I read a book years ago written from the Indian perspective about the Little Big Horn. A doctor was privileged to interview several Lakotas that were there. They said that many of the troops committed suicide during the battle and they thought it was because of the *firewater* in their canteens. In those days it was commonly thought that if you are in a battle with Indians you always saved your last bullet for yourself because you dare not be taken alive. The Lakotas said very few troops fought bravely and one of them was Custer's brother Tom and they attributed that to his *warpaint*, the eagle tattooed on his chest. Historical accounts show that Custer had his men on the move for many hours, maybe 72 , following Indian sign when he gave the order for his men to camp and rest. I would bet that if his men did indeed had whiskey in their canteens, they probably started drinking. Sometime later, scouts found the Indian camp off on the horizon and showed it to Custer. A report had just come in about the same time that Indians had been seen foraging through some crates that had fallen behind on the trail. Custer was afraid the Indians would know that he was close and would scatter. So he called *boots and saddles* and pressed his exhausted men and horses to break camp and attack. I would assume his men and horses were not only exhausted but probably many were drunk as well. They didn't stand a chance. It is estimated that there probably were at least a thousand warriors and many were better armed, with repeating rifles, than Custer's men who were armed with single shot carbines and ammunition that constantly jammed and prevented quick reloading. One Indian said the whole battle took about as long as it takes a hungry man to eat his dinner.
On Thursday, December 12, 2013 8:10 PM, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: stating that he "could whip any bunch of Indians" Pride before a fall. It seems to be a common failing in the military. Another "western" gun that has a certain aesthetic appeal are those old Confederate revolvers. As the South lacked the industrial capacity of the North they made the non-stressed gun parts of brass. But instead of looking cheap and cheerful the yellow metal had a gold-like glamour. I noticed that the movie "Ride with the Devil" picked up on that aspect as part of its look and really emphasised the golden glow in the shoot-out scenes.
