"The sheer breadth of Gordon Harper’s research is amazing; I’ve read every major account of George Custer’s last battle and the various imbecilities leading up to it (and a good many of the primary sources on which accounts are based), and I was stunned to find that The Fights on the Little Horn is, in its slightly ramshackle way, the best of them all. Care is taken throughout to keep the broader narrative moving forward, but the array of detailed excurses is positively joyful to the historically inquisitive....The Custer disaster is one of those odd little irreducible kernels of American history that exercise perennial fascination. Anybody who feels the pull of that fascination should make sure not to miss this deep-digging book" Open Letters Monthly " provides a rich, well-documented narrative that will surely become one of the definitive sources of this bloody event. This is exceptional historical reporting that is meticulously researched, clearly written and as exciting as any well-crafted novel. This book is highly recommended" King Features Syndicate "Having read and studied several previous books on the Custer Battle, I was hoping that something new would emerge and I was not disappointed. It is a great pity Gordon Harper did not live long enough to have seen his years of work and research in a completed form, but it does stand as a solid testimony to diligence...certainly a book that one cannot put down" Norman Franks, Author "... vast amount of research...without a doubt other enthusiasts of one of history's most overrated field engagements will get hours of enjoyment debating just how many of its revelations are truly groundbreaking.xa0.. the research and passion is commendable Wild West Magazine "... Harper studied the battle for about 50 years but died before completing his book. However, the writers who finished it for him preserved his passionate style... the extensive research and focused conclusions make it an essential read for serious students." True West Magazine "This is a thoroughly researched, intriguing and well-written book that should rank as a definitive source of information about what really happened." Toy Solder & Model Figure "If the reader believes that there is nothing new to be written about the most famous and analyzed battle in the west, this book may convince him otherwise. It deserves a place on the shelf of every student of Custer's battle" The Journal of America’s Military Past "...we are blessed that Gordon Harper’s scholarship is now available...he did his homework as his extensive bibliography attests... provide ample food for those who hunger for the serious study of the Little Big Horn, to whom I recommend the book. This contribution will at least challenge us to reexamine (if not revise) time-honored assumptions and conceptions. The reviewer is certain that it will lead to many more “fights” as we continue the perpetual debate on the subject that Gordon Harper loved so well. CBHMA Book Review "Gordon Harper (1939-2009) had a life long fascination with the battle, lived near the field for a time and toured it often, collected accounts of the battle, official papers, memoirs, and more, and hoped to write a definitive source book on it, but passed away before it was completed. This volume was compiled from his materials by his daughter Tori Harper and Gordon Richard.The first half of the book is essentially a narrative treatment of the operations that culminated in Battle of the Little Big Horn, which Harper had largely completed before his death. It consists of four chapters that follow the various detachments of the 7th Cavalry as the moved toward the battlefield on the Greasy Grass River, followed by three chapters on Maj. Marcus Reno’s column, and then two chapters on the events and circumstances of the destruction of Custer’s battalion. The second part of the book is titled “Analysis. It consists of eight essays that address particular questions about the battle and battlefield archaeology, from “A Question of Disobedience,” discussing whether or not Custer deliberately ignored orders through“The number of Warriors Facing the 7th Cavalry”, “Burials, Markers, and Survivors,” and so forth.While it’s likely that neither Custerphiles nor Custerphobes will be entirely happy with all of Gordon’s conclusions, anyone with a serious interest in the events on the Little Big Horn, or in the “Indian Fighting Army,” will find this excellent reading." The NYMAS Review "Drawing on Indian accounts, as well as evidence from cartridges, bullets, and bodies discovered on the battlefield, this work for general readers and scholars describes the defeat of Custer’s 7th Cavalry by Sioux and Cheyenne forces near the Little Horn River (a battle often known as the battle of Little Big Horn). The book also details the immediate aftermath of the battle, including the burial and reburial of combatants. The first half of the book offers a chronological narrative, while the second half offers analysis. B&w historical photos and contemporary battle maps are included. An ebook edition provides primary source appendices. Author Gordon Harper lived near the site of the battle for decades and collected information on the battle from local Native American tribes." ProtoView “Gordon's book is a fine example of someone whose dedication to his subject has made him the absolute master of it. This is a remarkable, brilliant book which for me confirms Custer's place in history but presents the fine details in an authoritative, masterly way. Superb.” Books Monthly “An excellent book, as said previously, not an easy flowing narrative but rather a military text book. Brilliantly detailed research and most informative.” Army Rumour Service This new work offers a blow by blow account of one of the most famous battles in American history using firsthand accounts, forensic analysis, and extensive research... This book will be of interest to those readers who want a fresh take on the storied dash, as well as those who want a single, detailed account. Christopher Miskimon, Military Heritage September 2019 Gordon Harper is a researcher of American military history.
