Co I dies in its Swale

[conz]

Any theory has to try to explain how Co I was found dead without any terrain feature reasonable to fight from...

Clair

[mwkeogh]

*Note, I did not vote in any of the poll choices above as none of them adequately describe what I think actually happened to cause I Company to be found at the bottom of their swale. Basically, that they were fighting to defend their horses from being captured or driven away. And the 1st and 5th poll choices are basically the same.

I am reposting my interpretation of the Keogh sector which I originally posted at the Crazy Horse Arrives discussion:

White Bull's version of events is very enlightening now, as he makes it quite clear that CH (and his own) charge against the Keogh sector had nothing at all to do with the Cheyenne charge led by LWM on the western slope of Battle Ridge. Hence, we are talking about two different scenarios here, and no, I do not believe the timing was just perfect or coincidental and that the two charges occurred simultaneously.

I agree with Erkki that the LWM charge came first before the CH/White Bull charge from the eastern ridge. My view is that after shattering and driving C Co. from their position close to GGR, the LWM attack was repulsed by defensive fire emanating from Calhoun Hill and Battle Ridge. This defensive fire allowed many of the remnants of C Co. (including its 1st Sgt.) to reach Keogh's position. It also accounts for the death of LWM and Noisy Walking, who could only have been shot from the summit of Battle Ridge.

Shan's asked why CH/WB would charge down from the eastern ridge into the Keogh position.....it makes little sense to do so if Keogh had his men deployed and facing the eastern ridge. There would have been more native casualties and signs of skirmish fire. As we know, there were not. Thus, my own model has Keogh dividing his company into two platoons. 1st platoon was stationed dismounted on the military crest of Battle Ridge facing west....a position they occupied when C Co. charged down to clear the vicinity of GGR/Calhoun Coulee. It was this platoon, stationed with Keogh himself, who repelled LWM's attack and saved the remnants of C Co. who made their way to the safety of the gully behind his position. The led horses of 1st platoon were kept at the bottom of this gully. 2nd platoon of I Co. under Lt. Porter was stationed in reserve and mounted not far from the led horses.

With Keogh's 1st platoon and Calhoun's skirmish line now facing west and occupied with repelling the charge led by LWM, and with some semblance of confusion reigning in the basin behind Battle Ridge due to the panicked arrival of the C Co. survivors, CH and WB saw their opportunity and led successive charges down into the gully from the eastern ridge. Their objective? To capture or scatter the led horses of I Co.'s 1st platoon. I suggest that it was this subsequent attack on the horseholders of I Co. that caused Keogh to recall his dismounted skirmish line on the western slope of Battle Ridge and charge down into the bottom of the basin to repel this new assault on his horses. He would have been joined there by Porter's 2nd platoon and the remnants of C Co. in a massive hand to hand struggle to stabilize their position and save their horses.

It may well have been at this point that Calhoun attempted to abandon Calhoun Hill and come to the aid of Keogh's embattled Company. Once Calhoun's skirmishers abandoned their position to head north to Keogh's position, Gall and Crow King would be free to attack mounted from the south and SE. It was this action that the troopers from Weir Point witnessed at about 5:20 to 5:40 pm. It explains why the survivors of both C and L companies were found in Keogh's I Co. position, which became the last stand of the Keogh Battalion.

[conz]

mwkeogh said:

White Bull's version of events is very enlightening now, as he makes it quite clear that CH (and his own) charge against the Keogh sector had nothing at all to do with the Cheyenne charge led by LWM on the western slope of Battle Ridge. Hence, we are talking about two different scenarios here, and no, I do not believe the timing was just perfect or coincidental and that the two charges occurred simultaneously.

Bill...the way I interpret this White Bull event is that it was HIS first charge against the Soldiers, but not Crazy Horse's. I think CH had already charged up and over Battle Ridge from Deep Ravine to the east, through/around I Co, and he met White Bull on the eastern ridge from Keogh's outfits. From there, they charge back into Keogh...this is part of the "charging back and forth through I Co" I sometimes talk about.

