Visiting the Custer Battlefiel on Labor Day

[shrapnel]

Labor Day is always a good time to fish the Bighorn. This year could have
been alot better. It was 97 degrees on Saturday, 70 on Sunday and a cold,
wet 45 on Monday. I still haven't learned that Gore-Tex isn't waterproof.

Anyway there are the same amount of fish in the river no matter what the
weather is. We caught some and then took a drive to the Custer Battlefield
which somehow has the wrong label at the entrance saying "Little Bighorn Battlefield".

This was on the Bighorn, it was a tie as to who was the wettest.



This is a picture of the markers at Last Stand Hill, looking down onto the Little Bighorn
river and Deep Ravine, where the last of Custers command were killed as they headed
for the river. The darkest marker is that of Custer...



This is the monument on Last Stand Hill looking north to the Indian
monument just recently finished...



This is the metalwork adorning the Indian memorial. The whole memorial
doesn't seem large or significant, but this is what the Indians wanted...



I found it quite significant in it's own way, with a minimal amount of words,
a simple layout, and some pretty profound Indian commentary...



There is even a memorial to the cavalry mounts that perished
in the battle...



About 4 miles to the south there is the Reno-Benteen battle site.
In this picture, in the very top right corner, you can se where the
highway heads into the distance and a very small line of cottonwood
trees that are along the bank of the Little Bighorn River.



While catfishing on the Little Bighorn about where that cottonwood
treeline is, I found a 50-70 cartridge casing near the riverbank. It is
pictured in this photo along with a 45-70 casing and a few indian artifacts I have found...



This is the Monument to the Reno-Benteen battlefield...



This is another view from the Reno-Benteen Battlefield looking down onto
the Little Bighorn River in the distance where the cottonowood trees are,
again showing the approximate area I found the 50-70 casing...



I can't help but believe this casing had some connection to the battle
somehow. It is interesting how we can go from fishing to actually touching history.

[Dutch Limbach]

Thanks for sharing these photos!

[Silver Creek Slim]

Thanks, pard.

Slim

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Very Interesting

[Dead Eye Dave]

I would tell anyone to go to Little Bog Horn.  My Dad and i went this summer and I found it a very spiritual place.  Its like I could hear the ghosts if you know what I mean.  I liked that they had grave markers for both the soldiers and the native Americans in the battle.  We didn't take the tour but just wandered the path ourselves.  My Dad has so steeped me in the history of the battle that I felt I didn't need it. It was amazing. It made me understand why soldiers think of battlefields as hallowed ground.  Go if you can. 

[Kiowa Scratch]

Thanks for the pictures.  I remember the depressions at the Reno-Benteen sight that were the places troopers had dug in.  It was a long time ago but the essence of their courage and bravery still hangs in the air.  Gary Owen!