The story of the Battle of the Little Bighorn is often told with General Custer selfishly rushing to get to the banks of the Little Bighorn River a day earlier than he was supposed to. In particular, in the days leading up to the battle, it was his plan to arrive a day early. Interestingly, it has been discovered that this was not the case.

The day before the Battle of the Little Bighorn would begin, General Custer and the 7th Cavalry were following a large Native American trail. It was leading them west. They had been following the trail for days.

The regiment Custer was leading was part of a larger group, and according to some Little Bighorn presentations, all groups were supposed to meet in the vicinity of the Little Bighorn River on the June 26, 1876.

Custer had Native American scouts and an interpreter with him. The interpreter's name was Frederic Frances Gerard.

A little after 11:30 p.m., on June 24th, a conversation took place among Custer, Gerard, and two Native American scouts. According to Gerard, during the discussion, Custer asked the two scouts "where there was any timber where they could be concealed during the day where the Indians could not discover them" (Reno, 76).

This is a rather strange thing for Custer to be asking. After all, he has been depicted as being in the process of rushing to get to the banks of the Little Bighorn at this very time - yet, here he was asking where the regiment could be concealed during the following day. This is a strange question indeed. It's almost like he wasn't planning on heading into the valley of the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876.

While this question itself is rather interesting, Gerard would provide even more information regarding Custer's plan for June 25th - he would relate an order of Custer's that was given in the early morning of that day. He would state the following.

"The command was halted and orders were given to make coffee with small fires, the fires to be put out when the coffee was made; the horses to remain saddled, and we would go into camp after day-light" (Reno, 93).

This information is remarkable. It tells us that at the time the order was given, it was not Custer's plan to take the regiment into the vicinity of the Little Bighorn River on June 25, 1876. Instead, it was to have the regiment go into camp that day. This is quite different from what typical presentations of the story of the Little Bighorn relate. This is not the only time though, that Gerard would provide information related to Custer's orders for that day.

At another point in time, Gerard would state that on the morning of June 25th, 1876, Custer said: "My orders and intentions were to remain in camp all day ..." (Libby, 172). This supports the claim that at a certain point on June 25th, 1876, it was not Custer's plan to head into the valley of the Little Bighorn, but to go into camp that day. Gerard would not be alone in providing information that supports this claim - an Arikara scout named Red Star would as well.

On the morning of June 25, 1876, Custer made his way to a high point from which he could examine the surrounding area. After doing so, he spoke with those who were there. Red Star was present and would later convey that during this time, Custer said: "I want to wait until it is dark and then we will march ..." (Libby, 92). Red Star would go on to say that around the same time, Custer also said: "I want to wait until it is dark ..." (Libby, 92). These are two separate statements from Red Star as to what Custer's plan was for the day of June 25th, 1876. They are incredibly helpful in trying to understand Custer's plan regarding the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Interestingly, they line up quite well with Gerard's statements concerning Custer's plan and support their validity. Lieutenant Godfrey would also provide helpful insight into the matter of Custer's plan for June 25, 1876.

Lieutenant Edward Settle Godfrey was an officer in the 7th Cavalry. He was with the regiment in the days leading up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn. During this time, he would be provided with information that others in the regiment were not. This was due to the fact that he was an officer. This makes information provided by Godfrey regarding Custer's plan for June 25th, 1876, rather reliable.

Following the battle, Godfrey would write that on June 24th, 1876, at around 9:30 at night, he was called to a meeting with Custer and other officers. He would go on to write that during this meeting, Custer said that he was going to take the regiment to a location where "the command would be concealed during the day" (Hutton, 279). This statement is in accordance with those made by Gerard and Red Star regarding Custer's plan for June 25th, 1876. In the same piece, Godfrey would also relate that Custer made a similar statement during a meeting that took place the following morning. Both are further evidence that at a certain point on June 25th, 1876, it was not Custer's plan to take the regiment into the valley of the Little Bighorn - rather, it was to take the regiment into camp. Godfrey was not the only officer in agreement with Gerard and Red Star - Lieutenant Winfield Scott Edgerly was, as well.

Lieutenant Edgerly was also with the 7th Cavalry in the days leading up to the Little Bighorn. Like Godfrey, he was included in the officers' meeting that took place on the morning of June 25th, 1876. According to a statement made by Lieutenant Edgerly that appeared in the August 18, 1881 edition of the Leavenworth Weekly Times, Edgerly stated that it was not Custer's plan to go head into the valley of the Little Bighorn that day, but to do so the following day. This means that Gerard, Red Star, Godfrey, and Edgerly were all in agreement that it was not Custer's plan all along to head to the banks of the Little Bighorn on the 25th of June, 1876.

The story of the Battle of the Little Bighorn has often been told with Custer rushing to get to the banks of the Little Bighorn ahead of schedule so that he could selfishly gain a victory for himself. While it seems that much of what happened during the Battle of the Little Bighorn is up for debate, this no longer is. From the statements provided by Gerard, Red Star, Godfrey, and Edgerly, it has become quite clear that this claim is false. All four have stated that at a certain point leading up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn, it was not Custer's plan to move into the vicinity of the Little Bighorn River on June 25, 1876. In this regard, Gerard, Red Star, Godfrey, and Edgerly are all in agreement. This allows both Custer and the battle to be re-evaluated. It also allows the story of the Little Bighorn to be told in a way that is different from how it is typically presented.

Custer's plan for June 25, 1876, is a rather important matter to the story of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. It follows then, that having an accurate understanding of such is vital to understanding the battle itself. Thankfully, the information provided by Gerard, Red Star, Godfrey, and Edgerly allows us to move forward - not only in our understanding of Custer's plan for that day - but in our understanding of the battle as well.

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About the Author

Tim Kloos is an online advertising professional. He helps clients with their websites, online presence, and online advertising. If you need help with any of these, feel free to contact him via the contact page.

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He has also written a children's book set in the Old West.