Some of this is duped (I took it from two of my documents and haven't bothered to proof it), but it sould help...
The
divide to the
morass is about 7½ miles.
• It is ¾ mile from the morass to the eastern “lone tepee” [Gray]. Darling figured 1.4 to 2.4 miles from morass to the “lone tepee.” Smalley says 1 mile.
• The divide to the divide halt was about ¼ mile (440 yards); divide halt to the mouth of No – Name Creek (at Ash or Reno Creek), approximately 6.7 miles (this is the creek Benteen moved down when he finished his scout).
• From the divide crossing to the confluence of No – Name Creek and Reno Creek is 6.9 miles.
• From No – Name Creek to the LBH is about 5 to 5.4 miles. [See below.]
• Therefore the distance from No – Name Creek to the morass was only about ¼ mile (440 yards).
• From the morass to the real lone tepee/Gerard’s Knoll is 3.05 miles.
• South Fork is about 1 mile below No – Name Creek and at Reno Creek about 4 miles above the LBH.
o My figures are 1.05 miles between where No – Name joins Reno Creek and where South Fork joins Reno Creek.
• South Fork to Ford A is 4.32 miles.
• South Fork to Gerard’s Knoll is 2.62 miles.
•
Gerard’s Knoll to
Middle Knoll is 1.1 miles.
•
Middle Knoll to
Cooke’s Knoll is 0.38 miles (670 yards).
• The western side of Middle Knoll to Last Stand Hill is approximately 5.71 miles.
• Distances from the Custer – Reno separation point:
o Reno’s route to the Ford A crossing was 1.62 miles.
o From the Ford A crossing to open LBH valley is approximately ½ mile.
o From the separation point to where I believe Cooke met Custer was approximately 1 mile.
o From the Cooke – Custer meeting to where I believe Custer may have watered, 335 yards (2/10 of a mile).
o From the watering point to the peak on the bluffs, 670 yards (.38 of a mile). (This would have been the first “high point” on the bluffs along the river north of Reno Creek valley.)
o From the peak on the bluffs to “3,411,” 1½ miles.
• The
divide crossing to
Ford A is 11.81 miles along Reno Creek, almost straight-line except for one or two sharp bends in the valley.
• Divide crossing—map reference, Thompson Creek NW, block 28, along trail and between large 4,400' elevation and a smaller rise to its south.
• Morass—map reference, Lodge Grass NE, block 16 (northern half), just west of the confluence of No-Name Creek and Reno Creek.
Ford A ↔ 1.7 miles ↔ Gerard’s Knoll/“lone tepee” (in the “flats”) ↔ 2.3 miles ↔ South Fork ↔ 1 mile ↔ No – Name Creek ↔ 6.9 miles ↔ divide crossing.
Total distance: 11.9 miles.Reno Creek has been known also as Benteen Creek, Ash Creek, Trail Creek [Lakota], Little Wolf Creek, Medicine Dance Creek—or Great Medicine Dance Creek—and Sundance Creek. It appears the Sioux also called it Spring Creek.• Ford A is about 4 to 4½ miles from the eastern “lone tepee.”
•
Ford A is about 1.7 miles from the real
“lone, burning tepee.”• The Indian
village was approximately 3 miles from
Ford A.
o Reno dismounted to form his
skirmish line about 2½ miles from
Ford A.
o His command fought dismounted for about 30 minutes.
o It took about 15 – 20 minutes for retreat to river and bluffs.
• Ford A to “Gerard’s Knoll,” located in “the flats,” is approximately 1.7 miles.
North Fork (or Custer Creek) to
Reno Hill: 1.3 to 1.5 miles.
North Fork is about 2 miles from
“3,411” based on an easier route, not quite straight line.
Reno Hill to Ford B, crossing the LBH and going through the valley and the Indian villages is about over 3.3 miles by horseback. If the Indians crossed the LBH going towards Reno Hill, then reversed themselves and rode to MTC, the distance would be a little over 3 miles.
•
Weir Peak is 1¼ miles (2,200 yards) along the bluffs from
Reno Hill.
• Varnum’s sighting of E Company—map reference, Crow Agency, block 34 (lower half of the block), just south of the south end of the 3,400' – marked elevation (Sharpshooter Ridge).
Weir Peak “rises rather steeply about a mile and a quarter from Reno Hill. The point is in effect a group of three promontories that resemble a sort of an ‘L’ on its side. There are two points along the river’s bluffs, west of the present road and parallel with the river. The other peak lies east of the road and presents a round ‘sugarloaf’ appearance. At the time of the battle, the eastern and western projections were connected by gradual sloping sides that have since been graded down for the present road bed” [Liddic,
Vanishing Victory, p. 131].
• The distance traveled by the three Crows from Weir Peaks along the bluffs to the so-called Boyer’s Bluff above Ford B was 1.3 miles (2,275 yards).
• The Sioux called Weir Point/Peaks, Black Butte.