Features & Highlights
Winner of the 2014 John Carroll Award, presented annually by The Little Big Horn Associates, as their Literary Award for the best book/monograph during the preceding year.Winner 2014 G. Joseph Sills Jr. Book AwardThis remarkable book synthesizes a lifetime of in-depth research into one of America’s most storied disasters, the defeat of Custer’s 7th Cavalry at the hands of the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians, as well as the complete annihilation of that part of the cavalry led by Custer himself.The author, Gordon Harper, spent countless hours on the battlefield itself as well as researching every iota of evidence of the fight from both sides, white and Indian. He was thus able to recreate every step of the battle as authoritatively as anyone could, dispelling myths and falsehoods along the way. Harper himself passed away in 2009, leaving behind nearly two million words of original research and writing. In this book his work has been condensed for the general public to observe his key findings and the crux of his narrative on the exact course of the battle.One of his first observations is that the fight took place along the Little Horn River—its junction with the Big Horn was several miles away so that the term for the battle, “Little Big Horn” has always been a misnomer. He precisely traces the mysterious activities of Benteen’s battalion on that fateful day, and why it could never come to Custer’s reinforcement. He describes Reno’s desperate fight in unprecedented depth, as well as how that unnerved officer benefited from the unexpected heroism of many of his men.Indian accounts, ever-present throughout this book, come to the fore especially during Custer’s part of the fight, because no white soldier survived it. However, analysis of the forensic evidence—tracking cartridges, bullets, etc., discovered on the battlefield—plus the locations of bodies assist in drawing an accurate scenario of how the final scene unfolded. It may indeed be clearer now than it was to the doomed 7th Cavalrymen at the time, who through the dust and smoke and Indians seeming to rise by hundreds from the ground, only gradually realized the extent of the disaster.Of additional interest is the narrative of the battlefield after the fight, when successive burial teams had to be dispatched for the gruesome task, because prior ones invariably did a poor job. Though author Gordon Harper is no longer with us, his daughter Tori Harper, along with author/historians Gordon Richard and Monte Akers, have done yeoman’s work in preserving his valuable research for the public.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Tori HarperPrologue1 The Approach to the Little Horn: Benteen’s March2 The Approach to the Little Horn: Reno’s and Custer’s March3 The Approach to the Little Horn: Custer’s March to Medicine Tail Coulee4 The Approach to the Little Horn: The Pack Train and Messengers5 The Opening Shots: Reno’s Fight in the Valley6 Across the Little Horn and Up a Hill: Reno’s Retreat from the Timber7 Strange Interlude: Chaos on Reno Hill and the Weir Advance 8 Under Siege on Reno Hill 9 Introduction to Custer’s Fight 10 Death of the Valiant by Gordon RichardANALYSES1 A Question of Disobedience2 How the Indian Bands Came Together at the Little Horn3 The Number of Warriors Facing the 7th Cavalry4 Two Controversies: Recruits at the Little Horn and the Indian-Fighting Record of the 7th Cavalry5 The Location of Bodies and the Initial Burials of the 7th Cavalry’s Dead6 Burials, Markers and Survivors7 Reconstructing the Death Sites on Custer’s Field using Marker Locations8 The Enlisted Men’s PetitionEpilogue by Gordon RichardMapsBibliographyIndex
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Most Helpful Reviews
★★★★★
5.0
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New films and books about Custer portrayed him at worst, an Indian-hating killing machine who got his just ...
I grew up in the late 50s and early 60s watching They Died with Their Boots On on Saturday afternoon TV. For me, as a child, Errol Flynn was George Armstrong Custer. Custer was one of my heroes. Then came the late 60s and Vietnam, Vietnam and the Peace Movement, the military was shunned and disdained and Custer was no longer the national hero. Instead, he became a symbol of the evil of American abuse of power and oppression of minorities – particularly the American Indian, or Native American. New films and books about Custer portrayed him at worst, an Indian-hating killing machine who got his just deserts on that Montana hillside. At best, Custer was portrayed as an egomaniac whose arrogance and recklessness led him and much of his command to their destruction. I always felt that the true Custer lay somewhere between Errol Flynn and the Custer portrayed in such movies as The Great Sioux Massacre and Custer of the West.