Clair

[doyle1876]

Fantastic description, Keogh. It puts 'meat on the bones' of a theory I always had. I was only at the battlefield once many years ago so my feel for the terrain in the Keogh sector has diminished somewhat. However, the more I read, the more I theorize that Crazy Horse and his mounted warriors were the ones that knocked over the first domino. I agree with your theory that the attacks from LWM/Gall etc on foot were not co-ordinated or simultaneous with Crazy Horse's but their close timing destabilised Keogh and became one of those moments of fate/coincidence/luck that can turn a battle.

I'm still convinced that Keogh was organized in his sector although under immense pressure by way of his responsibility to Co C. However his experience from the Civil War would have equipped him well to defend his position and organize a structured withdrawal as time progressed. I'm convinced that Crazy Horse hit Keogh so suddenly and with maximum surprise at a time that pressure from the western attack, LWM et al, had gained high momentum. The result was a collapse of Keogh's defensive plan culminating in a massive deadly brawl. Keogh/Comanche get shot and go down, his nearest bunch on him but the confusion causes all other troopers in the area to either fight for their lives or scatter to where they believe is safety, mainly in the direction of Custer. After that the second 'buffalo hunt' and all attention to Last Stand Hill......

[mwkeogh]

doyle1876 said:

Fantastic description, Keogh. It puts 'meat on the bones' of a theory I always had. I was only at the battlefield once many years ago so my feel for the terrain in the Keogh sector has diminished somewhat. However, the more I read, the more I theorize that Crazy Horse and his mounted warriors were the ones that knocked over the first domino. I agree with your theory that the attacks from LWM/Gall etc on foot were not co-ordinated or simultaneous with Crazy Horse's but their close timing destabilised Keogh and became one of those moments of fate/coincidence/luck that can turn a battle.

I'm still convinced that Keogh was organized in his sector although under immense pressure by way of his responsibility to Co C. However his experience from the Civil War would have equipped him well to defend his position and organize a structured withdrawal as time progressed. I'm convinced that Crazy Horse hit Keogh so suddenly and with maximum surprise at a time that pressure from the western attack, LWM et al, had gained high momentum. The result was a collapse of Keogh's defensive plan culminating in a massive deadly brawl. Keogh/Comanche get shot and go down, his nearest bunch on him but the confusion causes all other troopers in the area to either fight for their lives or scatter to where they believe is safety, mainly in the direction of Custer. After that the second 'buffalo hunt' and all attention to Last Stand Hill......

Aye, we are both in agreement here. It is the only model that does not make the rather inexplicable assumption that I Company just sat at the bottom of that swale having a picnic while a massive donnybrook is swirling about them on all sides. Then we are to believe that they are surprised at the bottom by a warparty which arrives unannounced and unexpected! I just cannot see this happening. No pickets, no skirmishers, no vedettes, no warning.....no common sense!

[doyle1876]

I never bought into Keogh, the inexperienced Indian fighter theory. Regardless, the LBH battle was as close as many Civil war veterans got to an orthodox fight since the end of that war. Here you had an enemy that went on the offensive, not engaged in hit and run or just scattering. Granted they didn't line up like military regiments but they did come in groups, using the terrain as any good soldier would.
Keogh was one of the first officers on the Gettysburg field. He would have learned how best to maximise his defensive position against overwhelming enemy numbers. However, Buford's line was not hit on the flank or in rear by Jeb Stuart's cavalry before General Reynolds arrived otherwise we may have a different type of American flag.

