Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 1 9 46 BATTLE OF THE GREASY GRASS OR THE BATTLE OF THE LITTLE BIGHORN June 25- 26, 1876, between the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the U.S. 7th Cavalry. Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry attacked a large village consisting of five bands of Lakota and one band of Cheyenne, camped along the Little Bighorn River. When the smoke cleared, 268 soldiers, including Custer, were killed while the Lakota and Cheyenne sustained a known loss of 31 warriors. Custer divided his troops and so the Reno-Benteen Battlefield is several miles upstream from the Custer Fight and is usually treated as a separate battle from the Custer Battle. e Battle of the Little Bighorn is regarded as the most decisive Native American victory and the worst U.S. Army defeat in the Plains Wars. Its consequences, however, is that the Plains tribes won the battle but lost the war as the U. S. Government increased its efforts to (subdue) the tribes. MASSACRE ON THE MARIAS OR BAKER'S MASSACRE, JANUARY 23, 1870. Major Eu- gene Baker of the Second Cavalry was sent to punish the Piegan (Blackfeet) village of Mountain Chief who was thought to be harboring the murders of Malcolm Clarke, prominent Montana rancher. Instead, the Calvary mistakenly attacked the village of Heavy Runner, known to be peace- ful. Baker's scout, Joe Kipp, informed Baker that they were about to attack the wrong village. Baker replied, "at makes no difference," and ordered the attack. After the attack was over, 37 men, 90 women, and 50 children lay dead (the ma- jority of men were off hunting). A Montana history book of the time reported that this was "the first great lesson in good manners taught the savages of this territory." THE FIGHT WHERE THE GIRL SAVED HER BROTHER OR THE BATTLE OF THE ROSE- BUD, June 17, 1876 between the Lakota and the Cheyenne and Brigadier General George R. Crook, commanding the 2nd and 3rd Calvary and five companies of the 4th and 9th Infantry. Taking place just a week before the Battle of the Little Bighorn, warriors and soldiers fought to a draw and Crook withdrew to Goose Creek, near Sheridan, Wyoming, where he remained for seven weeks. During his convalescence, the Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought to its well-known conclusion. Histori- ans have long speculated how the Custer Fight might have turned out had Crook's 950 soldiers been in the field. e Cheyenne name is a product of Buffalo Calf Road Woman who saved her wounded brother, Chief Comes in Sight, by riding into the fray and grabbing him up. TWO MEDICINE FIGHT, July 27, 1806, between Meriwether Lewis and men under his command and Piegan (Blackfeet) warriors. Captain Lewis, of Lewis and Clark Expedition fame, traveled down the The (Little Big Horn Battle) consequences, HOWEVER, ARE THAT THE PLAINS TRIBES WON THE BATTLE BUT LOST THE WAR AS THE U. S. GOVERNMENT INCREASED ITS EFFORTS TO (SUBDUE) THE TRIBES. The Custer Fight, by C.M. Russell, 1903 Major Eugene Baker and his men at Fort Ellis LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD MARIAS MASSACRE BATTLE OF THE ROSEBUD TWO MEDICINE FIGHT 1 2 3 4

• Cover