Major Players

Players

There was seven major players in the Little Bighorn massacre. There was Chief Gall, John Bozeman, Captain Frederick Benteen, Crazy Horse, Major Marcus Reno, George Armstrong Custer, and Chief Sitting Bull. Chief Sitting bull was a medicine man or holy man of the Hunk papa Lakota (Sioux). They were being driven from their land in the Black Hills. He was born by the Grand River in South Dakota in 1831. His father gave him the name Sitting Bull. His mother's name is Her-Holy-Door. When he was born his parents named him Jumping Badger. As a little boy there was nothing remarkable to set him apart from the others children of his tribe. However when he was in the age of ten, he had his first hunt and he was able to kill his first buffalo, it set him apart as a leader. He gave the buffalo to his elders because they could not hunt for themselves. At age 14 he went on to his first battle which was against the Crow. His father was very proud of his son who gave him the name Sitting Bull (Tatanka-Iyotanka).He was known because of his fearlessness in battle and being wise, his tribe admired him. He also mastered being the Holy-Man of his tribe. By the time he was 25 years old he was the leader of the of the strong heart warrior society. When the battle of Little Bighorn happened he did not physically participate in the battle. He was just the principal chief.

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3771.html

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1531.html

In 1874 lieutenant colonel George Custer led an expedition to the Back Hills of Dakota. He reported that he discovered gold in the area by Black Hills. The white prospectors were amazed at finding gold which lead to the cause of battle. In spring of 1879 the whites launched an expedition to search the Lakota and their allies. About a year later the U.S.A tried buying the lands for six million. Their negotiation failed. Also on June 22nd George A Custer and 655 men were sent out to locate the villages of the Sioux and Cheyenne involved in the battle at Rosebud creek. A very large encampment was discovered three days later. It had an estimated 2,500 to 5,000 natives. It was the largest encampment of tribes in the West. Once he saw this he ordered his men to attack. One was under Captain Frederick W. Benteen, also Major Marcus A. Reno, and one under the orders of himself. Benteen was ordered to search valleys; Reno was to across the river and attacks the village. Custer was to go high into the mountain. Reno and his men retreated and meet up with Benteen and held a defensive position until Terry arrived on June 27. Captain Frederick W. Benteen, Major Marcus A. Reno, and lieutenant colonel George Custer lost an infamous battle at Little Bighorn River.