Medicine Tail Ford - Little Bighorn National Battlefield - Crow Agency, MT
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member gparkes
N 45° 32.963 W 107° 24.827
13T E 311584 N 5046816
This is a Historical Marker located in Little Bighorn National Battlefield . A series of markers are located throughout the park to give a good understanding of battle movements and history.
Waymark Code: WM6T65
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 07/16/2009
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member muddawber
Views: 7
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Medicine Tail Ford

As soldiers descend Medicine Tail Coulee, the Minneconjou and Cheyenne camps were on the western bank. Archeological evidence supports Indian testimony, that initial fighting took place on the flats near the river to your left and cutback directly ahead.

The Gray Horse Company (Co. E) and possibly Company F approaches this area. Indian pressure quickly forces these troops to battle ridge. Three Crow scouts who led Custer fired into the village from the bluff (at left) before departing.

I looked behind and saw Custer’s command over on the flat and Indians over in the village riding toward the river and waving buffalo hides. The battalion appeared at this time to be falling back from the river.”

Trumpeter Giovanni Martini, Co. H, 7th Cavalry

“We hurriedly crossed the river, and some went up and some went down, to get on each side of where the soldiers were intending to come. They (Custer) came to the edge and stopped; then almost in an instant the guns commenced to go, increasing to a roar like a thunder.”

Two Moons, Northern Cheyenne

Describe the area and history:
The Battle of the Little Bighorn occurred on June 25 and June 26, 1876, starting with the troops of the 7th Cavalry entering on horseback in to the region. Plans were for the Cavalry to split into three groups to surround the Indian village, and force a surrender. What took place was a series of delays and tactical errors, poor luck on the behalf of the Army, and superior numbers of warriors. The conclusion of two days of battle was 263 dead troopers. Protection of the area began almost immediately. In 1879, Congress designated the area a National Cemetery. In 1946, President Truman designated the area as Custer Battlefield National Monument. In 1991, in keeping with the modern philosophy of historical accuracy, the area was re-designated as Little Big Horn National Battlefield. Original stone markers are scattered throughout the park, indicated the location of fallen troops. Indian tribes took away and buried their own dead. Over the past couple decades, an intertwining of the Indian history has occurred, allowing a more respectful remembrance of where significant warrior deaths occurred. "The Memorial" located at Last Stand Hill, is where the soldiers were buried in a mass grave. The officers were taken east to be buried in National Cemeteries, such as Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as Captain Thomas Custer, George Custer's younger brother. Lt. Col. George A. Custer was buried at West Point.

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