Little Bighorn National Battlefield - Crow Agency, MT
Posted by: 
gparkes
N 45° 34.204 W 107° 25.799
13T E 310389 N 5049152
Historically, this was once called Custer's Battlefield, but has been renamed more accurately to reflect the area rather than the one man.
Waymark Code: WM6RXA
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 07/15/2009
Views: 25
Operating Hours & Seasons
The Monument is closed on the following holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Open the rest of the year on the following schedule:
Memorial Day to July 31: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
August 1 to Labor Day: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
September and October (Ends on daylight savings time): 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
November through March: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
April - May: 8:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m.
Little Bighorn Battlefield Visitor Center
Open All Year
From May 28 to July 31 and August 1 to September 1 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m.
From September 4 to October 1: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
From October 1 to March 31: 8:00 a.m - 4:30 p.m.
Phone (406) 638-3224
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.
Many notable individuals are buried at the Custer National Cemetery, including Major Reno, who fought in the battle with one of the other two groups surviving the actions of the 25th and 26th of June.
Personal Note
Of all the National Parks I have visited, I would definitely recommend this to anyone with an interest in History. It is well off the beaten path, but worth driving hundreds of miles out of the way when in this area of the United States. My interest in this began in the late summer of 2008, when waymarking in the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, finding five officers from the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Why were they moved here? It started a several month query ending with the visit to this National Park, one of my favorite experiences of the summer.