James S., thank you for your service. With all due respect, I think you made a few poor choices of words. They hit some others' "hot buttons', as you said. I am a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer. Many of the posters on this board have served their country, as we did. Our patriotism is no more in question than yours. As to "preening and posturing", that was Custer's forte. No doubt he was brave, but he was also rash. He was part of a three pronged force sent out to round up or attack the Indians along the Greasy Grass, as they called the little Big Horn. They had no idea they had been given an ultimatum to come in, and would have ignored it if they had known.

Custer had been warned of the large number of warriors present in the camp, but he had no respect for them. Although he was not involved in the Sand creek massacre, that being Chivington and the Colorado volunteers, who acted greatly to their dishonor, he had attacked another camp along the Washita, in the winter, and a number of women and children were killed. A Captain Elliot in Custer's command became separated during the attack, with several troopers. Custer made no attempt to rescue these men, and they were massacred.

Custer's defeat at the Little Big Horn was definitely NOT a massacre. He split his command and refused to wait for Terry to arrive to reinforce him. Reno's aborted attack from the south cost Custer whatever advantage he might have had in surprising the indians. According to Sitting Bull, at first it was believed the soldiers were coming to talk or bring the Indians supplies. They fought back when attacked, and simply out fought, out gunned, and out numbered the five companies of the 7th that were lost.

Whatever mutilation occurred was done by the women after the fight, according to custom. The Souix, especially, believed that when killed, an enemy went into the same heaven the Indians did, and could fight there as well. By cutting them, and removing their eyes, they would be crippled and blind in heaven, and could no longer pose a threat to the Indians.

Kicking Bear, who was in the fight, said many of the soldiers were so overwhelmed by the circumstances they just lay down and waited to be killed. Of course, many others fought to the end. Custer was shot in the chest early in the fight, which only lasted a half hour, and was finally shot in the left temple, either by himself or his brother Tom, whose body was found nearby.

Reno and Benteen forted up on another hill to the south, and were under attack for two days, until the Indians left, knowing other soldiers were coming. This was Terry's command, who buried the dead and cared for the wounded. An archeological study found that some of the Springfield carbines fired by Custer's men were latered fired AT Reno's men.

This fight lead inevitably to the incident at Wounded Knee fourteen years later, where the 7th, no doubt with revenge in mind did massacre Big Foot and about three hundred men, women, and children. The Indians were finished as a fighting force after that. They are still suffering.

I do not rejoice at anyone's death. Being a veteran and part Cheokee and mostly Irish and Scotch, whose ancestors fought in the Revolution and in the Army of Northern Viginia, one dying and two becoming prisoners of war, I can feel for all sides in this discussion. If we choose words more carefully and address ideas and not engage in personal adhominem attacks we can further all our knowledge and understanding. Stan