Customer Reviews

Custer's Fall: The Native American Side of the Story (Meridian)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Having read several differing accounts of the battle at Little Big Horn, I find that no one, not even the Indians know what happened that day. Mr. Miller has done his best to present the views of the Indians who fought at the battle as factually as possible. I have not read a recent printing, (my book was printed in 1965, 208 pages counting lists of Indians interviewed or mentioned and the Officers of the 7th Cavalry). I have not been able to find anything in this book, or in any other books to make me believe that Mr. Miller has done anything other than present the facts as best as he could, and I highly recomend this book for anyone interested in the truth about what happened June 25, 1876.

This book provides interesting reading for Custerphiles. It markedly shows that no one, not even the native participants knew what was happening on all parts of the battlefield that day. Each had his own perspective of the area immediatly around him and that changed from each individuals perspective. In the long run I would go with eyewitness accounts unless directly refuted with iron clad evidence. The author tried to present the native side as they experienced the battle. He did a great job, but left us with just as many unanswered questions as we started with. Still a good book to include in a library. It is not a favorite with revisionist historians.

I have not yet read the book but am now ordering it. I noticed that a couple of the reviews from readers questioned the validity of the book. It is absolutely authenic. I was the Millers banker in 1981 when they lived in Rancho Santa Fe, Ca. and I visited their home on 2 occasins. Mr. Miller has a fascinating background which does include living with the indians and seeking out those who had fought Custer approximately 50 years prior to his painting their busts.His home was full of Indian artifacts which he refused to sell because they had been given to him and had special meaning. Mr. Miller was also employed on the sets of several cowboy movies as an Indian expert. He was about 75 years old in 1981 and I have lost total contact with him. I just want readers of this book to know that it is the real thing.

Almost a lifetime's work went into this book. It is always fascinating to read the other side of a story. It is easy to read and very moving. As Custer and all his men died, these are the actual witnesses to what took place. It follows the battle throughout the day, from sun-up to sun-down, the aftermath and the legend. A must-read for anyone interested in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

This was a very good read, the way the author presented the account of the Battle of Little Bighorn and how it started was very well done. The only problem I see is the dialog, most of the dialog between Custer and his scouts and others is skeptical. Most of his men including himself were killed so there is no proof that the dialog in this book even took place as most of the people either died at Little Bighorn or died before the author began researching for this book. In fact the last of Custer's scouts died a year or so before he started this project which limits his resources to relatives of the scouts and friends and people who weren't at the battle. Even if the scouts were to be alive when the author started interviewing them they would have to remember dialog that took place half a century ago (although Native Americans do have a rich oral history so its possible). That in mind the history is correct and there is still a chance the dialog may have taken place, even if it is very skeptical. Still a very good book, written with the Native Americans perspective which is a very valuable source to have since they were there and survived to tell the story.

Finally, a story that really tells the truth about the Battle of the Little Bighorn!

Beware! This is a very strange, and misleading book about the Little Big Horn Battle. The author utilizes already discredited accounts, changes others to suit his needs, takes no consideration of time and place for various events, and, it appears, constructs some events from whole cloth.

If you really want to read about the Indian side of the story (and to understand that day, you must understand that side.)then read Lakota Noon.

I have the 2nd printing of this book. It was printed in August of 1972. My version has 204 pages. It was nice to hear from the other side of the story. You hear through all the history books how much of a hero Custer was. This book will make you look at things a little different. Peaple called the indians savages. This book explains there way of life, there family values, and how there sociaty works. Life today could learn a few things from the indians. If you beleive that this book is fact, the white men where the savages. I thought this book was well done. Rich

David H. Miller's claim to have interviewed oodles of Indian survivors of the Custer fight is bogus. Most of the factual Indian material in the book is freely lifted from interviews recorded by other people such as Stanley Vestal. Even the Indian "portraits" which Miller supposedly did from life appear to have been done from photographs. It is significant that Miller waited until the last Indian survivor had died in 1955 before publishing. Like his spiritual descendent, Dee Brown, Miller writes nonsense while leaning on the works of more reputable authors...

His "original" material is sheer nonsense, like his contention that Custer committed suicide and that the powder burns were somehow "wiped away" by cover-up officers -- and that Custer's body was taken away on the Far West rather than buried on the field. (Oddly enough, he also claims that Custer got shot crossing the river...)

