George Herendeen was still on the deck of the steamer Far West, anchored at the mouth of the Rosebud River, when a summons came for him to enter the cabin. Inside sat Generals Terry, Gibbons, Custer, and Brisbin, bent over a map. They asked him about the country around the upper Rosebud and Tullock’s Fork, terrain he knew from crossing it before. As the conversation moved, it became clear that Terry was working out where Custer’s column, moving up the Rosebud, and Gibbons’s column, following the Big Horn, should unite.

Herendeen shared what he knew, and Custer seemed pleased with the information. The general wanted him along. General Gibbons came to him afterward and confirmed the arrangement: Herendeen was now part of Custer’s command. They settled the terms of his service as a scout, and the compensation was finalized on June 21st, shortly before Gibbons left the boat.

Later that day, General Brisbin emerged from the cabin, and Herendeen asked where the cavalry would likely be in the coming days, so he could find them. Brisbin thought they would probably be near the mouth of the Little Big Horn. At noon on the 21st, Herendeen reported to General Custer and was assigned to Lieutenant Varnum, who commanded the scouts. It was there that he met Mitch Bouyer, a half-breed scout and guide riding with Varnum.

They set out on the 22nd around noon, moving up the Rosebud. Bouyer and Bloody Knife, another scout, led the way, with Custer directly behind them. Lieutenant Varnum and his scouts followed closely, just ahead of the main column. They covered about twelve miles before making camp at 5:00 p.

m. That evening, General Custer gave the order for reveille at 4:00 a. m. , with the command to be ready to march by 5:00.

On the morning of the 23rd, they departed on time, following the stream for four or five miles before picking up an Indian trail that Reno’s men had traced days earlier. They followed it until 5:00 p. m. , when they camped for the night.

That evening, Custer sent the Crow scouts ahead for information. On the morning of the 24th, they broke camp at 5:00 a. m. and continued along the trail.

Not long after, Custer, riding ahead with Bouyer, called Herendeen over and mentioned that he might send him and Charlie Reynolds to scout ahead at Tullock’s Fork. Herendeen suggested it was too early for that, since they were still heading toward Tullock and he could only follow the trail. He asked Bouyer to confirm, and Bouyer agreed, noting that further up the Rosebud they would find a gap allowing them to cut across to Tullock in about a fifteen-mile ride. Custer responded, “Very well, I can wait.

”

They had not gone much further when the Crow scouts returned, reporting that the trail ahead was growing fresher and that they had found new pony tracks. They also brought with them the scalp of a white man, later identified as belonging to Stoker, a soldier from Company H of the Second Cavalry, killed days earlier at the Rosebud’s mouth. When Custer heard this, he halted the command, dismounted the men, and called his officers together for a council. Herendeen was too far away to hear the details.

After a brief halt, the column resumed its slow march. They soon reached Muddy Creek, where the Second Cavalry had clashed with Lame Deer’s band the previous spring. As they crossed, Herendeen noticed that some lodges had veered from the main trail and headed up Muddy Creek. He followed briefly, then informed Custer.

The general immediately halted the command and sent Lieutenant Varnum to investigate. Custer did not want to lose any lodges and insisted on being notified if anyone deviated from the main trail. While Varnum was away, the men halted and prepared dinner. Varnum returned two hours later, reporting that the Muddy Creek trail rejoined the main trail further along.

They resumed the march, following a trail that was becoming fresher by the minute. They passed several campsites, suggesting the Indians were moving slowly in search of grazing land. As evening approached, Custer deployed flankers and maintained a sharp lookout to prevent any lodges from escaping. He aimed to capture the entire village without letting any stragglers get away.

At dusk, they made camp on the trail, which was now very fresh. The general sent Varnum, Bouyer, and some scouts ahead to scout the trail and the surrounding terrain. The men were instructed to graze their animals, have supper, and be ready to depart at 11:00 p. m.

Everyone rested until 10:00, then packed up and moved out. The night was pitch dark, and progress was slow. After about ten miles, they halted at 2:00 a. m.

