It appears that at long last, Custer's overall plan going into the Little Bighorn has been found. While some may have thought that it was to simply to defeat the Sioux in battle that day, that does not appear to be the case. Furthermore, it does not appear to be the case that it was to try and capture non-combatants and thereby cause the combatants to surrender. His overall plan appears to be different from these and one that many are possibly not aware of.

Custer's overall Little Bighorn plan was revealed by Frederic Frances Girard during the Reno Inquiry. Girard served as a civilian intepreter who was with the 7th Cavalry during the battle.

Early in his testimony, Girard mentioned orders of Custer's that he was to give to the Indian scouts serving the 7th Cavalry. He stated that on June 24, 1876 (the night before the Little Bighorn battle) Custer "reported his orders to me to be sure to have the Indians [scouts] follow the left-hand trail, no matter how small it might be - he didn't want any of the camps of the Sioux to escape him. He wanted to get them all together and drive them down to the Yellowstone" (Reno, 76).

This is radically different from what some have presented as being Custer's overall plan at the Little Bighorn. It was not to simply engage in a battle, nor to capture noncombatants, it was to get the Sioux all together and move them to the Yellowstone River.

This is revolutionary in our understanding of what happened at the battle. Frankly, with this knowledge, it appears that much of the story of the Little Bighorn and Custer's movements, actions, and decisions can be re-interpreted – that is how crucial this is to understanding the battle.

Although the Little Bighorn battle occurred over a hundred years ago, it appears that Custer's overall plan has finally become apparent. Perhaps now, we can finally understand what happened and why at the battle. Perhaps now, the greatest questions of the Little Bighorn can be answered.

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.

His tech website is clevelandwebdesignplus.com.

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