The truth of Custer’s name and legacy has suffered both from those who sought to raise him to the status of sainthood (his wife, Libby) and those have sought to vilify him either for personal reasons (Reno, Benteen, and the other surviving officers of the 7th who were accused of deserting him or causing his death) or other agendas (political, etc.). It is a daunting task to determine what happened on that hot day.
When Evan Connell wrote Son of the Morning Star I felt someone had finally understood who George Armstrong Custer was; his interpretation of what happened during Custer’s final battle pretty much aligned with my own conclusions from years of study and research on the subject. When the miniseries came out though, I couldn’t help but wish Errol Flynn could have played the part – with that script and Flynn’s charisma I think they would have captured the true Custer.
There have been a series of excellent books that have tended to rehabilitate Custer’s historical reputation in recent years. Jeffrey Wurt’s excellent treatment of Custer’s career, with particular emphasis on his Civil War exploits stands out as I write this. There are others, but this review is running long as it is; I wanted to put Gordon Harper’s work in perspective.
Battles on the Little Horn by Gordon Harper, in my opinion, stands out as one of the definitive books on the subject. As the description reads, it was edited by his daughter, Tori Harper, Gordon Richard and Monte Akers after his death. I've found it to be one of the most comprehensive analysis (and debunking) of some of the most popular revisionist theories of the battle yet.
An entire chapter is spent explaining how the movement of bodies (and the misplacement of several graves) renders the archeological excavation of a decade or so ago a relatively moot point as to how long, short, or fierce the battle was. It can get draggy sometimes to a novice, the charts denoting each change in the cemetery; however Horton wanted to back his findings with facts and data – not supposition. In the end, he makes a good case that the movements of the bodies, the fact that subsequent visitors to the site before it became “protected” picked up countless brass shell casings as souvenirs and even artifacts rendered the small amount of shell casings found recently as almost irrelevant. Agree or not, his argument and facts are impressive.
It's definitely not for the Custer beginner though one familiar with the battle and the various theories surrounding what happened there it's an interesting and informative read, even if you don't agree with all his conclusions. And there are times when, as a historian (and retired history teacher) I had to cringe when one of the authors puts thoughts into some of the participants’ heads. How does one know what one was thinking at a given point of time – particularly when that person didn’t survive the incident? But, as my grandma used to say, “Chew the wheat, spit out the chaff.” I might have inserted, “Might” have thought, or “May” have thought. It is not enough in my opinion to deduct a star for.
To one who has more than a casual interest in the battle the bibliography alone is worth the price of the book. I thought I had an extensive library on the subject, but I knew I had barely scratched the surface – Hortons Bib makes me feel even more humbled. There were books and sources on there I never dreamed existed.
Horton may be gone, but, thanks to his daughter and company, his exhaustive research lives on and at least some of the fruits of that research is available to the public. For that, Custer fans and phobes can be grateful. Horton may not have settled any arguments on that battle, but he sure has given those interested a great source to think about – and debate over.
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Custer Haters Need Not Apply
Mr. Harper, the author, died before finishing this comprehensive volume; the writers, in both the forward and in the chapters concerning "the last stand", make it clear that they are writing predicated on Mr. Harper's notes. Extreme efforts have seem to be made to reconstruct all the actions on that hot day in June, 1876. In my opinion, they have done a remarkable job.
There are eight maps (done with the scale written on the maps) outlining the positions of all the combatants and non-combatants along with two maps concerning the positioning of the bodies after the battle. Every chapter is followed by copious footnotes and the quotes in the volume are all from primary sources speaking shortly after the conflict, in sworn testimony from the "Reno Commission" or quoted in the newspapers of the time.
Mr. Harper's conclusion is that Col. Custer was "following orders" and used standard "cavalry tactics" when attacking an Indian encampment; the "failure" seems that such tactics would not work against what was, apparently, the largest gathering of Plains Indians in one place. This time, they didn't "run" and fought the U.S. Cavalry to a standstill, wiping out all those riding with Custer.
The quotes from the Native Americans also indicate that a good bulk of the 7th Cavalry stood their ground as long as possible and the troopers concentrated fire had a deadly effect on the charging warriors.
