Archaeology, History, and Custer's Last Battle: The Little Big Horn Reexamined

by Richard A. Fox

Book Overview

On the afternoon of June 25, 1867, an overwhelming force of Sioux and Cheyenne Indians quickly mounted a savage onslaught against General George Armstrong Custer's battalion, driving the doomed... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806124962
• ISBN13: 9780806124964
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Length: 411 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Not Quite the Definitive Book on the Little Big Horn -- But Close

This volume should be the primary book on the Battle of the Little Big Horn for serious historians whether or not one agrees with the author's conclusions. His theories concerning the progress of the battle are supported better than the best of the more generally accepted ones by archaeological evidence, contemporary accounts, and near-contemporary analyses. This book should be purchased in tandem with Scott, Fox, Connor and Harmon, "Archaeological Perspectives on the Battle of the Little Bighorn." For the story of Custer himself, I recommend Connell's "Son of the Morning Star", Stewart's "Custer's Luck", and Custer's own "My Life on the Plains" edited by Milo Quaife. The Scott, et al, book provides much more detail evidence supporting the author's theory of the battle, and combining it with the subject of this review, one might even consider them compelling. At any rate, they must be read and considered before coming to an opinion concerning the progress of the battle. I was surprised by the negative reviews, particularly since this work is so well written, researched, and structured. If a reader doesn't like the author's conclusions, then all right, but the book at a minimum should receive four stars. Of all the books on Custer's annihilation, this book is the most heavily researched and supported by the evidence (in my opinion.) I would like one of the negative reviewers to produce a competitor so that evidence can be compared with evidence. This book does not detract from the fighting qualities of the 7th Cavalry, but does not present the image of a heroic band of warriors, clustered around their leader, selling their lives as dearly as possible. Instead the image is more complex. The two wings of Custer's detachment maintained their discipline until L Company was decimated after C Company was defeated in Calhoun's Coulee/Ridge, Keogh's Company I was swept up on the ridge from south to north by the Indian rush, and E and F companies rallied to Last Stand Hill. There order was maintained until half were dead or wounded, and the able-bodied soldiers, mostly from Company E, charged down the hill into the Deep Ravine (the South Skirmish Line area) where all were killed. Immediately thereafter, the remainder of the men, probably all wounded, on Custer's Hill were overrun and killed. The major bit of evidence still outstanding in support of this theory is that cutting of the Deep Ravine has so far failed to find the 28 bodies of the soldiers supposedly buried there in a cluster (see Scott, et al.) If these bodies are unearthed or another explanation is found, then this work can most probably be considered definitive. Personally, I await such evidence with baited breath. At any rate, this book and the others I have listed above belong on the shelves of everyone interested in Custer, the Battle of the Little Big Horn, and Indian Wars in the West.

From a Historian . . . Convinced by an Archeologist!

First, I'm hardly what you would consider a "Custer buff." I've read most of the secondary literature, especially the older material (Stewart, Utley, etc.) and kept up with the debates in the Western history mags. That said, Richard Fox, in my mind, nailed down a case for a new interpretation of the Custer battle, much the way Gerald Posner did with the JFK assassination in "Case Closed." Much of the book, by the nature of the proof needed, is dry archeology: bullet calibers, spatial analysis, topography, and so on. But surprisingly, Fox really has done his homework in how armies of the day fought. His quick study, early in the book, of cavalry tactics, skirmish lines, and so on, is useful in and of itself, and is not contained in many standard histories of the Custer massacre or cavalry actions in general. Further, his research in the historical sources on men's behavior in war is exceptional. In short, he's pretty good for an archeologist :) Fox's thesis is that, based on where cartidges and bullet fragments (plus a few metal arrowheads) were recovered, reveals the initial dispositions of Custer's troops. Not only had Custer already divided his forces (the famous Benteen and Reno columns, plus the pack train), but now, preparing to attack the large village, Custer apparently had his forces in two "wings," one of three companies and one of two. While one body of men waited near Calhoun Hill, other companies advanced toward Custer Hill and some of the coulees. A sudden Indian counterattack was briefly stalled by effective fire from the 7th in a skirmish line. But unknown to the troopers, the Sioux and Cheyenne were carefully moving through the gullies and approaching them in large numbers, virtually surrounding them. When the Indian counterattack suddenly materialized, the troopers of the 7th were overwhelmed. Meanwhile, those back on Calhoun Hill sought to link up through Capt. Keough, and as the units disintegrated, the men "bunched" (a typical behavior) and/or retreated to where they thought other units would be. Some of these retreats turned to routs, and the close combat is revealed in the number of cavalry pistol rounds discovered. Some reviewers here want to label Fox "PC." Nonsense. While I doubt he is a conservative, he seems to give credence to Indian testimony ONLY because it conforms to his thesis, not because they were Indians. Indeed, he disproves some of the Indians' recollections using the same archeological methods. As one of the co-authors of "A Patriot's History of the United States," I don't detect any "PC" mission here. And, as a historian, I appreciate any help archeologists can render. As to some of the criticisms, while it is true many of the bullets/casings would have been taken by souvenir hunters, that only supports Fox's thesis more, because since it is unlikely souvenir hunters would know whether they were picking up cavalry or Indian rounds, or what type, there would be a randomization in the degradation of the

