The Custer Site---A Touch Chilling

The west is full of stories and to some degree that is what has always attracted us to it. One of the more interesting is the Custer debachle or Massacre, or blunder, or Indian whooping. But because it does represent the end of the Native American way of life and a good deal of death it is a emotional place to visit.

We have passed by it many times and always wondered what it would be like to actually walk the grounds and linger at the very spot were individuals went down. Each one is marked by a white stone placed there shortly after the battle. Each simply says US soldier died here. They are scattered over the half mile of the battle site in small groups where the men had run in desperation.

Being hugely out-numbered, the 7^th Cavalry was overrun and wiped out to the man. Many in the Benteen’s group to the south were also killed.

Only a few years ago the prairie on the sight burned and in the process exposed the shell casings and other remains that confirmed the locations of the smaller skirmishes. The museum displays many of the finds from this excavation. The study confirms many of the details that allows the casual visitor to relive the horrible events of 1876.

In addition to the white stones marking the fallen Americans (Over half were foreign born--close to 200 Irish) are a few scattered granite markers indicating where Native Americans (no Irish) fell. It turned out that some natives back in ‘76 made small piles of stones were they fell and recently markers have been placed on those sites.

While the paths to all the markers of the fallen were well-worn from the visitors wanting a taste of that venture, by the Native stones we could not help but notice the small tufts of burnt sweet grass laying among the short grass prairie vegetation. Their reaction appeared more immediate. More personal. No doubt every Cheyenne, Sioux and Crow living on the local reservation lost someone there.

The small Indian town to the immediate south is named Garryowen. The official song of the 7^th Cavalry. The town is a mess.