What I've Read: The Last Stand

My journey down the corridors of history (how's that for some schmaltz?) takes me out West, as I explored the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which was one of the major turning points in American/Indian relations after the Civil War.

Part of my work at CFED over the years was designing reports for Tribal areas and I've been quietly fascinated by the history of Native peoples in this nation. My learnings got a little deeper when I read Mayflower last Fall, but like many of my generation I've been enamored by war and the effects it has had on peoples. Some of my favorite bands have sung songs about Wounded Knee and HBO has shown documentaries about other conflicts between those who choose to live on reservations and those who have tried to stick it out and survive off the land. It's really fascinating stuff, and The Last Stand is another example of how decisions by men on both sides of a conflict can have long-lasting effects on people generations after they have left this place.

Primarily, The Last Stand is about Gen. Custer and his infamous last stand, and Sitting Bull, the Lakota warrior who led his people. On the surface, Custer was a moron, tactically deciding to split his army into several squads that were never coordinated and thusly were routed in a bloody battle they had no chance of winning when outnumbered nearly 8-to-1. Sitting Bull, conversely, never wanted a fight with the white man, but knew it was inevitable and so he did what was necessary when the government forced his hand. He would not go without making some poor choices of his own (some which eventually cost him his life), but to read into the detail of both these men (and those advisors around to them) is to see how culture, armaments, strategy and history all played pivotal roles in the setup and result of this battle.

It's a long, dense read (what can I say, it's the Philbrick way) but the amount of information and the buildup to the eventual battle is great stuff and I highly recommend it for history buffs or anyone as fascinated by the plight of Native people as I have become.