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Little Big Horn, 1876-1877 - Discovery of gold in the
Black Hills in 1874,
bringing an influx of miners, and extension of railroads into the area renewed
unrest among the
Indians, and many left their reservations. When the
Indians
would not comply with orders from the Interior Department to return to the
reservations by the end of January, 1876, the Army was requested to take action.
A small expedition into the Powder River country in March, 1876 produced
negligible results. Thereafter, a much larger operation, based on a War
Department plan, was carried out in the early Sumner months. As implemented by
Lieutenant General
Philip Sheridan, commander of the Division of the
Missouri, the plan was to
converge several columns simultaneously on the Yellowstone River where the
Indians would be trapped and then forced to return to their reservations.
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The Battle of the
Little
Bighorn, painting by
Charles Russell, 1903
This image available for
photographic prints
and downloads
HERE!
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