The Custer and Sitting Bull Debate, Shadows Over the Greasy Grass River

Three men on horseback overlooking a historical landscape with tents and a river, depicting a scene from a past conflict.
Stretching for miles along the Little Bighorn River, the combined Lakota and Northern Cheyenne village contained approximately 1,300 tipis and nearly 10,000 inhabitants, making it one of the largest Native encampments ever assembled on the Northern Plains. Confident in their numbers and strength, many villagers believed no army commander would dare attack such a vast gathering.
Unbeknownst to them, Generals Alfred Terry and George A. Custer were relying on intelligence reports that dramatically underestimated the village’s size. The available information suggested the encampment consisted of only a few hundred tipis and a far smaller population. Those reports proved disastrously inaccurate.
Rather than encountering a modest village, the 7th Cavalry was advancing toward the largest concentration of Lakota and Northern Cheyenne warriors it had ever faced. This critical intelligence failure contributed significantly to the events that unfolded on June 25, 1876, when Custer and his command confronted a force far larger and more powerful than they had anticipated.

U.S. Department of War sent out an order to the tribes “…to report to their agency by January 31, 1876, or to be immediately considered an enemy of the United States and hostile and subject to attack!” Many of the tribes were out chasing the buffalo herds or hunkered down due to heavy snow can could not possibly follow the orders, if they were so inclined to do so.

Portrait of an Indigenous man with long hair and feathers, wearing a traditional shirt, sitting against a plain background.
Chief Sitting Bull – Wikipedia
A dynamic scene of Native American warriors on horseback galloping across a grassy landscape, wielding spears and adorned with feathered headdresses under a blue sky with clouds.
Crazy Horse (no authenticated photos of the Oglala Chief)

Oglala leader Crazy Horse was both a respected council member and a celebrated war chief. Although he was welcome at council meetings and could participate in tribal deliberations, he generally left those responsibilities to other leaders. His passion and greatest talents lay in warfare, leadership, and the protection of his people.

Crazy Horse earned his reputation through numerous war and horse-raiding expeditions. These parties were often small, typically consisting of only four to six warriors. Their success depended on stealth, speed, and surprise. A small group could move quietly through enemy territory, strike quickly, and escape before a larger force could respond.

When rival tribes discovered that their horses had been stolen, their warriors frequently pursued the raiders with determination and anger. Crazy Horse often employed a remarkable tactic. As his companions drove the captured ponies toward home, he would remain behind to delay the pursuers. Waiting alone, he would confront the first warriors to catch up with him.

In many cases, Crazy Horse challenged his pursuers to single combat. Eager for honor and recognition, the bravest among them often accepted the challenge, hoping to defeat the famous Oglala warrior and win lasting prestige. Although such encounters were extremely dangerous and occasionally resulted in close calls, Crazy Horse repeatedly demonstrated exceptional courage, skill, and composure in battle.

As a result, his raiding parties frequently returned with substantial numbers of captured horses. In keeping with Lakota traditions of generosity and leadership, Crazy Horse gave away many of these ponies to members of his community rather than keeping them for his own wealth. His reputation spread across the Northern Plains. Across the Northern Plains, some of the finest warriors of rival tribes sought to test themselves against Crazy Horse, hoping to earn tremendous fame and distinction by defeating the legendary Oglala leader. Friends admired his bravery and selflessness, while his enemies came to know—and fear—respecting the name of Crazy Horse.

