It seems clear that the greatest mystery of the Battle of the Little Bighorn is in regards to what happened to General Custer and his battalion. Although this mystery has been around for some time, an answer is finally available. Perhaps now the matter of what happened to Custer can at last be settled.

Edward S. Godfrey was a Lieutenant in the 7th Cavalry during the Battle of the Little Bighorn. He would command company K. After the 7th Cavalry crossed the Wolf Mountains, Godfrey was sent off to the left with Captain Benteen and his battalion. Custer and the rest of the 7th Cavalry would continue on straight ahead following a Native American trail.

About a mile from the river, one trail would lead to the left and another would lead to the right. Major Reno and his battalion would take the trail to the left, while General Custer and his battalion would take the trail that lead to the right.

Reno would engage the Native Americans and then take his men eastward across the river and up the bluff. This movement would result in Reno and his battalion generally disengaging from the Native Americans. During this movement across the river and up the bluff, Reno's battalion would suffer relatively high casualties.

Benteen's battalion would meet up with Reno and what was left of his battalion on top of the bluff they were climbing. Godfrey himself would arrive on the bluff around the same time Reno's men were climbing them. In Godfrey's Reno Inquiry testimony, he would discuss what happened after he arrived on the bluff.

The following is a short exchange between the Reno Inquiry Recorder and Godfrey during his Reno Inquiry testimony. It begins with the Recorder asking Godfrey a question.

Q. What disposition was made by your company when you joined Major Reno, and by whose order?
A. I was ordered by Capt. Benteen to dismount my company and put it in skirmish line on the bluff towards the river (Reno, 428).

A little while later in his testimony, Godfrey would go on to describe what happened after his men had been placed in position. This portion of his testimony is one of the most important exchanges in the entire Reno Inquiry. His statements reveal an astonishing development during the Battle of the Little Bighorn and provide an answer to the question of what happened to Custer and his men.

The following exchange begins with the Recorder asking Godfrey about the warriors he saw across the river in the valley bottom.

Q: Describe those you saw there.
A: I judge there were probably not less than six or seven hundred Indians in that bottom, that I saw there - a great many starting up on our left, that is, going up the Little Bighorn above us. They soon came back and went down the river, till finally the bottom was nearly cleared and I saw none at all.
Q: Where did they all seem to go?
A: Down the river.
Q: How long did that occur after your arrival?
A: Not more than 10 minutes.
Q: When the other movement was made they vacated the bottom?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Describe the firing about the command at that time, whether heavy or scattering shots.
A: When my company was first put out, it was pretty heavy firing; but the Indians that could be seen were so far away that it seemed like a waste of ammunition, and I ordered the troops to stop firing.
Q: The heavy firing was then on the part of the command or the Indians or both?
A: On the part of the command principally (Reno, 429).

Godfrey's statements in this exchange are remarkable. In these few statements, Godfrey provides information that settles the mystery of what happened to Custer and his men.

Godfrey testifies that Reno and the troops on the hill were disengaged from the warriors across the river and continued in that state. Further, he mentions no immediate plans for re-engagement.

The warriors across the river seemed to understand that the troops on the hill were withdrawn - and indefinitely so. After all, the troops showed no signs of preparing to re-engage any time soon. This allowed the warriors to go on the offense.

The warriors' movement upstream is an offensive movement against the troops on the hill - or possibly even against the pack train that was still headed toward the hill. However, shortly after beginning this movement, the warriors became aware that there were more troops further downstream. Thus, with the knowledge that the troops on the hill were withdrawn and not making any signs of re-engagement, all of the warriors headed downstream to address the troops located there. It is at this very moment - when the warriors began heading downstream - that Custer was defeated.

Before the warriors across the river headed downstream, Custer was already engaged with other forces from the village. The addition of the warriors Godfrey had seen across the river would mean that Custer and his men would be facing nearly the entire fighting force of the village - alone.

Custer and his men would have been heavily outnumbered and overwhelmed. These would become the most significant factors to contribute to Custer's defeat. Against just the warriors across the river, Custer would have been outnumbered almost 3-to-1.

Under these circumstances, it becomes easy to see what happened to Custer and his men. Further, the mystery of what happened to them becomes quickly and sufficiently resolved: they were heavily outnumbered, overwhelmed, and defeated.

Although the mystery of what happened to Custer and his men has been around for some time, it has at last been solved. When Reno disengaged from the warriors across the river and showed no signs of attempting to re-engage any time soon, this allowed all of the warriors to head downstream toward Custer's position.

Upon their arrival at Custer's position, Custer and his men would have been heavily outnumbered and overwhelmed by nearly the entire fighting force of the village. It would be under these conditions that Custer and his men would be defeated.

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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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