Manifest
Destiny was a term used primarily by Democrats in the 1800s to describe the
concept of expansion of white European settlers in North America, based on the
premise that expansion was not only good, but that it was also obvious
(manifest) and certain (destiny).
As a result
of the belief of the superiority of the White race, Manifest Destiny was used
as justification for westward expansion and the adverse consequences
perpetrated on those outside of the White race.
George
Armstrong Custer (1839-1876) graduated last in his class at West
Point and became an officer in the United States Army. He fought
in the American Civil War, established a reputation as an aggressive cavalry
commander willing to take risks and became a brigadier general by age 23.
After the
Civil War, Custer eventually became commander of the 7th Cavalry and
participated in the so-called Indian Wars, which were a series of conflicts
between the federal government and the native people of North
America. Apparently, the pesky natives didn't exactly buy into
Manifest Destiny. Custer was nicknamed "hard ass" and "iron
butt" by the troopers because of his stamina and persistence in the
saddle.
Crazy Horse
(1840-1877) was an Oglala Sioux who fought against the federal government in
order remain free from the white man's utopian dream of conquest through
Manifest Destiny. He had fought in many battles between the Lakota and their
enemies, including the Arikara, Blackfeet, Crow, Pawnee, and Shoshone. But
after the Sand Creek Massacre of the Cheyenne,
the Lakota joined forces with the Cheyenne
against the U.S.
military.
In order to
take possession of the Black Hills (gold deposits), the federal government set
a deadline of January 31, 1876, for the plains Indians (Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne
and Arapaho) who had been wintering in the free plains to report to their
designated reservations or be considered to be hostile.
On May 17,
1876, the 7th Cavalry headed into the plains, as part of a larger army force,
to round up the remaining free Indians.
In the spring
of 1876, Sitting Bull, the Hunkpapa Lakota holy man, had formed a large
gathering of plains Indians to discuss what to do about the advances of the
white man. This temporary village along the Little Bighorn
River had about 10,000 Indians, with as many as 3,500 warriors.
On June 17,
1876, Crazy Horse led a group of 1,500 Lakota and Cheyenne
against General Crook's force of 1,000 soldiers and 300 Crow & Shoshone
warriors in the Battle
of the Rosebud. This battle prevented Crook's forces from joining up with
Custer's forces headed for the Little Big Horn.
On June 25,
1976, Custer's 7th Cavalry attacked the Indian village along the Little Big
Horn River. He had assumed the Indians would run when attacked. Consequently,
he deployed a battalion led by Captain Benteen to the left to prevent the
Indians from escaping and ordered three companies led by Major Reno to attack
the lower end of the village whereby the remaining forces led by Custer would
provide support.
Just prior to
the attack, Custer's Crow Indian scouts told him it was the largest Indian
village they had ever seen. The scouts then changed out of their army garb and
into their native dress whereupon Custer released them from his command.
"There are not enough Indians in the world to defeat the
Seventh Cavalry." Gen. George Armstrong Custer
The first
group to attack was Major Reno's three companies. They crossed the Little
Bighorn and soon realized that the Lakota and Cheyenne were not running away. Soon warriors
attacked Reno's
men and forced them to retreat.
During this
prolonged bloody confrontation, Crazy Horse led various assaults against
Custer's main forces.
An Arapahoe
who fought in the battle claimed Crazy Horse was "the bravest man I ever
saw. He rode closest to the soldiers, yelling to his warriors. All the soldiers
were shooting at him, but he was never hit."
A Sioux
warrior said, "The greatest fighter in the whole battle was Crazy
Horse."
When the dust
cleared, the Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho had won an overwhelming victory over
the 7th Cavalry. The Custer Battalion, a force of 700 men, suffered a severe
defeat. Five of the 7th Cavalry's 12 companies were annihilated. The total U.S.
casualty count was 268 dead, including Gen. Custer, and 55 injured.
Manifest
Destiny was neither obvious nor certain. It was a choice, made by those who
assumed they were superior to others, based on the color of their skin.
Perhaps they
were mistaken -- perhaps they were simply self-centered, greedy people abusing
their power.
___________
Quote for the Day – "All we wanted was peace and to be
left alone... If I ever pass away, the white man will take you under their
custody as their wards." Crazy Horse
___________
Bret Burquest is the author of 11 books. He
lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where destiny is a
work in progress.
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