Sept 5-Little Bighorn Natl Monument

September 5-We stopped to see Custer's Battlefield at Little Bighorn National Monument last night and again this morning. Did you know that of the men that died with Custer, most were not American but Irish? The battle itself took place on June 25th and 26th, 1876. In 1876, Ireland was enduring the potato famine so many of the men emigrated to the United States to make a new life. In the US they were shunned and discriminated against and couldn't get jobs, so they enlisted in the army. When Custer was ordered to push the Indians back onto the reservation he underestimated the size of the Indian encampment. There were about 7,000 Indians with about 2,000 of them warriors. Custer divided his troops and tried to attack from several different sides, but the Indians fought back, pushing Custer and his men back up what we now call "Last Stand Hill". There are white markers that mark where the soldiers fell. The remains were recovered from shallow graves and placed under the large stone marker. The fallen natives are marked by red granite markers.