On June 25, 1876, Sioux, Arapahoe, and Cheyenne warriors led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse wiped out Lt. Colonel George Custer and a large part of his 7th Cavalry at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Almost 100 years later, the event would provide a key moment in a great American film.
Custer’s Last Stand
In 1876, the 7th Calvary was scouting on behalf of two columns of U.S. soldiers. The soldiers were trying to force the Native Americans onto reservations. Another column had already lost a battle, unbeknownst to the other two groups.
Custer’s scouts warned him about a large Native American village nearby. But Custer thought the numbers were exaggerated and forged ahead instead of waiting for reinforcements.
Custer divided his regiment and proceeded with around 215 men. They were soon cut off by thousands of braves. All of the soldiers, including Custer, were killed at Little Big Horn in what became known as “Custer’s Last Stand.”
“Little Big Man”
My favorite movie with a fictionalized account of the incident is Little Big Man (1970). The movie has a 96% critics rating and 86% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie is based on a revisionist comic Western novel by Thomas Berger. In the film, Dustin Hoffman gives one of his greatest performances as Jack Crabb.
The film follows Crabb, who recounts his life of adventure. He was raised by Native Americans, and he later served as a scout for an inept and somewhat crazy Custer, played brilliantly by Richard Mulligan.
This scene from the film captures Crabb simultaneously warning and daring Custer about what awaits.
Arthur Penn directed Little Big Man, which also starred Faye Dunaway, Martin Balsam, and Chief Dan George. The movie is fictional satire that has moments of great humor. But it also realistically reflects the victory and the tragedy of Little Big Horn and the plight of the Native Americans. If you have never seen the movie, you should.
Although the Native Americans won the day, “Little Big Horn” became a rallying cry for the whites as more soldiers came to eventually track down Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and the other Native Americans. In less than fifteen years in 1889, the area around Little Big Horn became part of the new state of Montana.
“The Custer Fight” painting by Charles Marion Russell via public domain.
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