The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn

by Nathaniel Philbrick

  Index

  Adams, Jacob

  Alexander, Steve

  American frontier

  American Indians

  eventual defeat of

  government reduces rations for

  and loss of land

  nineteenth-century view of

  nomadic lifestyle of

  and poverty

  single worst act against

  and spiritual power of water

  and surveyors

  territories of

  warfare strategy of

  warrior society of

  white expansion and

  see also specific tribes

  American West

  and baseball

  bloodstained march across

  chroniclers of

  and Custer as icon

  and greatest military loss

  greatest military siege of

  harsh landscape of

  quintessential innovations of

  Apache

  Arapaho

  Arikara Indian scouts

  and Battle of Little Bighorn

  and capturing of horses

  and Custer

  names for Seventh Cavalry leaders

  preparing for battle

  tracking skills of

  under Varnum’s command

  see also individual names

  Assiniboine

  Atlantic magazine

  Bacon, Daniel

  Bacon, Elizabeth “Libbie,” see Custer, Elizabeth “Libbie”

  Baker, Gerard

  Barrett, Lawrence

  Barrows, Samuel June

  baseball

  Battle of Killdeer Mountain

  Battle of Little Bighorn

  aftermath of

  and alcohol consumption

  and bravery of Indians

  and bravery of soldiers

  and court of inquiry

  and descendants of warriors

  firsthand accounts of

  historians of

  and Indian deaths

  Indians seeking revenge for

  medals awarded for

  movies about

  and mutilated bodies

  myths about

  reenactments of

  and the siege

  significance of

  soldiers attack/charge Indians during

  soldiers attacked by Lakota during

  soldiers buried after

  soldiers killed during

  soldiers retreating from

  soldiers suffering from dehydration

  studies of

  surreal aspects of

  survivors of

  tragedy of

  and transport of wounded

  Battle of Little Bighorn Battlefield

  Battle of Sand Creek

  Battle of the Rosebud

  Battle of the Washita

  ammunition for

  and Benteen

  and captives

  Custer’s strategy for

  and Indian villages

  and Seventh Cavalry

  and the Seventh’s band

  Battle Ridge

  Beard, Dewey

  Bear Lice

  Beaver Heart (Cheyenne)

  Belknap, William

  Bell, James

  Bennett, James

  Benteen, Frederick

  and baseball

  and Battle of Little Bighorn

  on camp life

  career of

  on Civil War

  Custer finding fault with

  on deaths in Custer’s battalion

  dislike/criticism of Custer

  disobeying orders

  and extreme thirst

  on Godfrey

  guards packing mule train

  and Keogh

  leading attack at Battle of the Washita

  leading battalion at Battle of Little Bighorn

  leading march to Little Bighorn

  personality of

  at Rosebud campsite

  scorning General Crook

  using the press

  writings of

  Big Foot (Minneconjou chief)

  Bighorn River

  Bismarck Tribune

  Black Bear (Oglala Lakota leader)

  Black Elk (Oglala Lakota)

  Black Elk Speaks (Niehardt)

  Blackfeet Lakota

  Black Hawk

  Black Hills

  Black Hills Expedition

  Black Kettle, Chief

  Black Kettle’s village

  Black Moon (Sitting Bull’s uncle)

  Bloody Knife (Arikara scout)

  Bobtail Bull (Arikara leader)

  Bourke, John

  Boyer, Mitch

  Bradley, James

  Brave Bear (Oglala Lakota)

  Brewster, Charles

  Bridger, Jim

  Brisbin, James

  Broken Arm (Lakota policeman)

  Brughiere, Johnnie

  Brulé Lakota

  buckskin

  buffalo

  abundance of

  disappearance of

  essential to Lakota

  as food source

  hunting of

  various uses for

  Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show

  Bull Head (Lakota policeman)

  Burkhardt, Charles

  Burkman, John

  Calhoun, James

  Calhoun Hill

  Camp, Walter Mason

  camp life

  Carignan, John

  Carnahan, John

  Catch the Bear (Hunkpapa Lakota)

  Centennial Exhibition (Philadelphia)

  Chandler, Zachariah

  Charley, Vincent

  Cheska Maza (Lakota policemen)

  Cheyenne

  and annihilation of Custer

  army attacked by

  at Battle of Little Bighorn

  and Black Hills

  campaigns against

  captives

  facing white soldiers

  and fight over plunder

  and Little Wolf

  nomadic lifestyle of

  and reservations

  and Sitting Bull

  villages of

  warriors of

  weapons used by

  Cheyenne River Agency

  Chippewa

  Chivington, John

  Civil War

  and America’s destiny

  and Benteen

  and the Custers

  and Keogh

  and Terry

  Clark, Ben

  Cody, Buffalo Bill

  Coleman, Thomas

  Constitution (hot-air balloon)

