If you ride a touring bike, and you're traveling around the country looking at the scenery and other attractions, natural and man made, I think at some point you have to admit to being a tourist. Today we did tourist things like visiting the Little Big Horn Battlefield. I've always enjoyed history and have wanted to visit this place for some time.

We arrived early, found some shade to park the bike, went to the Visitor's Center 3016.5, and bought a ticket on the local tour bus. The first stop was at the mass grave and marker at the top of "Last Stand" Hill just a quarter mile up the hill from the Center. At some point in 1881, all of the remains of those found on the battlefield were disinterred and reburied in this mass grave with the names of all those who had been killed in the battle on the four sides of the marker (photos 2,3,4,5). You can see Lt. Colonel Custer's black marker. The markers now show where the soldiers of the 7th Calvery fell, not where they are buried.

We then proceeded on to the Reno-Benteen Defense position, a couple of miles away. Major Reno attacked the village from the left into the trees. When he realized he was outgunned, he retreated across the river to the hilltop where the where the picture was taken (photos 6, 7, 8 & 9). There he set up a defensive position and was joined by Captain Benteen with a pack train. You can see a marker where the last surgeon treated the wounded and dying soldiers (photo 10). Of three surgeons with the 7th Calvary, only one survived and he was with Major Reno. It is said he went without sleep for 12 days while he treated his soldier patients. There are markers all over the battlefield (photo 11), explaining the happenings of the Little Big Horn.

It is reported that the temperature on the battlefield during this time was in excess of 100 degrees. It was 100 degrees for us also and I could imagine tired, scared soldiers, fighting for their life in heavy blue uniforms, with little water and little hope for success. It must have been a terrible day all the way around.

By the way, it was mentioned in passing that Lt. Col. Custer graduated at the bottom of his class at West Point. Since I was lucky to get into college, I won't make any comments or judgments about what role this played on George's decision making during that day. It is just something to note.

To summarize what I learned. Lt. Col. Custer appears to have been arrogant and repeatedly underestimated the strength of the enemy. He split his forces with poor or non-existent communications. He repeatedly believed the better assumptions rather than the worse. For this, he got his butt kicked. This was the last major victory for the Indians. They lost the overall battle to save their way of life. They have at last figured out a way to get some money back from the white man by erecting casinos in many states designed for that purpose.

Back on Last Stand Hill, there is also a monument to the Indian warriors. It tells and shows the battle from the Indians perspective. It's well done and is just across from the mass grave (photos 12,13, & 14).

We walked back to the visitors' center where there are some interesting exhibits (photos 15 & 16), and artifacts from excavations of the battlefield. They show the type of battle dress of the Indians and uniforms of the soldiers from 1876 (photos 17& 18). But one of the most interesting exhibits to me was the recreation of two soldiers faces using modern forensics techniques (photo 19). CSI eat your heart out.

It was time to head southeast towards the Black Hills of South Dakota, but as we were getting ready to leave, we met a Harley rider from Pierre on an Ultra Glide. This fellow was a rider. He had ridden his Ultra Glide five times from Mexico to Canada as part of some Border-to-Border Rally. He had been from Banff to Jasper and all the way to Newfoundland. He gave us some good tips and was an interesting fellow to talk with. Which just goes to show that today's motorcycles will get you there if you're willing to go.

We finally got back on the road and by two o'clock; we were in Gillette, Wyoming.

Today's Route: I-90 to the Little Big Horn Battlefield in Montana and all the way to Gillette, WY.