All in all, a very different view of the battle and, most likely, a controversial view of the "Boy General". Any "Custer Aficionado" would do well to obtain this excellent volume
32 people found this helpful
★★★★★
1.0
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I felt cheated after reading the book
I am not an expert on Custer’s Last Stand. I am, however, fascinated by the event and have read a number (5 to 10) books on the subject in order to try and understand what went wrong. As you might imagine, getting to the truth is difficult - no, impossible - because no member of Custer’s group survived the battle and those in the other two groups commanded by Benteen and Reno at best know what happened to them. This latter groups’ recollections are influenced and/or biased by the impact of the “fog of war,” a sensory myopia reducing one’s ability to process and retain valid memories and very deliberate efforts to self-justify one’s own actions.
I’m going to assume if you are reading this review you have more than a passing knowledge of the event and the main participants. In light of that, while I won’t describe what happened – stipulations back to what I just said about such information not being available, I will have to refer to certain information in order that this review make any sense.
I approached this book because of it being presented as the only objective view of the events. This claim was based in part on the proposition that the author had collected all published materials on the battle and had distilled it into a pure factual narrative.
That’s not the case. The book – like every other book on the subject – is a platform for the author’s views. What is really unsettling is Mr. Harper’s vehemence about his views. He castigates all and sundry whose views differ from his. He constantly questions how someone can reach the conclusion they did in l8ight of the information he presents. It is also totally and completely apparent whose side he is on in the ongoing and never-ending Benteen v Reno debate. In that aspect, it’s just another book about the battle where an author tries to convince you his view is right. He also brings an eccentricity to naming conventions: The Little Big Horn is the Little Horn and Custer is Armstrong Custer, not George Armstrong Custer. Why he does so isn’t explained.
I also want to fault the book for a lack of maps. The very detailed descriptions of combatants’ movements are hard to follow without maps.
This is especially important because of Harper’s view about actions and events that could go far to explain why things turned out as they did. I have to wonder if this might have been a case of the author thinking all readers know what he knows.
At the same time, I want to applaud the man for the structure and narrative of the book. He takes a lineal/chronological approach to the movements of the various elements of the 7th Cavalry on June 25th. He does with the assumption the reader is aware of the activities of the two other groups forming the three pincers. A chapter is assigned to each of the sub-units (Benteen, Reno and the Pack Train) in which the movements and the reasons behind those movements are presented. Harper also attempts to reconcile conflicting post-battle testimonies. His success here is mixed; there are cases where he acknowledges the fact that someone or group of someones is simply not telling the truth.
But, let’s go back to why I feel so many of us are attracted to this event. It’s the mystique of last stands! Whether it’s this one or The Alamo or Wake Island; it’s all about the hows and the whys. And, here is where this book fails so miserably. Up to now, Harper guides us through a narrative that is like a nest of brambles. Truths and half-truths and lies grab at us along the way to understanding the events. Despite his opinionated views and irritability, he lays out a scenario and buttresses it with, if not fact, documentation. But, then we have the problem of his death BEFDRE writing the last chapter.
What we are presented with is another person’[s discussion of what happened. His view – and forgive me for letting the notional cat out of the bag – is that Custer was incapacitated early in the battle and the unit collapse came about through lack of leadership. OK, that could be the case. But, the basis for this conclusion is a report that while several soldiers were near a ford, one was bucked from his horse and had to be carried off.
The author of the chapter then sasy (and yes, I’m paraphrasing) what if it was Custer and he was shot not bucked.
WTF?
That is like saying we have been visited by aliens because what if Roswell was true. No facts, just conjecture
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this is by far the best researched, and documented book I have read on ...
In 20 years of being an Indian wars, Cavalry, and Custer history buff, this is by far the best researched, and documented book I have read on the subject. I have the opportunity to ride the ground were the battle was fought every year as I have done the Reenactment of the battle every year at the Little Bighorn since 2001. This book and Weiberts "Sixty Six years in Custer's Shadow" are probably two of the best books written on the subject.
21 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Mebbe so; Mebbe no
Since I spend two weeks annually at LBHBF; I very much identify with the geography described in this work. Basically accurate geographically; it is also pretentious in it's assumption of historical accuracy. For the majority of any historical accuracy must be taken at best with a grain of gun powder. For the most part these accounts are second hand. Given by men and women in their dotage at the telling. Taking into account the stress,fear, and confusion of the day It is premature to deem this a work of any historic accuracy. As a LBH researcher for over4 forty years I feel I must therefore offer my grain of powder.
