Order of Battle
Army Units and Tribal Nations
Taking part in the campaign that led to the Battle of the Little Bighorn were a substantial force of US Army units. In addition, despite the generic reference to “indians” or “hostiles” typically used to describe them, the non-treaty Sioux consisted of numerous distinct bands, and were further joined by elements from other tribal nations to form the large band that congregated around Sitting Bull in the early summer of 1876.
United States Army
Marching from Fort Ellis in Wyoming under Colonel John Gibbon, the Montana Column was already in position along the Yellowstone when the Dakota Column set out. Notably, this formation was heavier on infantry than cavalry, and also brought along heavy artillery.
2nd Cavalry Regiment
Celebrating its 40th birthday in 1876, the Second Cavalry had originally been formed during the Seminole Wars as a dragoon (mounted infantry) unit, and had served with distinction in the Mexican War before being assigned to frontier duties. With the coming of the Civil War, the 2nd hand been recalled from duty on the frontier, being redesignated as cavalry from previous status as a rifle unit. Serving in the vaunted Army of the Potomac, the 2nd Cavalry had participated in nearly every major battle that Army faced, and when the Confederacy collapsed the regiment had earned numerous battle honors and five Medals of Honor. Returning to the frontier after the war, they were involved in the Fetterman Massacre of 1866 and subsequent operations against the plains tribes. For the summer campaign of 1876, the 2nd Cavalry was divided, with Companies A, B, D and I joining Crook’s Wyoming Column, and F, G, H and L being assinged to Gibbon and the Montana Column.
3rd Cavalry Regiment
Originally formed as a specialized unit of mounted riflemen in 1846, the 3rd Cavalry had served in the Mexican War before being deployed onto the frontier like most regular army units in the Antebellum period. Stationed in New Mexico when the Civil War began in 1861, the Regiment was involved in the Battles of Messila, Valverde and finally the victory at Glorieta Pass before joining in pushing the Confederates back into Texas. Afterward, it had been sent to Tennessee and later ended the war in Arkansas, eventually being sent back to New Mexico to resume the fighting against local tribes. In 1876 ten companies were assigned to General Crook’s Wyoming Column, and had fought in the Battle of the Powder River against the Cheyenne in the opening days of the Great Sioux War.
7th Cavalry Regiment
A newer formation organized in the aftermath of the Civil War in 1866, the 7th Cavalry was established during the post war reorganization of the Army to meet the needs of both reconstruction and frontier duties. With Lt. Col. George Custer serving as second in command since the unit’s formation, it had spent nearly its entire existence deployed on the frontier, with expeditions to the Yellowstone and Black Hills along with campaigns against the Southern Cheyenne and the Sioux. Considered a seasoned infantry regiment, the 1876 summer campaign would mark the first time that the entire Regiment was concentrated and sent into the field as a single unit, with General Alfred Terry in command but Custer remaining in operational control of most of its forces.
4th Infantry Regiment
Although not the first unit to carry its number, the 4th Infantry Regiment had been commanded by Presidents Jackson and Harrison at different times in its history, serving through the War of 1812, Mexican War and the Civil War. President Grant had also served with the unit in Mexico. Serving with the Army of the Potomac in that conflict, the Regiment was badly mauled over the course of the war, but ended it as honor guards for the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox in 1865. Stationed Wyoming post-war, the 4th had been combatting the tribes on the frontier, and in 1876 Companies D and F were assigned to the Wyoming Column under General Crook.
6th Infantry Regiment
Another formation dating to the War of 1812, the 6th Infantry had its baptism of fire on the Canadian border during that conflict, before serving in Wisconsin during the Black Hawk War of 1831-32. Later it served in the Seminole War and the Mexican War, with the Regiment commanded by future President Zachary Taylor in the latter. During the Civil War the 6th had fought with the Army of the Potomac, winning honors at Gettysburg, and after the war it was stationed on the frontier with four companies, B, C, D and I, attached to General Terry’s Dakota Column.
7th Infantry Regiment
First gaining fame during the Battle of New Orleans in 1814, the 7th Infantry would go on to fight in the campaign on Mexico City in 1846, and would spend the antebellum years on the New Mexico Frontier. Called east for the Civil War, it took part in the Battle of Fredericksburg, Battle of Chancellorsville and Battle of Gettysburg, before being assigned to garrison duty in New York in response to draft riots. After the war it would again be sent west, and in 1876 six companies plus a special mounted detachment would be assigned to Gibbon’s Montana Column.