  Cooke, William

  and Battle of Little Bighorn

  and campaign against Cheyenne

  and Custer

  death of

  descriptions of

  desecrating graves

  friendship with Libbie

  counting coup

  Cowen, Benjamin

  Crawler (Hunkpapa Lakota)

  Crazy Horse (Oglala Lakota)

  at Battle of Little Bighorn

  at Battle of the Rosebud

  and Black Hills

  death of

  on Grant

  as great warrior

  and Grouard

  rivalry with White Bull

  vision of

  as war chief

  war strategy of

  Cressey, Will

  Crittenden, John

  Crook, George

  at Battle of the Rosebud

  and Black Hills

  and campaign against Lakota

  description of

  success as Indian fighter

  and use of pack mules

  and Wyoming Column

  Crow. See also specific names

  Crowell, William

  Crowfoot (Sitting Bull’s son)

  Crow scouts

  at Battle of Little Bighorn

 
and Bradley

  and controversy over Custer

  and Crook

  retreat to reservation

  tracking skills of

  work for Custer

  Crow’s Nest (Wolf Mountains)

  Curley (Crow scout)

  Curtis, Edward

  Curtiss, William

  Custer, Boston (George’s brother)

  Custer, Elizabeth “Libbie,” 15, 48, 181

  calling for investigation

  and childlessness

  corresponding with husband

  descriptions of

  despair over husband’s death

  and Far West

  fears for husband’s safety

  at Fort Lincoln

  friendship with officers

  on husband’s friendship with Barrett

  on husband’s study

  on Keogh

  on life in Kentucky

  Michigan home of

  in New York

  preserving husband’s legacy

  relationship with Custer

  as writer

  Custer, Emanuel (George’s father)

  Custer, George Armstrong

  accusations against

  and American imperialism

  as American myth/hero

  army career of

  arrest and court-martial of

  Barrett’s friendship with

  and Battle of Little Bighorn

  and Battle of the Washita

  and Benteen

  biography of

  and Black Hills Expedition

  and Black Kettle’s village

  blamed for tragedy of Little Bighorn

  and buckskin

  and campaign against Cheyenne

  and campaign against Lakota

  and campaign against Sioux

  as celebrity

  Custer, George Armstrong (cont.)

  childhood/family life of

  and childlessness

  and Civil War

  commanding Seventh Cavalry

  confidence in the Seventh

  controversy over whereabouts at Battle of Little Bighorn

  corresponding with wife

  at Crow’s Nest

  and “Custer luck,”

  death of

  defeat at Bighorn

  desecrating Lakota burials

  dislike of

  disobeying orders

  and dogs

  erratic behavior of

  and financial woes

  at Fort Lincoln

  and Grant

  as great leader

  and horses

  and hostage taking

  hunting buffalo

  image of himself

  as Indian fighter

  in Kentucky

  and Last Stand

  leading battalion at Battle of Little Bighorn

  leading column to Yellowstone

  leading soldiers to Little Bighorn

  leisure activities of

  as lieutenant colonel

  loyalty to

  and massacre of battalion

  mistakes made by

  monument for

  movies about

  in New York

  nicknames of

  and officers

  and other women

  personality of

  physical appearance of

  at Powder River

  and the press

  as public lecturer

  pursuing Sitting Bull

  and regiments

  relationship with wife

  and Reno

  reputation of

  at Rosebud River

  and scouts

  seeking glory and fame

  showing signs of depression

  strategies of

  strategy for Little Bighorn

  talents of

  and Terry

  testifying in Washington

  victories of

  at West Point

  writings of

  Custer, Maggie (George’s sister)

  Custer, Tom (George’s brother)

  camped at Heart River

  and C Company

  at Crow’s Nest

  and George Custer

  death of

  desecrating Lakota burials

  winning Medal of Honor in Civil War

  Custer Died for Your Sins (Deloria)

  Dakota Column

  Dakota Territory

  dances, Native. See also Ghost Dance; sun dance

  Davern, Edward

  Deeds (Hunkpapa Lakota)

  Deep Ravine

  Deer Medicine Rocks

  Deloria, Vine, Jr.

