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

books:

	• Archaeology, History, and Custer's Last Battle: The Little Big Horn Reexamined Richard A. Fox University of Oklahoma Press, 1997 - 411 pages average customer review:based on 22 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

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.

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Useful, But Incomplete

I do not doubt Dr Fox summarises accurately the recent archeological evidence, and is the only book--as opposed to article--to do so. His interpretation of that evidence is much less reliable. For example, if his sample is accurate, and 3% of all Springfield carbine rounds jammed and had to be pried out of the breech with a knife, this does NOT mean that only 6 of 210 carbines misfired. It means that if a weapon fired 10 rounds, there was a 26% chance of jamming--and indeed, he quotes but ignores burial party accounts of "dozens" of jammed weapons the victorious Sioux and Commanche didn't even bother to carry away. His confidence that he knows the distribution of companies between wings because he knows what Upton's CAVALRY TCTICS prescribed bespeaks a man who never served in any branch of any service. Clearly he never heard that "doctrine is the opinion of the senior officer present." Other instances abound.
Buy the book. James Donovan quarried it heavily for TERRIBLE CLORY and gave Dr. Fox less credit than was his due. But don't take the conclusions as seriously as the evidence.

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What ACTUALLY happened at Little Bighorn (Greasy Grass)

Hint: It WASN'T a glorious, mythical "Last Stand" on Custer Hill.

Page 221: "There is neither archaeological nor historical evidence of a ... famous last stand and ... Monument Hill area did not even see the last of the fighting."

Many modern Little Big horn historians give lip service to the idea of giving new attention to traditional Indian accounts of the battle or to the latest archaeological findings.

Well, Fox does more than lip service. He actually gives full attention to both areas.

As he's a professional archaeologist himself, the second half comes naturally, and occupies the first third of the book. His extensive study of cartridge and bullet remains from both 7th Cav and Indian groups is detailed in the first third of the book.

Then, he takes an open-minded look at Indian accounts, with proper skepticism toward inflated claims, when warranted, as well as proper claim toward facile dismissal of many of their claims, often used by partisans (usually Custer hagiographers) with axes to grind.

This takes up about half the book.

The final one-sixth can be characterized by the name of one chapter: "Fate, Blame and Strategy." Fox is clearly a neutralist, but your typical Custer hagiographer has already written him off as hopelessly biased in a few reviews here.

What actually happened is troopers that were poorly trained, had single-shot rifles great at long distance but behind the firepower of either Henry repeaters or bows and arrows at closer distance -- not to mention war clubs and such at closest distance, and who eventually panicked and bunched themselves around commanders -- Keough, then Custer -- while firing few shots. (Note: Fox shows the same happened with Fetterman's troops.)

No "cowardice." Fox says that's a false dilemma, cowardice vs. glory. Rather, it was combat shock. The troops were routed and panicked, to put it bluntly.

And,some troopers escaped Custer Hill and made a break for the river, only to get forced into Deep Ravine. That was where a less-than-glorious Last Stand occurred.

How much of the combat shock was Custer's fault, due to bad tactics, ignoring his scouts, etc.? Fox doesn't go into that detail, but I'd say around 25-33 percent myself. That said, this does remove the "Reno was drunk" or "Reno blew it" claims of Custer hagiagraphers from reality.

This is a great book; I've just given you the surface only of why.

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Detailed, thorough, and unconventional

Since 1983, when a range fire cleared away much of the grass and underbrush at the Custer Battlefield along the Little Big Horn in Montana, archaeologists have had a chance to investigate the field and, using the material evidence uncovered, have made their own contributions to the mountains of interpretations of what happened that fateful day, June 26, 1876, when Custer and his Seventh Regiment were wiped out. Richard Allan Fox was one of those original archaeologists, and this book is a careful and detailed study of his findings - and interpretations. (In terms of the historical record it is always wise to remember that no members of Custer's immediate command survived the fight and that Indian eyewitness accounts, often contradictory and self-serving, must be carefully scrutinized; many historians refuse to give any credence to them at all.)

Fox, basing many of his conclusions on archaeological evidence, particularly shell casings found on the field, offers accounts of what happened that differ from the standard view, mainly in the following areas: he believes Custer and his men maintained an offensive tactical mode almost up to the very end; he believes at least one company of Custer's men made a reconnaissance beyond Cemetery Ridge (where the Visitors Center is today) down to the river (most other historians think nothing of importance occurred in this sector); he believes that the Medicine Tail Coulee descent to the river was also a reconnaissance move and not an attack that was eventually foiled; and he believes the standard image of Custer and his men fighting in unison to the last man to the very end on Custer Hill did not occur: many soldiers by the end were running for their lives toward the Deep Ravine just south of Custer Hill. Fox offers other discrepancies - Crazy Horse did not make a sweeping attack from the north across Cemetery Hill but rather made a more direct assault across the river and up the Deep Ravine - all of which, of course, is conjecture.

In fact, all of what Fox postulates is within the realm of possibility (he certainly is not among the crazies who, for example, have Custer's men all committing suicide), and he makes a good case for everything he says. But no matter how credible Fox makes his case to be, it, like all other interpretations, must remain only speculative. No one will ever know for sure exactly what happened that hot afternoon, but Fox offers a thorough analysis, thoughtful and credible. I put the book near the top of the pile of those worth giving a second look at regarding the Custer fight.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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