History is filled with stories not always true. In the days following the Battle of the Greasy Grass or Little Big Horn, hundreds of survivors suddenly surfaced. Some even had the cruel audacity to write Elizabeth Custer with their fictional accounts as they chased their 15 minutes of fame.
The reality of the death of General Custer and his immediate command and those of the Indians is well known and that is the problem with this book.
Elizabeth Custer knew exactly what happened in June of 1876 to her husband, brother in laws and soldiers from the investigative retracing of none other than General Nelson Miles, the greatest soldier the United States produced until George S. Patton.
In her book, there is a recount of that day as traced from factual evidence. In short, Custer concerned the Indians would flee not as a group as were his "hammer" orders to strike the combined forces and drive them to General Terry's "anvil" to smash them, attacked the Indians quickly.
He divided his command as he had numerous times before and in facing 2 other Little Big Horns. Capt. Benteen was to scout for fleeing Indians with Maj. Reno intended to drive the Indians as Custer attacked the camp diverting the Indian forces.
Custer tried to cross the river, but it was too deep and finally to try and help Reno he opened fire on the camp which in fact drew the Indians off Reno and they crossed up river which started the Last Stand.
Custer deployed his forces perfectly on ground not suited for a fight and sent for Benteen to bring up reinforcements. Benteen though upon finding the completely rattled Reno appears to have decided to "let Custer fight his way out of his own jam" in a lingering grudge he had with Custer.
Benteen fought bravely in their stand, but both Reno and Benteen let Custer down, one for cowardice and the other for not obeying orders.
Twice during the 2 hour Custer fight his forces fired mass volleys were an Army signature of distress and to alert other forces to come to their aid. In fact, part of the Reno command did try to force their way to Custer, but were turned back under fire from Indians.
Custer and his command fought very well as the field of battle evidence revealed. His flank was over run at one point and that began the end as the Indians simply wore down the ranks.
Col. Richard Dodge who records part of the Custer Stand honestly concluded that Custer did commit suicide. This is not some cowardly act as those on the plains knew that death by fire and steel is what awaited an Indian captive. This was not secret in sinews were cut off as well as body parts from living captives as fire was kindled on feet and hands till it was burnt on the chest as Indians warmed themselves and taunted the person till they expired.
Libby Custer understood this and her husband even had soldiers stationed with her with orders to shoot her if they were attacked to keep her from being ravaged by the Indians. Ravaged as records show was gang raped by every male in being taken back to camp with the Indian women making crude comments. The captive woman was then passed around in camp for days for rape until she came back to the owner who would gamble her away as the Indian women forced her to serve them and beat her.
It is important to understand though the Indians were savages in the mentality they did not deem rape, murder and theft as evil. Those means of war were celebrated on non tribe members, but were considered "bad" by an Indian if attempted on members of their own tribe as the leaders would beat the Indian and sometimes kill them for it. That made it bad, because they suffered for it.
The Indians though savage did cherish their children and captive children. The men though practiced war while the women served their masters. The known fact though was the most horrid of tortures were always noted by Indian women. None of this is an indictment, but simple fact of the times and the tribes. This is what any non tribe member faced whether white or Crow from the Sioux and Cheyenne. Custer's own brother Tom at the Little Big Horn in being wounded was alive and an Indian cut his heart out. If Custer did commit suicide, it was only a rational decision as all of his were that day.
As for the Indians who fought there, there is no evidence on that day that any of them knew this was Custer. They viewed it as simply horse soldiers and went out to fight them. The relics or war booty they gathered has never been discovered. Legend has it that it was buried on the flight to Canada which makes sense as any Indian who had a part in a massacre knew their lives were forfeit not just by government troops if they were caught, but by Sioux loyal to the United States still on the reservations. This divide is still at odds on the reservation today.
Therefore most accounts published by Indians are suspect and in the case of beleiveable stories like Red Fox who only stated he saw the smoke of battle from camp as he was a boy, the versions often never match known historical evidence of the actual battle.
So this is not a book about Custer's fall, but a view of hopes like Dee Brown who suffer from the eastern malaise of guilt over winning wars with Indian peoples who were butchering Americans over land the Indians themselves only had acquired a few years before from other Indians. As a historical fact, the Sioux were in the process of genocide against the Pawnee and Arikara Indians and were driving the Crow farther into Montana. It is why the Pawnee and the Crow were allied with the US government. It is also the reason that the US Army was on the plains in June of 1876 as the Crow had begged Washington to protect it's tribes from raids by the Sioux which were happening.
Too much has been written about Custer as the focal point with no one examining the horrid mistakes of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse in leading their people to destruction when others like Spotted Tail were trying to build a future for the Sioux. Custer's fall actually occurred months earlier when he was testifying in Washington over corruption by the Indian Department who were selling guns to the plains Indians in gleaning the last dollars from the tribes before they were destroyed by a war being fomented by both Crazy Horse and elements of the Grant administration.
Those are the facts in this from historical records and one could do much better than reading accounts from people who either have an axe to grind on Custer or want to make the plains Indian tribes of that era what they never were.
If one wants to read the Memoirs of Red Fox, it does a much better job of an Indian view on life. If one wants to read reality of Indians, Col. Richard Dodge's book on his life among the wild Indians reveals the Indian who they were with faults and glory and if one wants to read of Custer, then try Libby's books and the work of Gen. Nelson Miles as the facts are there.
Yes there was a cover up of failure of duty by Reno and Benteen in the Court Martials, but the Army's memory while sweeping it away in public did not forget and Reno was later drummed out of the service and Benteen was dumped into Utah to disappear.
The fact though of George Custer and that day are found in better places than this book which rates as rumor...and rumor has no place in history.