A historical portrait of Chief Gall, a Native American leader, dressed in traditional attire with a feathered headdress.
Lakota Chief Gall, a rival leader to Sitting Bull.
A portrait of a Native American woman with traditional attire and braided hair, looking directly at the camera.
Buffalo Calf Robe Woman played an important role during the Battle of the Little Bighorn. As cavalry horses broke loose and drifted toward the river, she helped capture them and made them available to warriors entering the fight on foot. By providing mounted warriors with fresh horses, she enabled them to move quickly across the battlefield and join the fighting more effectively.
Buffalo Calf Robe Woman had already earned distinction at the earlier Battle of the Rosebud on June 17, 1876. During that fierce engagement, she rode directly into the fighting to rescue her brother, Comes in Sight, after he had been wounded and dismounted. Cheyenne tradition remembers her courageous act as a pivotal moment in the battle, inspiring the warriors and helping to turn back General Crook’s forces.
She was not alone in supporting the defense of the village. Many Lakota and Cheyenne women contributed in vital ways, bringing fresh horses to warriors, carrying water, tending the wounded, and assisting wherever help was needed. Although their contributions often received less attention than those of the warriors, their courage, resourcefulness, and determination were essential to the successful defense of the village against the 7th Cavalry.
Portrait of a Native American man wearing traditional attire, including a feathered headdress and beaded necklaces.
Northern Cheyenne Chief Two Moons was among the prominent leaders whose warriors fought against Custer’s battalion at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The Northern Cheyenne camp was located at the lower end of the vast village along the Little Bighorn River. Because of its position, news of the soldiers’ attack reached the Cheyenne later than it did many of the Lakota camps upstream.
As the alarm spread through the village, Cheyenne warriors rushed to join the fight. They gathered their weapons, medicine bundles, and horses if they were immediately available. Those without mounts ran toward the sound of gunfire on foot, determined to defend their families and homes.
Once engaged, the Northern Cheyenne played a major role in the destruction of Custer’s command. Many fought at critical locations, including Ford D, Deep Coulee, and Last Stand Hill—areas closest to their camp circle. As the battle expanded across the ridges and ravines, Cheyenne warriors joined the fighting wherever they were needed, helping to overwhelm the scattered companies of the 7th Cavalry.
In later years, Two Moons became one of the most respected Native eyewitnesses to the battle. His detailed recollections provided historians with invaluable insights into the movements of both the Cheyenne warriors and Custer’s troops, making him an important source for understanding what occurred on June 25, 1876.
Historical portrait of a Native American man dressed in traditional attire, holding a spear.
Hunkpapa Chief Crow King played a significant role in the fighting against Custer’s battalion. During the battle, he led a force of Hunkpapa warriors up the ravine that later became known as Crow King Ravine. Using the cover provided by the terrain, his warriors advanced toward Finley Hill and brought heavy fire upon the soldiers stationed there, inflicting casualties and steadily weakening their position.
As pressure from the Lakota and Cheyenne warriors increased, the soldiers on Finley Hill found themselves exposed and vulnerable to attacks from several directions. The combination of sustained rifle fire and aggressive warrior assaults eventually overwhelmed the position. Unable to hold their ground, the surviving troopers retreated uphill toward Calhoun Hill, where they attempted to make another stand.
The loss of Finley Hill marked an important turning point in the battle. It opened the way for warriors to press their attacks against the remaining companies and contributed to the gradual collapse of Custer’s defensive line. As Lakota and Cheyenne forces gained momentum, Custer’s command became increasingly fragmented, setting the stage for its final destruction on Calhoun Hill, Battle Ridge, and Last Stand Hill.
Four Indigenous men in traditional attire, adorned with feathered headdresses and decorative clothing, standing together in a natural setting.
Arikara (Ree) scouts played an important role in Terry’s campaign and in Custer’s advance toward the Little Bighorn. Experienced in traveling across the Northern Plains, they helped guide the army through difficult terrain, located trails and camps, and served as invaluable scouts in the search for the Lakota and Cheyenne village.
During the battle, many of the Ree scouts carried out one of the traditional objectives of Plains warfare—the capture of enemy horses. They successfully rounded up and drove off numerous Lakota ponies. However, the combined Lakota and Cheyenne village possessed an enormous horse herd, estimated at roughly 10,000 animals. As a result, the loss of the captured ponies had little effect on the ability of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors to continue the fight.
The Ree scouts faithfully performed the duties assigned to them. As the battle unfolded, some departed the battlefield with the captured horses, acting in accordance with Custer’s orders to secure and remove the animals. Although their actions denied the village some horses, the sheer size of the pony herd meant that the Lakota and Cheyenne still had more than enough mounts available for their warriors. Consequently, the scouts’ success in capturing horses had only a limited impact on the outcome of the battle.
An elderly woman in traditional attire, wearing a scarf and a coat, stands beside a young boy in a striped hat and sweater, with a wooden background.
Lakota Kate Bighead, as a senior.
A historic black-and-white portrait featuring a group of individuals, including several Native American men in traditional attire with headdresses, and others in formal clothing, posing together in a studio setting.
He Dog and other Lakota and Northern Cheyenne leaders were part of the 1891 Washinton delegation.
A group of cowboys on horseback, some waving their arms, gathered in an open area, showcasing a historical western scene.
Lakota and possibly Northern Cheyenne battle participants at a reunion.
A gravestone marking the resting place of A'kaveh'e Onahe Limber Bones, a Cheyenne warrior who fell on June 25, 1876, while defending the Cheyenne way of life, surrounded by grass.
Northern Cheyenne Suicide Boy Limber Bones marker
A granite memorial stone honoring Hahpehe'onahe, a Cheyenne warrior who fell on June 25, 1876, while defending the Cheyenne way of life.
Northern Cheyenne Suicide Boy Closed Hand.
Portrait of Chief Gall, showing a person with long hair and an intense expression, wearing a simple garment.
Lakota Chief Gall in another image.
A metal sculpture depicting a historical scene with figures on horseback, set against a twilight sky. The silhouettes include a warrior, a rider, and a person leading a horse.
The Native American exhibit at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument was created to present the battle from the perspectives of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow, and Arikara peoples—voices that were largely absent from public interpretation for more than a century after the events of June 1876. For much of the battlefield’s history, commemoration focused almost exclusively on the soldiers of the 7th Cavalry. Native participants, despite their central role in the battle, were seldom identified, honored, or represented in the site’s interpretive programs.
Beginning in the late twentieth century, efforts were made to create a more balanced and inclusive account of the battle. These efforts culminated in the establishment of the Indian Memorial and a series of exhibits that recognize the experiences, sacrifices, and perspectives of the Native peoples who fought there. Today, the memorial and accompanying displays help visitors better understand the battle as a clash of cultures and nations, preserving the stories of all who took part in one of the most significant events in the history of the American West.[nps.gov], [npshistory.com]