Little Big Horn
Heather Cox Richardson had a most interesting post on June 25, 2026, the 150th anniversary of Custer’s Last Stand at Little Big Horn. There is nothing I can add to the conversation she begins about the relations between the American Indian and the young United States, suffice to say that her writing is a most interesting and well informed summary of numerous exploitations of American’s earliest peoples.
Little Big Horn, in todays southeast Montana, and Fort Abraham Lincoln, near present day Bismarck-Mandan, North Dakota, then Dakota Territory, about 400 miles away, were where the native Americans, and the U.S. military were located. It is from Fort Abraham Lincoln that George Armstrong Custer led his troops to the place of their ultimate death – all of the military combatants were killed, only a single horse survived.
The map link (at the end of this post), shows a route which follows today’s freeways for the several hundred mile journey. There were no roads in 1876, of course. In fact, Bismarck (and Fort Lincoln itself) was a very new place on the prairie.
I’ve been to Little Big Horn (summer of 1978 with my son, and my sisters foster son), and several times to Fort Abraham Lincoln, most recently in 2023 with two of my daughters. They are witness to the tragic history of 150 years ago.
The first time I was to Ft. Lincoln seems to have been about 1950, or so I appear in a family photo in one of the Forts. It seems to be a chilly day on the prairie. Nearby to the right would be the Missouri River, and in the near vicinity a reconstructed Mandan Indian village – the tribe that figured so prominently in the Lewis and Clark expedition 1804-06. Both sites are very much still open and instructive about this part of our nations history. Ft. Abraham Lincoln, Mandan Village, and Little Big Horn.
Ft. Abraham Lincoln ca 1951 from left Frank, Richard, John, Esther, Florence, Mary Ann Bernard
Heather covers more ground than only Little Big Horn. Take a moment and reflect on our past and our place in our future.
Back in the day, I was like most little kids – when I was at Fort Mandan that chilly day about 1951 I certainly wasn’t thinking about deep social issues that had led to catastrophe 75 years earlier, but on reflection just the exposure to history had more than a subtle impact on me in my own future.
Wherever you are at in life’s journey, give those in your own orbit small opportunities to broaden their horizons when you can. Even small things can make a difference years later.
Here is a map showing the locations of Little Big Horn battle and Fort Abraham Lincoln, near present day Bismarck-Mandan, North Dakota.