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5.0
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Fascinating Account of Custer's Battalion's Final Moments
I have read many books on the Little Big a Horn or 'The Little Horn' and I have been to the LBH on two excellent tours. Much of the first 3/4s of the book concern the known troop movements of Reno, Benteen and Custer until he reached Medicine a Trail Coulee. What is most fascinating are the actions of Benteen who not only dawdled on his scout but changed his route from entering the valley to falling back to Custer's trail traveling so slow the pack train almost caught up with him. When Reno later stated that he was told by Custer that the whole outfit was to support him, the clear failure was not Custer who was maneuvering for the classic cavalry attack from another angle, it was Benteen who if he went to the valley as ordered he would have been able to support Reno. The author captures a lot of inconsistencies in Benteen's testimony at the Reno trial, Benteen later claimed he went valley hunting until infinity and went 8 miles further out then anyone of the other battalions. However, Roger Darling in his book 'Benteen's Scout to the Left' followed Benteen's trail and found he only went a mile further out. He did not proceed as ordered and simply pouted or dawdled for other speculative reasons. Custer sent at least two couriers, identified by the author, to Benteen to keep communication even before he sent Kanipe and Martin (bring packs). As the author points out, Boston Custer rides past Benteen to join his brother and perish yet Benteen never moved any quicker. Thus, he did not follow orders to possible support Reno and when Reno vacated the valley he left Custer alone. After consolidating on Reno Hill, it has been pretty well proven that firing was heard from Custer down stream. Reno and Benteen's officers testified they heard firing and only after a frustrated Weir moved forward did the others very slowly and reluctantly follow. The last chapters reminds me of Michael Shaara's 'Killer Angels' in that the detail if movements is assumed with the aid of Indian testimonies that were often previously discounted and based on the identification and location of fallen troops and officers, the author puts together Custer troop movements that align well with Richard Fox's theories. Based on platoon size squads with officers from the same company, the author writes of attempts to support E troop when they received heavy pressure below last stand hill. The wealth of Indian testimony has been used previously in Michno's 'Lakota Noon'. In addition early findings of shell cartridges as early as the 1920's on Nye Cartwright and Luce Ridges support that that when Custer split into two more battalions, Keogh's took the high ground. As Fox indicates in his book ' Archeology, History and Custer's Last Battle' that the envelop attacks by the Cheyenne and Lakota were sudden with large numbers and with fire power. There is no question that Custer knew Benteen was on his back trail, his brother obviously told him. It makes you wonder if Calhoun and Keogh were in position to meet Benteen for support. The books is fascinating and for serious students familiar with the topography, they will follow the troop movements very well. In addition, there are several maps in the rear of the book in the appendixes with the most fascinating last stand ridge that shows all the final movements by company. One map also includes the final resting places on Last Stand Hill and the movement of positions to accommodate the monument that graces the hill. The author(s) include several discussion points in the appendix, one for example demonstrates that there were not very many inexperienced recruits as many theorized. For those less familiar with lay of the land, several maps can be pulled up in the Internet to assist the reader.
11 people found this helpful
★★★★★
1.0
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Way too much detail
I tried reading this book but there was way more detail than I could comprehend. I wanted an overview of the fight from this authors perspective and I got way further into the details that I anticipated. Might be a great book for a student of the fight, just not for me.
10 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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This Book Brings us Closer to the Truth of What Happenend at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Although we will never really know exactly what happened on that fateful afternoon of June 25, 1876, with the recent sources, we are getting very close in my opinion. This book and Frederic Wagner's book (The Strategy of Defeat at the Little Big Horn) go a long way towards providing an answer.
What is becoming clear from the archeological analysis and a clear and logical analysis of the Little Big Horn battlefield is that something happened to break up the coherence of Custer's command resulting in the deaths of 200 men. Although the author (not Gordon Harper but another individual) is not willing to be courageous and provide a final statement of that, Gordon Harper provides a strong hint.
There are many individuals who have studied this battle (including David Humphreys and my brother) who believe that Custer was mortally wounded at the Medicine Coulee. My answer to that is: then why did his command go to the north ford. We know that he did because Mark Kellogg's body was found there and some Indian sources claim that there was a firefight there. So, I'm not a believer in that scenario and neither is this source and Fredericks. In fact, this source goes so far as to state that there may not have even have been a firefight there.
However, there is more and more evidence pointing that Custer was in fact mortally wounded at the north fork. If not, why didn't the soldiers continue to charge across this ford against relatively minor resistence. And, after the command retreated to the site of the "last stand hill" why did it wait for 20 minutes. This source mentions that maybe someone important was wounded at the north fork and the doctor's were checking him out. Further, I would strongly suggest that that someone was George Custer, and at that time, E company charged to the Deep Ravine to get away and all coherence of command disappeared.
