I think one thing that gets lost about Custer is he did not hate the Native American he was pursuing. He actually admired them and was sympathetic to their plight to the point that he testified in court about how the Grant administration was defrauding the Native Americans on the reservation and was discharged from the military for a time by President Grant because of that. I think the defeat at Little Bighorn came because of a lack of good battlefield intelligence and awareness of the situation. He was unaware that Reno had retreated and he thought the village was scattering when in fact they were mobilizing.

Yes to Little Bighorn, and don't forget about the Battle along Rosebud River just days before.

I visited the Little Big Horn battlefield in summer 1985. A large brush fire had just burned off all the cover on the battlefield and had exposed artifacts left there. Archeologists had sectioned off portions of it and were cataloguing their findings. The park interpreters told me that they could get a much more accurate picture of what happened during the battle after the fire. I thought it was fascinating. Most artifacts were well preserved because of the dry climate and they were finding holsters, belts, clothing, boots, harness, and a lot of other items that I've forgotten about. A battlefield visit is definitely worth the trip - just to see the countryside if nothing else. At that time the park interpreters were of the opinion that Custer et al were following orders and operating as best they could under difficult circumstances. Remember, they were the ones that were attacked. Regardless of one's opinion of Custer, Mr. Adelson is correct is asserting that one has to become educated and look at the battle objectively and in context of the times and situation before forming opinions about what took place. To judge Custer and the 7th Army using today's standards and morays is both intellectually dishonest and lazy. Thank you all for this video.

Been to the battlefield 7 times over the last 40 years. It’s the same every time I go. Haunting and I learn a new perspective every time. Can’t wait to see the new facility. If you’ve never been and you’re watching this you must go. It’s worth the trip and beautiful part of the country. When you’re there you understand why people have been willing to fight for it.

I am an old trooper, having served over 2 years with the 3RD Armored Cav (BRAVE RIFLES!) after returning from an eventful tour  in the Republic of Vietnam in 70-71 with the 18th Engineer Brigade and 45th Group. I also have the curse of being able to see the spirits of some of the dead on different occasions. I visited the Custer Battlefield 8 years ago with my good wife of 51 years, and my youngest sister and her husband, all three now awaiting my arrival in the next world, the curse of cancer hitting us all, I alone survived because my Cancer was treatable and survivable. I never saw any spirits at the Little  Big Horn, but the very feel, knowing how many troopers lost their lives on that hallowed ground has lived on with me since my visit. I have also had the  privilege of visiting Manassas during my service with the 3rd United States Infantry (The Old Guard) during the bicentennial and a year later, damn hard work that Bicentennial for we who served back then but it was an honor to be chosen to serve at Fort Myer back then. Spirits never bothered me at that battlefield, thank god, the spirits I have encountered were during my 25 years on the Police Department, the spirit of a murder victim came to me while on a late night patrol, and tried to tell me her husband and murdered her. He was brought to justice a year later when police in another jurisdiction tried to arrest him and he joined his late wife by putting a bullet in his head.  I  also had an encounter with a spirit in Nam, when I had become separated from my platoon in the boonies, at night the spirit of a young lady came and guided me to safety, I was very thankful but never told of it for fear of being branded a nut case.  We also had a spirit in our old farm house, that of a young child who had been killed by the family dog, dying on the kitchen table after her brother brought her bloody body in from the attack near the outhouse after the German Shepard had bit her throat.

Please do a Little Big Horn full tour! I'm not American and from the other side of the pond, but this battle fascinates people all over the world. One of my greats regrets was I was even in Billings, but didn't get to the battlefield!

I remember  when in high school thinking that
This battle was only 89 years ago. That there were people still alive who had been there. It still felt not that long ago for young person with much interest in
Montana native history.
150 years now seems so long ago.

From a diddy person, I was ALWAYS on the Native American “ side”, and I know lots of people have issues with tech, but for me, who lives in England, and is absolutely obsessed with Gettysburg and Little Bighorn, the work the battle field trust , archeologists , and other deeply interested in the history of it all, I’d like to thank you, from the bottom of my heart , I had 2 dreams , you can guess what and involves visiting both battle fields, it’s never going to happen, I’m surrounded by disabilities, wether mine of my kids, as you can tell what you all do is so darn precious , thank you ♥️

I went out west and my wife and I visited the Little Bighorn and stayed 2 nights at the campground there and spent a day on the battlefield. Most people do not understand what happened there, the campaign in general and how spread out the battlefield truly stretches.

I worked with a Crow indian who lives just outside the battlefield fence. He is well known by the battlefield rangers but i.wont give his name. He told me once " I look out my kitchen window and see Custers marker and say there is Custer"

Yes to the Little Bighorn battlefield tours!  I've always wanted to visit the site. "Come on, big village. Be quick. Bring packs."  👍

Yes I want to see Little Bighorn driving tour, videos, shorts, longs, mids, etc.!!! 🙂

Probably fifteen years ago I was in the area for a conference and got to walk the battlefield and touch the greasy grass.  I have to say the sadness there was palatable.  Prayer ties were everywhere, so the native people still pray over their ancestors there.  It really did have a profound impact on how I thought about that battle.

Wildland firefighting took me, south of all the Battlefield in 79.  Walking slowly, griddìng for smokes, we came upon rocks with petryglyphs.  Who knows their meaning..  A lifelong student of the incident.

I visited LBH in the early 2000's. I've visited almost every significant battlefield of the Eastern side of the Civil War, dozens of WW2 sites in France and Germany.
Hands down LBH was the creepiest place I've ever visited.

Great show. I was there…not 150 years ago but 50 years ago. Dad took me to the 100th anniversary as he was a big Custer fan. wish I was there to retrace our trip 50 years ago.

Yes to the whole 9 yards tour!!!! Getting to Little Big Horn is on my wish list.  Coming from NC an extended tour makes it more feasible. Awesome presentation! Thank you!!

I've visited most of the Civil War battlefields but nothing impacted me as much as visiting Little Bighorn. The area is still very rural and it's easy to imagine the two sides involved.  The fact that we see markers where every soldier died brings an impact far greater than you can get anywhere else and it's a pretty good indicator of how the battle progressed. Reno's actions makes so much sense when you've seen the ground. The hill he chose is so steep it was almost unassailable from the direction of the native camp. The massive size of the battlefield made combining forces almost impossible by the time the native counterattack. Custer's Last Stand hill was a much better defensive location than I expected but ultimately there were too many natives and Custer's hubris got him killed.

and a little known fact.....Custer's adjutant, William W. Cooke was a Canadian who's parents (his father a pharmacist) lived in my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and Cooke, after the battle, was reinterred in the Hamilton Cemetery ...... Cooke was the author of that note to Benteen "Benteen. Come On. Big village. Be quick. Bring packs. WW Cooke. P.S. Bring Packs."
Custer along with Cooke visited Cooke's family in Hamilton years prior to the battle.

Yes, I would love to see an in depth tour of the battlefield like ACW vidoes you have made. While I have visited many of the battlefields on the East Coast, your videos teach me so much more than I do from my visits.