A Companion to Custer and the Little Bighorn Campaign

• An accessible and authoritative overview of the scholarship that has shaped our understanding of one of the most iconic battles in the history of the American West
• Combines contributions from an array of respected scholars, historians, and battlefield scientists
• Outlines the political and cultural conditions that laid the foundation for the Centennial Campaign and examines how George Armstrong Custer became its figurehead
• Provides a detailed analysis of the battle maneuverings at Little Bighorn, paying special attention to Indian testimony from the battlefield
• Concludes with a section examining how the Battle of Little Bighorn has been mythologized and its pervading influence on American culture

List of Illustrations viii

Notes on Contributors x

Acknowledgments xiv

Introduction 1
Brad D. Lookingbill

Part I The Indians of the Northern Plains 11

1 The Lakota Sioux 13
Rani‐Henrik Andersson

2 The Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho 34
Leo Killsback

3 Patriot Chiefs 54
Kurt Windisch

4 The Native Way of War 74
Daniel Sauerwein

5 Auxiliaries and Scouts 92
Adam R. Hodge

Part II The US Army in the Western Territories 111

6 The Policies of War and Peace 113
Bill Carney

7 Forts on the Northern Plains 130
Janne Lahti

8 Army Life 148
Robin S. Conner

9 Women and Dependents 170
Shannon D. Smith

10 Technology and Tactics 188
Andrew J. Forney

Part III The Making of George Armstrong Custer 209

11 A Young General 211
Mark Ehlers

12 Commander in the West 229
Jeff Broome

13 The 7th Cavalry 246
John R. Dreyer

14 Elizabeth Bacon Custer 264
Tonia M. Compton

Part IV Into the Valley 283

15 The Convergence 285
Debra J. Sheffer

16 The Reno‐Benteen Site 302
Wesley Moody III

17 Custer’s Fight 318
Bob Reece

18 The Aftermath 341
Alan M. Anderson

Part V The Last Stand of Myth and Memory 367

19 Native Traditions 369
Carole A. Barrett

20 The Press 387
Hugh J. Reilly

21 Popular Culture 404
Rebecca S. Wingo

22 Reenacting the Battle 423
Jeremy M. Johnston

23 The Legacy of Archaeology 445
Douglas D. Scott

24 A National Monument 462
Douglas Seefeldt and Jason A. Heppler

25 The Battle of History 485
Michael Welsh

Index 505

"Each of the twenty-five authors that contributed to this volume brings solid credentials to the discussion. The fact that twenty-five authors and twenty-five different topics were required to provide a comprehensive overview of the battle adds additional strength to the Companion. It serves to emphasize how incredibly complex the 1876 campaign really was." (The Denver Westerners Roundup, May - June 2016)

Brad D. Lookingbill is professor of history at Columbia College of Missouri, USA. He is the author of War Dance at Fort Marion: Plains Indian War Prisoners (2014) and The American Military: A Narrative History (Wiley-Blackwell, 2014) and the editor of American Military History: A Documentary Reader (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011). Dr. Lookingbill has received several teaching awards, most recently the Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching Award from the American Historical Association in 2010. Prior to pursuing a career in academia, Dr. Lookingbill served in the Army National Guard and Reserve.

A COMPANION TO CUSTER AND THE LITTLE BIGHORN CAMPAIGN

"Brad Lookingbill has done a first-rate job of assembling an impressive variety of essays that reflect the richness and continuing vitality of scholarship on the Little Bighorn." Robert Wooster, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi

"This is a most welcome volume for all serious students of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. It combines up-to-date scholarship from an impressive array of young scholars with the work of seasoned professionals. The essays cover important topics in military history, Native American studies, and popular culture. This book effectively bridges the gap between academic and popular history, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the 19th century American West." Tim Lehman, Rocky Mountain College

The Battle of the Little Bighorn is the most iconic conflict in the history of the American West. It ranks as the worst military defeat of the U.S. Army during the Indian wars, yet it simultaneously marks the apex of Native American resistance on the Great Plains. A Companion to Custer and the Little Bighorn Campaign offers an authoritative and accessible overview of the scholarship that has shaped our understanding of this seminal battle. The Companion is strategically divided into five thematic sections: The first section outlines the history of the Lakota and the Northern Cheyenne people, the second details the Army's presence in the Western territories leading up to the Little Bighorn Campaign, and the third examines how General Custer became an American military figurehead. The fourth section provides detailed analyses of the battle maneuverings at Little Bighorn, paying special attention to Indian testimony

from the battlefield, while the fifth and final section demonstrates how, from the moment the public earned of the U.S. Army's defeat, the Battle of the Little Bighorn has permeated America's cultural consciousness.

Combining contributions from an array of respected scholars and historians, A Companion to Custer and the Little Bighorn Campaign will be an essential guide for anyone interested in better understanding this pivotal moment in American history.