[conz]

Here's a couple Native accounts concerning this episode, perhaps:

Yellow Nose made two dashes toward soldiers and returned and said to his people, "Let us charge. "The third company-the one toward the river-had moved back a little toward the second. The Indians were trying to drive the three companies on this ridge running about north and south over to the gray horse company. Yellow Nose made a third charge but the other Indians did not follow him. Meantime, the Indians were getting further to the north trying to surround soldiers. At the fourth charge, on Yellow Nose's orders, all Indians mounted and Yellow Nose made a charge and all Indians followed. They crowded the company furthest north and they started to run down the ridge. As they got down part way toward the gray horse company the latter began to fire and drove Indians off and the soldiers reached the gray horse company. Some [soldiers] were killed, however, when they reached the gray horse [company]. The latter shot at Indians so fast that they drove Indians back out of sight over hill toward the [location of the later Crow] agency. The same Indians called out very loud, "All dismount,” and they did so. It was done quickly. When Indians dismounted they shot at soldiers who retreated for the top of the hill. – Young Two Moon

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. – Foolish Elk

Clair

[mwkeogh]

Here's my interpretation of Yellow Nose's version, my own clarifications are underlined in parenthesis:

Yellow Nose [stationed near Greasy Grass Ridge] made two dashes toward soldiers and returned and said to his people, "Let us charge. "The third company-the one toward the river-- [this would be C Co.] had moved back a little toward the second [ie: had moved back up Finley Ridge closer to Calhoun Hill]. The Indians were trying to drive the three companies [Keogh's battalion] on this ridge running about north and south over to the gray horse company [at LSH]. Yellow Nose made a third charge but the other Indians did not follow him. [this is important, here Yellow Nose indicates that at least 3 attempted charges against Keogh's defensive position from the west were repulsed]

Meantime, the Indians were getting further to the north [on the other side of Eastern Ridge] trying to surround soldiers [Keogh's I Co]. At the fourth charge, on Yellow Nose's orders, all Indians mounted and Yellow Nose made a charge and all Indians followed. They crowded the company furthest north [Keogh's I Co.] and they started to run down the ridge. [here, Yellow Nose indicates that the 4th charge from the west was successful in breaking thru Keogh's defensive perimeter. This occurred because Keogh was forced to withdraw his 1st platoon away from the western slope of Battle Ridge to counter Crazy Horse's attack from Eastern Ridge, while Calhoun pulled his own company off his hill and attempted to support Keogh, thus opening the way for Yellow Nose's successful charge against the rear of Keogh's troop.] As they got down part way toward the gray horse company the latter began to fire and drove Indians off [here Yellow Nose supports Foolish Elk's contention that Custer sent the Gray Horse troop to support Keogh's attempted withdrawal to LSH] and the soldiers [the mounted survivors of Keogh's battalion] reached the gray horse company [at LSH]. Some were killed, however, when they reached the gray horse [company]. The latter shot at Indians so fast that they drove Indians [that were chasing down Keogh's survivors] back out of sight over hill toward the [location of the later Crow] agency. The same Indians called out very loud, "All dismount,” and they did so. It was done quickly. When Indians dismounted they shot at soldiers who retreated for the top of the hill [LSH]. – Young Two Moon

Personally, he was with the Indians to the east [on Eastern Ridge], or on Custer's [ie: Keogh's] right. Custer [ie: Keogh] charged the Indians twice [behind Calhoun Hill on the 1st attempt to capture the horses and then C Co. down Finley Ridge towards 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 did not arrive down in the swale position until the retreat had already begun, thus he saw no stand there]. He was in the gully [albeit late, no doubt due to the retrieval of his horse] and saw the soldiers killed on the side hill (Keogh) as they "marched" [ie: retreated] toward the high ground at end of ridge [ie: Last Stand Hill]. They made no stand here, but all were going toward the high ground at end of ridge. – Foolish Elk

[conz]

Bill,

My interpretations of this witness testimony is very close to yours. Good visualization of the battle up Calhoun Coulee and vicinity.

I still have a problem with Keogh's men on Battle Ridge and then pulling off as the Natives are coming up the ridge, but close.

Clair