Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
Custer's fault - shouldn't split your army before a numerically superior enemy. Only Lee could do that. Custer was arrogant.
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Custer was a great cavalry officer. That is forgotten alot these days. He was chosen to lead the 7th because he would pursue the indians and fight. This was needed on the great plains because the indians moved fast and it could take weeks to pursue them and start a fight.
I don't think anyone was expecting the Lakota and Cheyenne camp to be so big and the Indians so numerous. Custers command also had the worst terrain in the area to fight; rolling terrain covered with gullies. The Indians were down on the river plain allowing them to mass their forces quickly while Custer's men and horses were tiring out crossing the gullies.
mk, it is of course easy to armchair the scenario, but what I have read here so far suggests that Custer got himself into something he shouldn't have and didn't have to. I would have to say his course of action shows a mismatch between his abilities and his perception of his abilities. Like you say, it certainly wasn't the work of a great officer...
If you're not ready for the positionHe was a successful commander in Civil war and a brave one too...
...Of course, he was Commanding Officer at the Horn and made wrong decisions on false presumptions and with disastrous consequences
you can't ignore the fact that Custer turned down an extra battalion and a battery of Gatling guns...
You won't be able to get me to say that Custers performance at the Little Bighorn was satisfactory. I was merely pointing out why he had a job to begin with. Besides the cavalry can't come to rescue in every instance in real life.Doesn't Custers decision to fight in such circumstances betray poor leadership and competence? To give battle to the enemy on terrain that gives him the advantage is one of the most basic no-no's in military theory. Surely Custer should have used his speed and mobility to engage the enemy on better ground, or to draw the enemy away from his camp and divide his force into elements which could be defeated in detail?