, unsaddled the horses, and allowed the men and animals to rest. The scouts returned during the night and informed Custer that they had located the Indian camp. They packed up and advanced at first light. Mitch Bouyer and Reynolds, who had been scouting, reported that the camp was enormous.

Bouyer remarked that it was the largest village he had ever seen, and Reynolds agreed, noting the vast numbers. Custer confidently declared, “I can defeat them. ” Reynolds warned that it would take six hours of intense fighting to win. On the morning of June 25th, the final day of the march, Custer halted the troops and concealed them as best he could.

He then took an orderly and rode about four miles up to the Divide, where Lieutenant Varnum and Bouyer were stationed, hoping to catch a glimpse of the village on the other side along the Little Big Horn. While Custer was away, Herendeen followed the trail up the Dry Fork of the Rosebud but had not gone far when he spotted two figures crossing the hills toward the Little Big Horn. Custer was gone for about an hour and a half. Upon his return, Bouyer asked Herendeen if he had seen the Indians.

He replied that he had seen what looked like Indians. Bouyer exclaimed that he had been within 150 yards of them, and that his presence had surprised them, sending them fleeing back to camp as quickly as they could. Custer sounded the officers’ call, issued orders, and divided the column into battalions. Once the orders were given, they advanced up the Divide at a brisk pace, covering three or four miles before reaching the summit.

The scouts, led by Lieutenant Varnum and Hare, pressed on ahead at a gallop, with the command following at a trot. Herendeen rode with the scouts as they followed a creek flowing toward the Little Big Horn. As they neared the creek’s mouth, they spotted a lone lodge on the bank. They climbed a hill to flank and overlook it, only to find it abandoned.

From the hilltop, they saw a massive dust cloud and fleeing livestock down by the Little Big Horn. They also spotted a few Indians on the hills, riding swiftly and seemingly escaping. Herendeen shouted that the Indians were getting away and urged the scouts to hasten their pursuit, or risk losing them. Lieutenant Hare quickly wrote a note to Custer.

Herendeen was unsure of its contents but believed it expressed their concern that the Indians were fleeing. Custer was nearby, riding at a fast trot. The scouts rushed down to the abandoned lodge, slashed it open, and found a dead Indian inside. Custer arrived just as they were inspecting the lodge, with Colonel Reno at the forefront of the advance.

Herendeen caught Custer instructing Reno: “Reno, take the scouts and lead the way. I’ll be right behind you. ”

Reno spurred his horse into a swift gallop, urging his men to keep control of their mounts. Herendeen’s horse stumbled, causing a slight delay, but he quickly caught up with Reno at the ford.

As they crossed the river, the Crow scouts called out to each other in their language: “The Sioux are coming. ” Understanding the words, Herendeen warned Reno that the Sioux were on their way. Reno halted briefly, allowing the command to close ranks, before they crossed the Little Big Horn and formed a battle line on the prairie just beyond the timber. The formation was smooth and continuous, moving from a trot to a gallop as they pressed on.

It became clear that a large force of Indians awaited their approach. They advanced about half a mile, with the Indians setting fires to the timber on their right flank and directly ahead. A few were positioned within the timber, and the soldiers opened fire on them, though the Indians did not return the shots. Shortly after, they dismounted, forming a skirmish line facing the hills.

The line extended to the left and front, and firing began almost immediately, with the Indians positioned near the base of the hills in the small valley. The exchange of gunfire intensified as the Indians attempted to encircle them. The horses were led into the timber on their right and rear, while the soldiers retreated to find cover among the bushes and small trees. Inside the timber, they found a small clearing where the command regrouped and remounted.

Herendeen was among the last to reach the timber and paused to fire at some Indians who had entered from the left and rear. Once he joined the command in the clearing, they experienced a brief lull before a sudden volley erupted from the bushes. Bloody Knife, positioned directly in front of him, and Reno, to his left, were both struck. The volley took Bloody Knife’s life.

One soldier cried out, “Oh my God, I’ve been hit. ”

Reno ordered them to dismount, only to countermand the order moments later, telling them to remount. But not all had managed to get back on their horses when Reno led the charge out of the timber onto the prairie. The men scattered, each trying to escape the woods as quickly as possible, running at an angle toward the Little Big Horn River.

