On This Day, June 25th

On this day in 1876, Lt. Col. George Custer and the 7th Calvary took over the area to battle with Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Indians. They had to wait for orders by the entrance of the Little Big Horn River. The government had granted a treaty to the Sioux for the Black Hills, but as gold was discovered, white settlers/miners swamped the area. Chief Sitting Bull and the other tribal members refused to leave the land. This was when Custer and his men were ordered to make the Indians go back to their reservation. They refused and a battle ensued. Within an hour, Custer and 265 of his men died. The Sioux had a brief victory. Not long after, the Indians were surrounded by even more U.S. soldiers, forcing them to surrender. Sitting Bull went to Canada to get away.

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/recon/jb_recon_custer_3.html