June 25: Custer's Last Stand

On this date in 1876, Custer’s last stand took place at Little Bighorn, Montana. 10 things you might not know about Custer's last stand.

1. George Armstrong Custer was born in Ohio in 1839, and attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. His record there in no way reflected his future renown as a war hero - during the four years he spent there, he amassed a record-total of 726 demerits, one of the worst conduct records in the academy's history and graduated last in his class.
2. When the Civil War broke out, Custer joined the Union Army’s Cavalry. In real battle situations, Custer proved himself a competent, reliable soldier and by the time the war ended, he was a Major General in charge of a Cavalry division. His dogged pursuit of the Army of Northern Virginia is often credited for helping end the Civil War. Unlike many generals, he led his men from the front instead of from behind; he was often the first to plunge into battle.
3. Even so, his reputation wasn't spotless. In 1867, he was court martialled for deserting and going back to his wife. He was suspended without rank or pay for a year. His actions baffled his superiors, who wondered why a highly-decorated and well-respected commander would do such a thing. One thing it did show was that he had a tendency to make rash decisions.
4. After the Civil War, land in the west of America was becoming scarce, but there was still plenty of Plains land. The US government granted 10% of that land for settlers and railways. However, they were essentially stealing that land from the Native Americans who lived there. The Plains Indians were determined not to be forced onto reservations and set out to defend their land.
5. The government's tactic was to attack the buffalo the Native Americans depended on for their livelihood. They encouraged hunters to kill as many buffalo as possible and even passengers on trains were encouraged to shoot buffalo for fun. Trains would stop for that very purpose if a herd of buffalo was spotted. The Native Americans were, as you might guess, extremely angry about this. They retaliated by slaughtering settlers and railway workers, women and children and all. By 1866, it was full out war.
6. The US army needed all the men it could get to fight Indians - so Custer was brought back before his court martial sentence was up and put in command of the 7th Cavalry. He soon gained a reputation as a ruthless fighter of Indians.
7. In 1868, the U.S. government signed a treaty recognising South Dakota’s Black Hills as part of the Great Sioux Reservation. However, in 1874, the government decided to break the treaty and take land back. Why? Human greed again. Gold had been discovered in the Black Hills. The Native Americans, therefore, had to be moved out of the area and it was Custer who was given the job of relocating them, by force if need be. The Indians were justifiably angry. Not only did those in the area amass to fight, but others who could left their reservations and travelled to join Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse on the banks of the Little Bighorn River.
8. The US army's response to this fast growing force of Native Americans was to send three groups of soldiers, including Custer and his 7th Cavalry, to round them up and send them back to their reservations. Some of the troops were delayed, but Custer decided to attack anyway. Whether this was an impetuous decision, like deciding to desert and go back to his wife, or a tactical strike carried out in the belief that reinforcements were on their way, we shall never know.
9. Exactly what happened at Custer’s Last Stand isn't known, since none of Custer's men lived to tell the tale. The 7th Cavalry were outnumbered and out gunned, and didn't stand a chance. It's possible they panicked and tried to flee, but the Native Americans shot them all. The other troops who were in the area, led by Captain Frederick Benteen and Major Marcus Reno, didn't go and help, despite reports that Custer sent orders for them to do so. Perhaps they knew it was a suicide mission! Eventually, the reinforcements did arrive and it was the Native Americans who were outnumbered and they retreated. Custer's body, and those of 40 of his men, including his brother and nephew, and dozens of dead horses, were found at Custer Hill, also known as Last Stand Hill. Custer had suffered two bullet wounds, one near his heart and one in the head. It’s not known which one killed him.
10. In the aftermath, rumours abounded. Some said Custer's eardrums had been pierced because he'd refused to listen to the Indians; others said he'd not been scalped because he wasn't in uniform at the time and the Indians had taken him for an innocent bystander. There was also a rumour that he'd been spared because he had an Indian lover, with whom he'd had two children. The events of the day are steeped in controversy with many historians believing Custer was arrogant and disregarded the original battle plan, causing the deaths of all his men. One person who wanted Custer to be hailed as a hero was his wife, Libby. She promoted him as a brave hero cut down in the prime of his life while defending his country, and must be at least partially responsible for Custer's Last Stand becoming one of the most famous events in American history.

The Raiders Trilogy

Book One

Book Three

Book Two

   

Power Blaster is a superhero who lives in a dimension not unlike our own, in the mega-nation of Innovia. No-one knows who he is or where his powers come from. 
After saving the life of the President several times, Power Blaster learns that a test of a nuclear warhead to defend the planet against asteroid strikes will have devastating consequences for his world and sets out to prevent it.

Power Blaster's actions lead to an unexpected result - a wormhole opens between his dimension and our own. Anyone in the vicinity is pulled through. People from diverse backgrounds and cultures must co-operate to survive and learn to live with the powers travel through the wormhole has bestowed on some of them.

A stable wormhole is established between the two dimensions. Power Blaster is determined to bring Desi Troyes, the person responsible for the bomb, to justice. Help comes from some rather unexpected sources. Meanwhile, Shanna Douglas sets out on a mission of her own, to find out if there is a cure for the life altering condition the wormhole gave her friend, Benedict Cole. Little does she know that she will stumble upon the secret of Power Blaster's mysterious origins.