EXTRA! Montana Newspaper Stories 1864-1922: Battle of the Little Big Horn

The Battle of the Little Bighorn (also known as Battle of the Greasy Grass) was part of the Great Sioux War. A conflict between the U.S. 7th Cavalry—including General George Armstrong Custer’s 700-man battalion—and combined Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho forces, "Custer’s Last Stand" was a quick and decisive victory for the tribes.

Key dates

June 1876—Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne forces meet at Rosebud Creek in Montana Territory.
June 24, 1876—Custer’s scouts discover a large Indian village on the Little Bighorn River in Eastern Montana.
June 25, 1876—Custer attacks the village at midday and the battle ensues. Custer and 267 of his men are killed.
July 5, 1876—News of the battle spreads to the rest of the country.

From the newspapers

• The Demons of the Plains, A Terrible Slaughter of Soldiers, and The Fight on the Little Horn, The New North-west, July 7, 1876, p. 2
• Montana Volunteers, The New North-west, July 14, 1876, p. 2
• Our Bozeman Letter, The New North-west, July 14, 1876. p. 3
• The Custer Massacre, The New North-west, July 21, 1876, p. 2
• Major Reno, The New North-west, November 30, 1877, p. 2
• The Custer Massacre, The New North-west, July 2, 1886, p. 2
• The Sad Story Retold, Anaconda Standard, March 19, 1893, p. 5
• One More Witness of What Happened in the Custer Field, Anaconda Standard, July 25, 1899, p. 15
• Gen. Custer’s Last Fight, Dupuyer Acantha, February 7, 1901, p. 3
• Custer’s Last Stand, Rosebud County News, July 3, 1902, p. 8
• Back Trailing on the Old Frontiers, Great Falls Tribune, October 22, 1922, p. 3

To find more

Search for the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases: little bighorn (or big horn), custer, major reno, crazy horse, rosebud creek, chief gall, sitting bull, custer massacre, custer’s last stand, custer’s last fight, 7th cavalry

---

Written by Catherine W. Ockey