Cedar Coulee—
• The head of Cedar Coulee is approximately 9/10 of a mile (1,600 yards) from the center of the Reno Hill complex.
• This “bend” is about ½ mile (880 yards) from the head of the coulee.
• Cedar Coulee is about 1 1/8 miles (2,000 yards) from its head to its emptying into MTC.
• From the top of
Cedar Coulee to the top of
Luce Ridge, following a probable route is 2.6 miles. This would be made up of a 1 – mile trip down MTC and .48 mile (850 yards) up the slopes to Luce added to the 1 1/8 miles of Cedar Coulee.
• From where
Cedar Coulee meets
MTC, it is approximately 9/10 of a mile (1,600 yards) to the beginning of the slopes leading to Luce Ridge.
• The bottom of Cedar Coulee is approximately 1.4 miles (2,450 – 2,500 yards) from the top of Luce Ridge.
• Cedar Coulee was also known as South Coulee.
Fords—
•
Ford A to
Ford B is 4.3 miles, not straight line.
• From
Reno’s retreat crossing ford around the river loops and through the village to
Ford B, it is about 3.4 miles. It is another 2.48 miles to
Ford D, a total of 5.88 miles from the retreat crossing to Ford D, not straight line.
•
Ford B to the
Deep Ravine crossing is 1.43 miles (2,500 yards), not straight line.
•
Ford B to
Ford D is 2.48 miles (4,375 yards), not straight line.
We refer to the deep, dry streambed that led Custer to Ford B as Medicine Tail Coulee, but the Indians never called it that. It was also called Muddy Creek and referred to frequently as “the watering place” during the RCOI. The Sioux and Cheyenne had several names for it:
• Muskrat Creek (referred to by Standing Bear [M]).
• Dry Creek (Soldier Wolf [C]).
• Water Rat Creek (Fears Nothing [O]).•
Luce Ridge is approximately 6/10 mile from the bluffs above
Ford B.
Ford B to the top of
Calhoun Hill is about 1.1 miles.
• Ford B has also been referred to as Minneconjoux Ford.• Almost ½ mile (880 – 900 yards) wide at its mouth.
•
Ford B to
Nye – Cartwright Ridge is .86 mile (1,500 yards), but up slopes to the ridgeline.
•
Ford B to
Custer’s Bluff is 2/10 of a mile (350 yards).
• For Indians crossing at Ford B, then riding up Deep Coulee to hide their horses, the distance could have been as little as 650 to 670 yards. From there along an infiltration route, they would have had to move ¾ of a mile (1,340 yards) to reach a point in Calhoun Coulee. It would then be some 4/10 of a mile (670 yards) to the top of Calhoun Hill.
o In a test on a high school track, ¼ – mile was completed in crouching, jumping – up, running, and dodging fashion in 5 to 6 minutes. The experiment added as much as 1/8 – mile to the distance because of the way we crouched and ran in various diagonals. This would mean that an infiltrating Indian, under optimal conditions, could move at a rate of 2½ MPH to 3 MPH or as much as 3¾ MPH to 4½ MPH.
o For the Indians to close to within 100 yards of Calhoun Hill – Battle Ridge via Calhoun Coulee using infiltration tactics from as far out as 670 yards, it would take 5 minutes – 8 minutes to move the 570 yards (.324 miles).
• From the North branch of Medicine Tail Coulee across the ridges and into the coulee that empties into Deep Coulee near Henryville, Indians would have traveled some 1.14 miles (2,000 yards).
Nye – Cartwright Ridge to
Calhoun Hill is .86 miles (1,500 yards), down a ravine and straight across the
Deep Coulee flats.•
Custer’s Bluff to
Nye – Cartwright Ridge is 2/3 of a mile (1,175 yards).
•
Luce Ridge to
Nye – Cartwright Ridge is ¼ mile (440 yards).
Custer Ridge (also called Battle Ridge)—
• Runs roughly parallel to and about 1 mile from the LBH, and is about 6/10 – 7/10 of a mile (1,050 – 1,225 yards) long.
• The C Company charge off Battle Ridge into Calhoun Coulee may have gone for as long as 650 yards (.37 miles).
• From the middle of the presumed dismount area in Calhoun Coulee to the lower part of Finley – Finckle Ridge is approximately ¼ – mile (425 yards).
• From Battle Ridge, east, to Crazy Horse Ridge, is approximately 1/3 of a mile (600 yards).
Calhoun Hill is approximately 1,000 yards (.57 miles) from the top of
Greasy Grass Ridge.
• If the C Company men dismounted and then ran by foot from a point 650 yards deep in Calhoun Coulee to Finley – Finckle Ridge, then up onto Calhoun Hill, across into the Keogh Sector, and then onto Custer/Last Stand Hill, the distance from that point would have been approximately 9/10 to 1.15 miles (1,585 – 2,025 yards).
• If C Company men reached Finley – Finckle Ridge, they would have had to go 4/10 – mile or 670 yards to reach Calhoun Hill.