As I stated earlier, we will never know what happened, but I think that we do know that the picture of George Custer fighting with two guns at the end is a farce. In fact, he was mortally wounded and someone (probably his brother, but maybe one of the other three officers around him at the end) probably ended his life with a bullet to the head (so that he wouldn't be captured).
That doesn't mean that there wasn't heroism at the end. There is reason to believe that in fact Tom Custer died with two guns (probably George Custer's) blazing before being killed at the end and that Myles Keough (who many of the Indians believed was Custer) may have done the same. Again, we will never know for sure.
Also, even if Custer was incapacitated and the coherence of command was broken up, the Indians still probably would have won the battle. So, maybe this point is mute... we'll never know for sure. This is one of the reasons why this battle of the Little Bighorn has always captured my and others imaginations. This and the fact that this is the only battlefield where the crosses are placed to mark were the soldiers fell.
7 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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PawPaw; My Visit with General Custer.
I waited quite some time for the release of this book and when it finally was released I was not disappointed. First and foremost you must have an in-depth interest in the events of the battle of the Little Bighorn and you must look forward to being informed of every aspect of that day in 1876. If you're not interested in facts and details pass this book by. I was totally impressed with the author's research into the events of the battle. In part one he tells you almost minute by minute of how everything evolved and then in part two he analyzes all that he has detailed previously. It may not be informative to scholars of the battle but they must surely be impressed with the efforts of Mr. Harper in his research. I enjoyed it immensely; it was worth the wait for its release.
7 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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Very good and yet ....
This is a good addition to the LBH canon for a number of reasons. First, it goes far to dispel the myth of the lack of organisation and planning that went into the initial attack on the village. It is patently obvious that the post-battle accounts of Benteen and Reno were to a lesser or greater extent, self-serving. I have never doubted that both of those soldiers had a very good idea of what Custer was about. For example, why would Reno think that Custer would 'support' him from behind, when he knew that Custer had veered off to the north, and why would Custer have lagged behind if he were expected to follow from behind? At the time, it was customary (Washita) to attack a village from a number of directions if possible. I am certain that Reno knew Custer intended to move upstream and attack from there.
Second, this is the best deconstruction of the Benteen myth that he was sent miles away to no purpose. Maybe Benteen was brave, but he was clearly egocentric, resentful of Custer and as a result, extremely negligent in his actions on the day. Most traditional accounts have assumed that his assertion that he was miles and miles away from Custer was accurate--the fact is, that he was very close behind Custer and his dilatory behaviour just increased the gap to no purpose. More so than Reno, Benteen created to the disaster by not responding to his orders and not behaving as, for example, poor Captain Weir deeply wished to do.
Third, in the appendices, he addresses a number of popular theories that are easily debunked should one bother to review the factual data.
But, as a previous reviewer noted, the chapter (not by Harper) on what transpired with the companies with Custer on the final battlefield is silly and totally out of the otherwise scholarly context of the volume. Further, the argument that Custer went far north to try to ford the river is completely unconvincing (and here, I am not sure if this was Harper speaking or his colleagues). Knowing (as I think I do) the Custer of the Civil War and the Washita, I don't think he would have paused by Ford B, wondering what to do. Ford B was at the north end of the village and is a huge area, completely suitable for large numbers of men to cross. The GAC I think I know would have charged across this at first opportunity. Sure I wasn't there on the day, but I have ridden the entire battlefield, on horseback and otherwise on foot.
That being said, there are things in this book that confirm my own belief, and that is that GAC himself was the victim of a lucky shot at Ford B. Whether he died or was injured, I don't know, but the expected command and control one would have expected from Custer totally fell apart at this point. And here, the regiment fell victim to GACs big weakness, which was his affinity to nepotism and sychophancy. I can imagine the absolute disarray that resulted when (as Harper notes) the 'figure in buckskin' was killed at the ford. The book tries hard to deny that something of import happened at Ford B, but fails pretty miserably if you really look at it.
Alas, I've written too much already, but there is no evidence, even in this book, of any material movement of troops to a ford north of the battlefield, and the whole concept is illogical. I don't know how this theory of obsession with chasing down the non-combatants arose, but it is untrue--Custer would have wanted to destroy the warriors' capabilities, and if he had crossed at Ford B with power, no doubt such would have happened.
