7th Cavalry

Several frontier regiments had been created at the end of the Civil War, including the 7th Cavalry in 1866. At its peak, the 7th Cavalry numbered some 850 men. Over 40% of that number were foreign born, with the majority born in Ireland or the German states. The 7th Cavalry was known for its esprit de corps (sense of unity, camaraderie, and shared purpose). The jaunty Irish tune "Garryowen" was its official marching song.

Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer epitomized the regiment, even as second in command. He was known as a gallant and flamboyant Civil War hero. Custer led the 7th Cavalry on many Western expeditions. Several such expeditions led to conflicts with Tribal Nations. In November 1868, Custer led the regiment in an attack on a Cheyenne village in the Battle of the Washita River. During the Yellowstone Expedition of 1873, they engaged Lakota warriors on several occasions. The Black Hills Expedition of 1874, where the discovery of gold brought thousands to the Black Hills, led directly to the Great Sioux War of 1876-77.

On May 17, 1876, over 900 men departed from Fort Abraham Lincoln in the Dakota Territory. This group included companies from the 6th and 17th Infantry regiments and the entire 7th Cavalry. They were part of a three-pronged campaign meant to "end the threat" of the Lakota and Cheyenne. Many were destined not to return.

U.S. 7th Cavalry

• Lt. Col. Custer's Battalion
• Reno's Battalion
• Benteen's Battalion
• Indian Scouts

Some Participants of the Battle of the Little Bighorn

• Major Marcus Reno
• Captain Frederick Benteen
• Captain Myles Keogh
• Captain Tom Custer
• Doctor Henry Porter
• Charley Reynolds
• Isaiah Dorman

 

Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer

Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer

After his early education, George Armstrong Custer became a school teacher; soon he was accepted as a cadet at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York and the rest is history.