Worth a Trip to the Little big Horn

This is an update on my previous review. I recently took a two-day tour of the LBH with Fox and former Superintendent Jim Court and reading the text before the tour was very helpful. Aside from the archeology that determine that the Sioux and Cheyenne were well armed with at least 200 repeaters, the key to the mystery of what happened to Custer and his battalion(s) takes place at Medicine Trail Coulee. Some historians say that Custer was repelled and forced to retreat, others say he was shot at he ford putting the attack into confusion and early historians thought the ford was at the center of the village and that he had to move further downstream. Fox's theory is that the main population had already fled north thus "no one was home" other than the warriors fighting Reno and a few that happened to be at the ford. Thus Custer moves further north to cut them off leaving a rear guard on Calhoun Hill (south battle ridge) possibly for Benteen to connect. Fox essentially believes Custer was still on the offensive and confident when the high influx of warriors began to fracture his spread command. As Fox pointed our on the tour the lack of headstones near the ford and the ridges east of it indicate that there was not any significant loss of casualties which helps support his theory that Custer was still on the offensive and not retreating. The latter would seem to make sense to anyone at the battlefield since Custer's commands are spread far apart and not in a defensive perimeter. May not be the final theory but a very reasonable possibility and very thought provoking.

Archaelogical Findings & Literary Research Are Fascinating

After reading this book I only wish that I had read it before I visited the LBH this past September. Dr. Fox provides great detail to properly explain how the excavations and laboratory findings were done and in explaining what they mean. This detail is neccessary to understand Dr. Fox's explanation of what he thinks ocurred at Custer's battleridge. After reading the evidence first, then his well researched literary quotes, his conclusions on the Custer portion of the battle are very believable and fit well with the Indian oral histories. I found it very revealing and immensely stimulating. The early chapters may seem slow to someone who does not appreciate archaelogy but it picks up speed as Fox moves to his conclusion which is virtually a climax of the battle. I have reread several sections and it's a mainstay in my Custer library.

The most exhaustive, complete and accurate work yet.

As a cultural anthropologist with emphasis on plains indian tribes and history and a frequent visitor to the Little Big Horn Battlefield Monument, I have read Mr. Fox's book a number of times and have gone over the ground with it in hand. I have also read many of the other accounts, both contemporary and historical to attempt an understanding of what occurred at the Little Big Horn. Fox's precise, analytical and well-reasoned account, taking into consideration the physical evidence at the site, seems irrefutable. Contrary to one reviewer, I found no evidence of "rambling" at all, but a thorough analysis of all aspects of the battle from archeological evidence, oral and written histories to US Army Calvary tacitcs in use at the time, that support Fox's thesis, which is different and original from all that have preceeded it. Congratulations to Mr. Fox for a model of historical, archeological and anthropological research. I believe he has indeed broken new ground in the field. If you have any interest at all in the plains tribes, Custer or western history you owe it to yourself to read this fine book.