Little Big Horn

An American Indian teepee. We found out that a teepee is made from canvas or skins while a wigwam is just made from sticks.

The hill of Custer's Last Stand

Tombstones marking where the soldiers actually fell in battle

The Memorial under which 200+ soldiers are buried

The Memorial for the fallen American Indians

Custer National Cemetary

On day two of our trip east, we stopped to see the Little Big Horn National Monument. This is where General Custer and the 7th Cavalry was defeated by the Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians near the Little Big Horn River in 1876. It did not do the American Indians much good, however, as they still ended up on the reservations. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were among the Indian warriors. This is a very special site for a number of reasons. It is the only battlefield in the Western Hemisphere that has markers placed where the soldiers actually fell in battle. Evenutally they removed the bodies and buried them in a mass grave underneath the Memorial except for the officers who were buried in other graveyards. General Custer's final burial site is at West Point. There is also a Memorial for the fallen American Indians and their graves are marked with red granite markers. Nearby is Custer National Cemetary that is the final resting place for 5000 veterans.