadron. This is how 1) it looks like a skirmish line of bodies along SSL...most bodies here fell as they attacked, and 2) the survivors of this fire continued on into the deep gully...horses and men. I believe that this was a mounted charge. I also think the fabled "suicide boys" got up and chased E Co from behind as it left its cemetery position and that is where that story comes from. This is also where you find many accounts of grey horses without riders (who were shot down or jumped off) galloping all over the place, most probably heading down into Deep Ravine for the river, and some going over the ridge and mixing with what was left of Keogh's survivors near LSH. Think of it as a "shotgun blast" of grey horses out of the cemetery area due south! Caused quite a stir and memory event... Clair
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Post by conz on Dec 13, 2007 9:36:46 GMT -6
"Crazy Horse and I left the crowd and rode down along the river. We came to a [Deep] ravine; then we followed up the gulch to a place in the rear [ie. to the east] of the soldiers that were making the stand on the hill. [here Flying Hawk refers to the crossing over to Eastern Ridge, "a place in the rear of the soldiers that were making the stand on the hill."] Here is where my model most diverges from yours...I have this "rear" not to the east of the ridge...they could not have gotten there with C Co in the way. I believe he says that they are at the northern vicinity of GGR very near the Deep Ravine ford, and they are looking up at the rear of Calhoun's positions which is mainly firing south and southwest. This is what all the Natives are trying to get at...get around Calhoun's excellent defensive firing positions on Calhoun Hill. I believe this to be an account of LWM's attack up Calhoun Coulee against C Co that has moved down to GGR. The stand along their retreat towards Calhoun Hill is probably Bobo at Finley "knoll." I think this was a hand-to-hand combat location as it went down and survivors of C Co continued up the ridge towards Calhoun, mixed in with the Natives. I think the above is more probably the story of what happened to C Co getting back to Calhoun ("where Custer was"). I agree that this is probably C Co just arrived from its attack off Battle Ridge area and dismounted on GGR (or dismounted below it to make a dismounted assault up the ridge...also possible). This starts the breakup of C Co, and indeed, the catastrophe of Keogh's defense. I don't believe there was any firing line watching Deep Ravine at this point... C Co was doing that from near Battle Ridge, but left that position to assault GGR. This left their right (northwestern) flank vulnerable, and a hole in Keogh's perimeter. She may not have picked out Crazy Horse, but these are almost certainly the Cheyennes that were following that leader (he had a mixed Cheyenne/Oglala force by several accounts). Clair
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