Great report! Modern people tend to forget how hated Custer was by many of his own men: like Benteen. They called it "The Custer clique." The 7th Cavalry was a family operation. It included all of Custer's brothers and most of his friends. It even included his brother-in-law (Calhoun); as well as his dogs for taking side trips to go hunting. His position as commander was unassailable. The general in charge of the war against the Plains Indians was his old Civil War pal Phil Sheridan in Chicago. The president was U.S. Grant, who didn't like Custer, but who had frequently found him useful. Custer and his family clique were protected and his critics knew it. During the battle, Benteen (Who was court martialed for his conduct.) refused to go to Custer's aid. His men were screaming at him to assist Custer and several actually disobeyed his orders and set out on their own before being pinned down, then driven back, as Custer and his men were slaughtered.
Jim, where do you suppose the Indians got their Winchester repeating rifles from while the US Army was using bolt action single shot rifles? Even more than their sheer numbers, the inequity in firepower may have been their single biggest advantage.
This article talks about the various weapons, and the decision-making by the Army: Battle of Little Bighorn: Were the Weapons the Deciding Factor
The entire Indian Agency system was corrupt. Sharp operators had learned how to fleece the government during the Civil War and by 1876, they were providing the Indians with anything they wanted at any price they had the guts to ask for.
My home area here in SoCal has produced two men of note: Richard Nixon and this fellow, General George S. Patton. His father was a lawyer/politician who served as city attorney in Los Angeles, and then Pasadena, California. His grandfather, Col. George S. Patton, was a Confederate officer during the Civil War who was killed at the 3rd Battle of Winchester. The family lived in a small, exclusive town in the San Gabriel Valley called San Marino...
Want to get back to this topic and apologize for not doing so earlier, a lot for me to read. However I did just read a lengthy WWII history article about the Battle for Britain and the German ultimate failure. A really interesting read. JO'Co probably is familiar with it. http://airforceapp.forces.gc.ca/CFA...ed_Mission_During_the_Battle_of_Britain_e.pdf
That was a great read, Bill. I would add only one more thing: Admiral Wilhelm Canaris. It seems unbelievable that the head of German Military Intelligence (the Abwehr) was a spy for the Americans and the British, but he was. He was also a spy for the Vatican and was involved in plots to assassinate Hitler as far back as the mid-1930's. He was finally caught and executed in the final days of the war. Wilhelm Canaris
Canada has a remarkable record of success in the wars that it has fought. With a population smaller than California, and the world's longest undefended border, we never think of our neighbor as a war-like people, yet they finished WWII with the world's third largest navy, including aircraft carriers. They were also a large part of the RAF in the Battle of Britain, including legendary fighter ace Douglas Bader; a fellow with no legs...
Thanks JO'Co, I read the story about Canaris but haven't watched the video yet. Will do soon and love all this history you put up but still have a lot of catching up to do with all of it. Will do a couple more right now.
Interesting analysis of the events that shaped the character of Robert E Lee. Outline - Read & annotate without distractions
This is what a press conference looks like when every, single reporter in the room voted for the president they are questioning.