Calhoun Ridge is also called Finley Ridge or Finley – Finckle Ridge.Custer Hill (also known as Last Stand Hill) is about 2/3 mile from
Calhoun Hill—
•
Custer Hill to
Reno areas: about 4 3/8 miles (all straight – line distances).
• COL Nelson A. Miles visited the battlefield in 1878 and measured distances and times from point to point:
o
Reno Hill to
Custer Hill measured at 4 miles.
o Miles took cavalry horses between the 2 points and found the distance could be covered in 58 minutes at a walk and 15 minutes at a variable trot and gallop.
•
Custer Hill is about to 3 miles from
Weir Peak.
• On 22Aug1878, CPT J. S. Payne measured the distance from
Custer Hill to
Reno Hill. The straight – line distance was 4 miles, 160 yards.
•
Calhoun Hill to
Ford D is approximately 2.33 miles via the Keogh Sector, then down the coulee north of Cemetery Ridge.
The distance from
Ford D to
Cemetery Ridge using the route Custer probably followed is 1¼ to 1½ miles.
Gerard’s Knoll—
• Gerard’s Knoll to Middle Knoll is 1.1 miles.
• Gerard’s Knoll to the Ford A crossing is 1.7 miles.
Lone tepee—
• From the divide halt to the lone tepee is 9¾ to 10 miles.
• From the lone tepee to Ford A is approximately 1.7 miles.
Custer – Reno separation in the flats—
• Reno’s route to the Ford A crossing was 1.62 miles.
• From the separation point to where Lieutenant Cooke met Custer was approximately one mile.
• From the Cooke – Custer meeting to where I believe Custer may have watered, 335 yards (2/10 of a mile).
• From the watering point to the peak on the bluffs, 670 yards (.38 of a mile). (This would have been the first “high point” on the bluffs along the river north of Reno Creek valley.)
• From the peak on the bluffs to 3,411 is 1½ miles.
“Middle Knoll”—
• Middle Knoll to Cooke’s Knoll is 0.38 miles (670 yards).
• The western side of Middle Knoll to Last Stand Hill is approximately 5.71 miles.
“Cooke’s Knoll”—
• Middle Knoll to Cooke’s Knoll is 0.38 miles (670 yards).
North Fork—
• North Fork (or Custer Creek) to Reno Hill: 1.3 to 1.5 miles.
• North Fork is about two miles from 3,411 based on an easier route, not quite straight line.
Ford A—
• Ford A crossing point approximately 102 miles from mouth of Rosebud.
• Ford A is about 4 to 4½ miles from the eastern lone tepee.
• Ford A is about 1.7 miles from the real lone, burning tepee.
• From the Ford A crossing to the open Little Big Horn valley is approximately ½ mile.
• The Indian village was approximately three miles from Ford A.
• Reno dismounted to form his skirmish line about 2½ miles from Ford A.
• Ford A to Gerard’s Knoll, located in the flats, is approximately 1.7 miles.
• Ford A to Ford B is 4.3 miles, not straight line.
Reno Hill— (also referred to as the Reno – Benteen Hill complex)
• Reno Hill to Ford B, crossing the Little Big Horn River and going through the valley and the Indian villages is about over 3.3 miles by horseback. If the Indians crossed the Little Big Horn going towards Reno Hill, then reversed themselves and rode to Medicine Tail Coulee, the distance would be a little over three miles.
• Weir Peak is 1¼ miles (2,200 yards) along the bluffs from Reno Hill.
3,411—
•
North Fork is about two miles from 3,411 based on an easier route, not quite straight line.
• 3,411 is approximately 250 yards (.14 mile) from the summit of
Sharpshooters’ Ridge (to its rear).
• 3,411 is approximately 600 yards (.33 mile) from the head of
Cedar Coulee.
• 3,411 is 1,260 yards (.71 mile) from the
southern peak of Weir Point.Sharpshooters’ Ridge—
• Map reference, Crow Agency, block 34 (lower half of the block), just south of the south end of the 3,400' – marked elevation (Sharpshooter Ridge).
Weir Point/Peaks—
• Weir Peak is 1¼ miles (2,200 yards) along the bluffs from
Reno Hill.• From 3,411 to the southern peak of Weir Point is 1,260 yards (.71 mile).
•
Weir Peak is 2 1/3 miles—straight line—from
Calhoun Hill.
• Weir Peak “rises rather steeply about a mile and a quarter from Reno Hill. The point is in effect a group of three promontories that resemble a sort of an ‘L’ on its side. There are two points along the river’s bluffs, west of the present road and parallel with the river. The other peak lies east of the road and presents a round ‘sugarloaf’ appearance. At the time of the battle, the eastern and western projections were connected by gradual sloping sides that have since been graded down for the present road bed.”
• The distance traveled by the three Crows from Weir Peaks along the bluffs to the so-called Boyer’s Bluff above Ford B was 1.3 miles (2,275 yards).
Best wishes,
Fred.