George Armstrong Custer was not from Dakota Territory, and his military exploits primarily took place elsewhere, but he is nonetheless closely tied to the area.
The flamboyant Union cavalry leader’s Civil War exploits were followed by service across the Great Plains during the Indian Wars. In 1874 he led a controversial expedition to the Black Hills. According to the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty, the Black Hills were set aside as the Great Sioux Reservation. The treaty stated that no one else would be allowed to “pass over, settle upon, or reside in the territory.”
But many Americans felt that too much land had been set aside for too few Indians. Given the natural resources in the Black Hills, the Secretary of the Interior said, “It is deemed important to have it freed as early as possible from Indian occupancy.” And once Custer’s expedition discovered gold there, the treaty was quickly cast aside. The betrayal led to increased conflict with the Sioux.
Two years after the Black Hills expedition, Custer led the Seventh Cavalry out of Fort Abraham Lincoln for the last time, determined to put an end to the escalating tension. The country was shocked when his command was wiped out by an overwhelming force of allied tribes.
On this date in 1879, the Secretary of War designated the site of the battle as a National Cemetery. The purpose was to protect the graves of soldiers buried there, and to memorialize Custer and the Seventh Cavalry. In 1946 it was designated the Custer Battlefield National Monument.
In 1976, the American Indian Movement protested the centennial anniversary of the battle. The argument was that Custer and his cavalry were revered as heroes at the expense of Indians who were fighting to preserve a way of life. The National Park Service has since increased efforts to more fully interpret the history surrounding the battle. In 1991, President George W. Bush approved renaming the site the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument. It’s in Montana, but at one time, the site was within Dakota Territory, though by the time of the battle, it had been transferred to Idaho Territory.
Just off I-90 south of Hardin, it is a worthwhile destination for anyone who wishes to learn more about this important episode in the region’s history.
Dakota Datebook written by Carole Butcher
Sources:
National Park Service. “Little Big Horn Battlefield.” https://www.nps.gov/libi/learn/historyculture/battle-story.htm Accessed 12/23/2019.
Black Hills Visitor. “1874 Custer Expedition to the Black Hills.” https://blackhillsvisitor.com/learn/1874-custer-expedition-to-the-black-hills/ Accessed 12/23/2019.
