The Battle That Saved Little Bighorn Happened 8 Days Earlier on This Montana Battlefield

Rosebud Battlefield, Montana

Most people know about Custer’s Last Stand, but the real turning point happened eight days earlier when Crazy Horse whipped General Crook at Rosebud Creek.

Here’s the story behind this forgotten fight that set up everything that followed, plus how to explore the preserved battlefield.

How Sitting Bull’s Vision Inspired Warriors

Sitting Bull held a Sun Dance in early June 1876 near Rosebud Creek. He had his adopted brother cut strips of flesh from his arms during this sacred ritual. He danced until he passed out.

When he woke, he told of seeing soldiers falling from the sky into their camp like grasshoppers. The tribes saw this as a sign they would win against the Army.

Crazy Horse’s Night March to Surprise the Army

Scouts brought word on June 15-16 that General Crook was coming with a thousand soldiers. Tribal leaders chose Crazy Horse to lead over a thousand warriors to attack. They left their camp on June 16 after dark.

The warriors rode all night toward Rosebud Creek to find Crook’s soldiers. After a short rest before dawn, they kept moving. Crazy Horse placed his men around the valley where Crook had stopped.

By 8:30 in the morning, they were in position just as the tired soldiers were settling down to rest.

When Crook’s Army Let Down Their Guard

Crook’s soldiers marched north along Rosebud Creek early on June 17. They were tired from walking 35 miles the day before and waking at 3:00 am. Around 8:00 am, Crook called for a rest.

The troops stopped without setting up any defenses. Soldiers relaxed in enemy territory. Infantry took off their gear while cavalry let their horses graze. Only the Crow and Shoshone scouts stayed alert as the soldiers made breakfast, unaware of warriors watching from nearby hills.

The First Shots of a Six-Hour Battle

Crow scouts rode 500 yards ahead and climbed nearby ridges. They suddenly ran into Sioux warriors moving toward the resting soldiers. The scouts raced back to camp shouting warnings.

At first, soldiers thought the distant gunfire was just scouts hunting buffalo. Everything changed when two Crow scouts burst into camp yelling “Lakota, Lakota!” Warriors appeared on the hills around them.

Soldiers rushed to grab their weapons as officers shouted orders to form battle lines.

Crazy Horse’s Battlefield Strategy

Crazy Horse didn’t use his usual tactic of watching from a distance. Instead, he led a direct charge right into the Army camp. Warriors fought soldiers all across the rough land. Crazy Horse kept 2,500 more warriors ready to finish the battle once the soldiers broke ranks.

Fighting spread over ridges and valleys as small groups clashed throughout the area. The rough land made it hard for soldiers to form strong defense lines. Crazy Horse had warriors attack from many directions at once, keeping Crook from gathering his forces in one spot.

How Allied Tribes Saved Crook’s Forces

Crook had 262 Crow and Shoshone allies who were positioned ahead of his main force. These scouts spotted the attacking warriors first. They bravely charged against the much larger enemy force.

This bold move slowed down the initial attack and gave the soldiers time to get ready. Crook sent troops to help his native allies as the fighting grew worse. Frank Grouard, Crook’s main scout, later said the Crow saved half the command from being killed.

These allied warriors fought against great odds throughout the battle against their traditional enemies.

The Battle Reaches Its Peak

By mid-morning, fighting covered three miles of prairie. Soldiers and warriors fought in many small battles across ridges and valleys. Captain Mills tried to attack the warriors from the side but met strong resistance.

Major Chambers placed infantry with long-range rifles to cover the cavalry. Captain Henry was shot in the face while leading a cavalry charge. Captain Andrews died while defending a position in a ravine.

The heaviest fighting happened around Kollmar Creek, where Major Royall’s men suffered the most casualties.

When the Native Americans Withdrew

Around noon, after six hours of fighting, the warriors began to pull back. Some accounts say Crazy Horse was trying to lure the soldiers into a trap away from their supplies. Captain Mills suddenly appeared on the Lakota flank with fresh troops.

This changed the warriors’ plans. The Sioux and Cheyenne fighters pulled back in good order. Crook ordered his cavalry to chase them but soon gave up. The battle ended around 2:30 pm.

The warriors headed back toward their main camp along the Little Bighorn River.

Counting the Battle’s Cost

Both sides reported different numbers of dead and wounded. Crook officially counted 10 soldiers killed and 21 wounded. His aide later added that four of the wounded later died. Scout Frank Grouard thought losses were higher: 28 soldiers killed and 56 wounded.

Between 1-5 Crow and 1-8 Shoshone allies were killed. Crazy Horse later said 36 warriors died and 63 were wounded. Both sides agreed the losses were heavy. Soldiers fired between 10,000-25,000 bullets during the battle, a huge amount for single-shot rifles.

How Crazy Horse’s Victory Changed the War

Crook claimed he won because his forces held the battlefield at the end of the day. His actions told a different story when he quickly pulled his troops back. The soldiers retreated to their supply base near present-day Sheridan, Wyoming.

Crook stayed there for seven weeks waiting for more troops, taking his force out of the summer campaign. Because of this, Crook never met up with Custer as planned. Other Army leaders never learned about the large group of warriors.

The victory gave the warriors confidence they carried to Little Bighorn eight days later.

Visiting Rosebud Battlefield State Park

Rosebud Battlefield State Park is located 25 miles east of Crow Agency, on HC 42, Box 642 in Busby, Montana.

Here, you can walk the same ground where Crazy Horse’s warriors surprised Crook’s resting soldiers. Follow mowed paths to Crook’s Hill for views across the entire battlefield.

Read More from WhenInYourState.com:

• The Montana Battlefield Where Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse Defeated Custer’s 7th Cavalry
• Mysterious Petroglyphs in This Montana Canyon Tell Stories of Warriors, Shamans & Spirit Animals
• The Grand Stone Archway Where Theodore Roosevelt Declared Yellowstone For All Americans