9th Infantry Regiment
A relatively young formation, the 9th had been formed six years prior to the Civil War, although other formations had previously carried its designation. It had spent its entire existence this far on the Western frontier, remaining in garrison in California during the Civil War and afterward had taken part in several actions against the tribes of the frontier. In 1876 the 9th was stationed in Wyoming, and three companies were assigned to join General Crook’s column for the summer campaign.
17th Infantry Regiment
Another new formation, the 17th had been formed in May of 1861 as the Civil War began, and had served in the Army of the Potomac. Fighting at Antietam, Gettysburg, the Wilderness and the Siege of Petersburg. Since the end of the war it had been posted on the frontier, with two companies assigned to General Terry for his Dakota Column in 1876.
20th Infantry Regiment
Formed in 1862, the 20th Infantry had made a name for itself at the Second Battle of Manassas in 1862. After the war it had been posed to Minnesota, with the bulk of its forces stationed at Fort Ripley. It had, however, lent its I Company to the Dakota Territory, with a Gatling gun detachment assigned to the Dakota Column for the 1876 campaign.
Arikara
Commonly known as the “Rees”, the Arikara were a tribe hailing from the Dakota Territory who were long time enemies of the Sioux. With fortified permanent villages, they were able to withstand the Lakota incursions in the eighteenth century until smallpox devastated their numbers, whereupon they were driven out by the Lakota. With a longstanding enmity, the Arikaras had served with the Army in the past, with one scout, Bloody Knife, being a favorite of Custer. In 1876 a group of thirty Arikaras were recruited at the Fort Berthold Agency, joining the Dakota Column on its march
Crow
The Crows, or Apsáalooke, had a long history of friendly interaction with the whites, interacting and trading with the French and eventually the Americans, and indeed were often considered to be protectors against the marauding Sioux by settlers in the Montana Territory. The Sioux had pushed the Crow out of their homelands in eastern Montana in the 1770s, and were happy to accept the help of the US Government in ejecting them a century later. Many scouts enlisted, serving with all three columns the Army sent against Sitting Bull.
Shoshone
Often called the Snake Indians by whites of the time, the Shoshones were a people hailing from the western territories, namely Wyoming and Idaho, and scouts participating in the 1876 campaign were attached to the Wyoming Column under Crook. Although some Shoshone bands were hostile, and had warred with the government within the past decade, the Eastern Shoshone had been allies of the government, and were all to happy to join in the campaign against their traditional Sioux enemies. Influenced by former Confederate cavalryman Tom Cosgrove, the Shoshones made for a disciplined fighting force that bridged the gap between tribal warriors and government soldiers.
The Plains Tribes - “Hostiles”
Hunkpapa Lakota
Led by Sitting Bull, the Hunkpapa were the largest group encamped along the Little Bighorn River in 1876, and their camp was located at the southern end of the village, reflecting their traditional location as rear guard when the Sioux bands travelled together. Holding longtime animosity toward the US Government, and denouncing Chief Red Cloud as a collaborationist, the Hunkpapa had resisted attempts to force them onto the Great Sioux Reservation, and had skirmished with US military units on the plains in the years following the Civil War. In 1876 two of their most prominent War Chiefs, Gall and Crow King, were also present with Sitting Bull.
Oglala Lakota
Led by the famous warrior Crazy Horse, the Oglala had long been opposed to the expansion of government control over the indigenous people of the plains. Longstanding allies of the Northern Cheyenne, their traditional summer hunting grounds were adjacent, and intermarriage was common. When US troops attacked the Cheyenne in early 1876, a visiting Oglala invited them to join his people, and had brought them into the hostile fold. Earlier the Oglalas had been a leading force against the government, under Red Cloud’s leadership, and were considered to be a serious threat amongst the tribes by the Army.
Cheyenne
At the start of 1876 the Cheyenne were not aligned with the hostile camp. Instead, they had been moving toward Fort Laramie in hopes of steering clear of the coming war between the Army and the Sioux. This course was changed for them, however, when Crook’s men attacked the camp of Chief Two Moons on the Powder River in March. Although the attack had been poorly handled, the Cheyennes were forced to flee their village as the soldiers burned it (believing it was Crazy Horse’s camp), and directly into the arms of the nearby Oglalas, who immediately provided aid, as the Cheyenne leaders realized that they had no choice but to join the hostiles and resist the government.
Other Bands
Representatives from numerous other Sioux bands were encamped with Sitting Bull in the summer of 1876. These included the Minneconjou, Sans Arc, Sihasapa, Brule and Two Kettles Lakota, as well as the Yanktonai and Wahpekute Dakota. Arapaho, another tribe that had close ties to both the Lakota and the Cheyenne, were also represented.