  DeRudio, Charles Camilus

  DeSmet, Pierre-Jean

  DeWolf, James Madison

  diseases

  Dorman, Isaiah–200, 315

  Edgerly, Winfield

  Elk Horn Prairie

  Elliott, Joel

  Far West (riverboat)

  delivering news about Custer

  descriptions of

  as headquarters of the Seventh

  high speed of

  as hospital ship

  mishaps aboard

  on the Missouri

  and transport of soldiers

  and transport of supplies

  Fehler, Henry

  Fetterman, William

  field glasses

  Finerty, John

  Finley, Jeremiah

  Fire, John

  firearms

  Colt revolvers

  Henry and Winchester repeating rifles

  and Lakota

  muzzle loaders

  Sharps rifles and

  supplied by the French

  used by Custer

  see also Gatling gun; Springfield carbines

  First Michigan regiment

  Flanagan, James

  Flying Hawk (Sitting Bull’s nephew)

  Foolish Elk (Oglala Lakota)

  Forked Horn (Arikara scout)

  Forsyth, James

  Fort Berthold

  Fort Buford

  Fort Ellis

  Fort Fetterman

  Fort Lincoln

  Fort Randall

  forts. See also specific forts

  Four Blankets Woman (Sitting Bull’s wife)

  Four Horns (Sitting Bull’s uncle)

  Fox, Henry

  French, Henry

  French, Thomas

  and Battle of Little Bighorn

  and Custer

  description of

  drinking problem of

  and “Long Tom” carbine

  on military life

  and Reno’s retreat

  French traders

  Galaxy magazine

  Gall (Hunkpapa Lakota)

  Garnett, Billy

  “Garry Owen” (song)

  Gatling gun

  George, William

  Gerard, Frederic

  Ghost Dance

  Gibbon, John

  and Battle of Little Bighorn

  commanding Montana Column

  and Custer

  and scouts

  and Terry

  Gibson, Francis

  “Girl I Left Behind Me” (song)

  Gobright, Lawrence

  Godfrey, Edward

  at Battle of Little Bighorn

  and campaign against Cheyenne

  on Custer

  on desecration of graves

  on Terry

  as unofficial historian

  at Wounded Knee

  Goes Ahead (Crow scout)

  gold

  Golden, Patrick

  Goldin, Theodore

  Good Bear Boy (Hunkpapa Lakota)

  Goose (Arikara scout)

  Gordon, Henry

  Grand River Agency. See also Standing Rock Agency

  Grant, Frederick Dent

  Grant, Orville

  Grant, Ulysses S.

  Gray Horse Troop

  Greasy Grass Ridge.
See also Little Bighorn River

  Grouard, Frank

  Gurley. L.

  Hairy Moccasin (Crow scout)

  Half Yellow Face (Crow scout)

  Hanging Wolf (Cheyenne)

  Hanley, Richard

  Hanson, Joseph

  Hardy, William

  Hare, Luther

  Harrington, Henry

  Harrison, Thomas

  Heart River campsite

  He Dog (Oglala Lakota)

  Herendeen, George

  Hodgson, Benny

  Holy Medicine (Hunkpapa Lakota)

  Horned Horse

  Horse Holders’ Ravine

  horses

  hot-air balloon

  Howells, William Dean

  Hughes, Robert

  Hunkpapa Lakota

  akicita (police)

  and bands of Lakota

  and Battle of Killdeer Mountain

  at Battle of Little Bighorn

  and Custer’s brass band

  important members of

  Sitting Bull as leader of

  village of

  Indian agencies. See also specific agencies

  Indian country

  Indian reservations

  Indian scouts. See also specific scouts; specific tribes

  Inkpaduta (Santee Sioux chief)

  interracial unions

  Iron Hawk (Hunkpapa Lakota)

  Jackson, Billy (Pikuni scout)

  Johnson, Benjamin

  John Stands in Timber (Cheyenne)

  Jordan, John

  Joseph Horn Cloud

  Julia Face (Brulé Lakota)

  Jumping Bull (Sitting Bull’s brother)

  Kanipe, Daniel

  Kansas

  Kate Bighead (Cheyenne)

  Kellogg, Mark

  Keogh, Myles

  at Battle of Little Bighorn

  as Custer’s senior officer

  description of

  friendship with Libbie

  horse of

  Kicking Bear (Oglala Lakota)

  Kill Eagle (Blackfeet Lakota)

  Kiowa

  Korn, Gustave

  Ku Klux Klan

  Lakota

  and “Battle in the Dark,”

  and Battle of Killdeer Mountain

  at Battle of Little Bighorn

  and Black Hills

  burial grounds of

  camped at Little Bighorn

  children at boarding schools

  and Custer

  desiring peace

  different bands of

  facing white soldiers

  and Grouard

  history/culture of

  nomadic lifestyle of

  opinion of whites

  outnumbering soldiers at Battle of Little Bighorn

  Parkman’s description of

  and reservations

  and scouts

  and sun dance

  U.S. Army attacks