Herendeen followed the command out of the timber, with about half the men ahead of him and the other half behind. The dust was so thick that it was impossible to see where they were headed. Just as he emerged onto the prairie, his horse stumbled and fell, throwing him off before bolting away. He retreated back to the timber about 150 yards away and took cover among the bushes.

As he turned back, he heard an officer shout, “Halt, men, halt! Let us fight them! ”

As soon as Reno’s troops emerged from the timber, the Indians swiftly closed in, attacking from all sides. After his horse threw him, Herendeen returned to the timber and encountered Lieutenant DeRudio, pausing to converse with him.

As they spoke, a group of about a dozen soldiers, some on foot and others on horseback, approached. Herendeen urged them to seek cover in the timber, where they could defend themselves. They quickly joined him, and they secured their horses to the trees. Just as they had settled into their defensive position, firing erupted below them, signaling that Custer’s forces had engaged the enemy.

They observed a significant number of Indians leaving their attack on Reno’s troops and racing down the valley at full speed. The firing down the valley was intense and sustained, with nine distinct volleys at regular intervals, punctuated by rapid fire in between. This heavy gunfire continued for about three-quarters of an hour to an hour before gradually subsiding into silence. Herendeen turned to the men with him and said, “Boys, it’s time we moved on.

” He pointed out that the fighting below had ceased and that, though the outcome was uncertain, he suspected the Indians had gained the upper hand. He cautioned that they should retreat before the Indians returned up the valley. He led the way, and the men followed. They encountered only five Indians between them and Major Reno’s position.

From about a mile away, they spotted Reno’s troops halted on a hill. Herendeen rejoined Reno at 5:00 p. m. Once they emerged from the timber, they saw large numbers of Indians advancing up the valley.

As he ascended the hill, Reno’s forces began to move in the direction Custer had taken, but they were quickly repelled by the Indians and forced back to their original position on the hill. The Indians launched a fierce attack on Reno’s troops, persisting until nightfall. The next day, June 26th, the battle resumed at dawn and continued until 4:00 p. m.

The men suffered greatly from thirst, and as many as seven were wounded while attempting to procure water. Herendeen believed that Captain Benteen saved the fight on the hill. None of them knew with certainty what had become of General Custer until General Terry arrived with Gibbons’s command on the morning of June 27th. Herendeen offered his own assessment of the fight.

The number of Indians that attacked Reno’s command on the flat on June 25th likely did not exceed 200 warriors. He did not believe anyone had been killed before the retreat into the timber, and only one man had fallen when he made a break for the bluffs. Contrary to the reports that had been circulating, Herendeen insisted that the horses were not exhausted and the men were not worn out and sleepy when they arrived at the battlefield. On the contrary, the animals were fresh, and Custer had led a group of men who were as well-fed and cheerful as any who ever went into battle.

Their initial impression had been that the Indians were fleeing, and their only concern was that they might escape before they could be engaged. He did not believe Custer’s engagement had lasted for a significant duration; it was likely concluded within less than two hours. However, at one point, the intensity of the firing had led them to think that Custer was advancing, and the Indians seemed unsure of the battle’s outcome. They began dismantling their lodges and packing up the village, suggesting they were preparing to flee.

The distance from the Rosebud’s mouth, where Custer began his march, to the battlefield at the Little Big Horn’s mouth spanned over 100 miles. The daily progress was as follows: twelve miles on the first day, thirty-five on the second, thirty-three on the third, and between twenty-five and twenty-eight on the fourth and final day. They departed at noon on June 22nd and arrived at the battlefield around noon on June 25th. Contrary to popular accounts, Custer did not exhaust his men and horses by pushing them excessively; in fact, a heavily laden pack train kept pace with them throughout the journey.

From Herendeen’s vantage point, Custer’s movements during the march had been deliberate, methodical, and exemplary of soldierly conduct in every respect. There had been much misinformation about the Little Big Horn battle circulating in the Herald and other papers, with many accounts skewed to mislead the public. He had been there with Reno through the entire ordeal, witnessing events before and after the clash.

He did not see everything, but what he did see, he recounted exactly as it happened.