Friends Summer Events
June 24-25, 2016
140th Anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Storm On The Custer Ridge
Extension
Photo by Bob Reece
Friends members attending the 140th anniversary of the Battle of the
Little Bighorn had a great weekend catching up with old friends, as well
as the added pleasure of making new ones. Our members contributed to the
record-breaking number of annual visitors to the battlefield thanks to the Park Service’s
brilliant marketing campaign for its centennial celebration.
Our members were busy assisting the Park Service as transport drivers for visitors to and from the
battlefield from a designated off-site parking lot. At the visitor center,
a parking spot was prime Montana real estate, so our volunteers also assisted
the rangers
with traffic control. Ranger Michael Donahue later told me the summer of 2016
had been the busiest he had experienced during his 25 plus years as a
seasonal ranger.
Friday and Saturday, June 24-25, 2016
Friends volunteer interpreters returned to the Deep Ravine and Keogh/Crazy
Horse Trails, Last Stand Hill, Indian Memorial, and the Reno-Benteen
Battlefield to share the story of the battle with the visitors. For
safety, our volunteers wear reflective green vests with nameplates. The
vest is a huge icebreaker, and makes for a comfortable opening to perform a
battle conversation.
Annual Field Trip "Following Custer's Left Wing Along
the Custer Ridge Extension: Ford D, Exit One Mile Ahead"
This year, we had an incredible fundraiser field trip led by Park Ranger
and Battle Historian extraordinaire Mike Donahue. Thanks to permission
from the Custer Battlefield Preservation Committee, we ventured onto
terrain most of us have only observed from a distance: The Custer Ridge
Extension.
Supt Denice Swanke welcomes those
attending the fundraiser field trip
Mike Donahue gives an overview of
where we are about to venture
The late Cheyenne oral historian John Stands In Timber befriended a young
anthropologist, Margot Liberty, whom he shared Cheyenne accounts about the
battle. Margot included some of these stories in her classic book Cheyenne
Memories, which is still in print. John discussed in detail how some of
Custer’s soldiers continued further north beyond Last Stand Hill to
eventually reach Ford D along the Little Bighorn River. Most likely,
Custer intended to capture the noncombatants. Custer’s path beyond Last
Stand Hill followed today’s Custer Ridge Extension.
Walking along the Custer Ridge
Extension
Custer Ridge Extension at far
left. Custer Creek flows out of Crow Agency and from behind the CRE
(second group of trees)
Visitor Center on Cemetery Ridge
as seen from the Custer Ridge Extension
Donahue points out Custer's route
from the south onto the Custer Ridge Extension. 7th Cavalry Monument is
seen on the ridge. Visitor Center at right with trees of the Custer
National Cemetery
Once we reached as far along the Custer Ridge Extension we were allowed to
walk, Mike shared some of his theories about this portion of the battle.
These theories will make their way into Mike’s battle book, due for
release next fall.
As we enjoyed this walk, we noticed the sky turning gray and ominous to
the northwest. A storm was brewing, and it was not long before the wind
hit us. We moved down the ridge a few yards to escape what we could of it,
and thanks to our new PA system, we could still hear Mike’s presentation.
The storm grew in intensity, so we were forced to return, but not before
we shot some great photos along the Custer Ridge Extension.
Storm building. Entrance gate
seen at left.
High winds hit was while on the
Custer Ridge Extension
Storm began to subside as we
walked back to the Indian Memorial
Spirit Warriors of the Indian
Memorial and 7th Cav Monument
Saturday Afternoon – The Cheyenne Battle Dress
Friends members and lucky battlefield visitors met in the upstairs meeting
room of the Administration Building to hear Cheyenne oral history
regarding the Cheyenne Battle Dress. Presenting was Friends Vice President
Clifford Longsioux, and Lynn Pankonin, Curator Emeritus, Northwest Museum
of Arts & Culture in Spokane, Washington.
The Park Service temporarily displayed the battle dress in the museum over
the 140th anniversary. The Park Service stated:
“While it would be very unusual for women to have worn clothing from slain
enemies, the blue wool in this dress is said to have come from soldier
uniforms recovered after the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The dress is
made from at least two contrasting shades of dark blue woolen cloth,
although the sleeves appear to be darker than normal for army uniform
wool. This method of construction was not used in U.S. Army uniforms
during the 1870s. Some seams of this type appeared in the 1883 pattern
blue woolen shirt and were not generally used until the advent of the 1898
unlined blouse.”
For more information about the Cheyenne Battle Dress,
please follow this
link.
Friends VP Clifford Longsioux and
Lynn Pankonin present the Cheyenne oral accounts of the Cheyenne Battle
Dress
Saturday evening, the 25th, Friends Feast and General
Membership Meeting.
Bob Reece Retires
Another year of Friends events, and another Friends Feast to thank our
volunteers, and to show appreciation of our membership. Like the last two
years, we were forced to bring the party in doors. This year was due to
not having enough picnic tables on the outdoor grounds.
This was the first general membership meeting under the leadership of our
new president, Mike Semenock. Mike welcomed everyone and thanked them for
attending. He introduced Friends Treasurer Kay Hunsaker who then welcomed
Joy Gilbert – widow of Friends member Gary Gilbert - and her family.
Friends remembered the late Gary Gilbert who gave so much of his time in
the building and maintenance of the Soldier Warrior List, which was begun
by John Doerner when he was the chief historian.
Denice Swanke and Kay Hunsaker
present Gary Gilbert plaque to Joy Gilbert
Gary Gilbert plaque presented
from Friends of the Little Bighorn Battlefield
Gary and Joy Gilbert's Family
Superintendent Denice Swanke and Kay Hunsaker presented a plaque to Joy
Gilbert. Joy had asked family and friends to donate in Gary’s memory to
Friends of the Little Bighorn Battlefield in lieu of flowers. The money
raised was used to purchase the new battlefield webcams.
Mike next thanked Bob Reece for his serving 16 years as president of
Friends. Bob had announced his retirement the previous spring. Mike also
shared that the board voted to bestow upon Bob Reece the new position of
Friends Historian. Mike then gave the floor to Bob. He shared his feelings
about his retirement, and that it is important for Friends to be managed
under new leadership. To help with all that is required for this
transition, Bob remains on the board.
Mike and Bob sharing a few
memories
Superintendent Denice Swanke thanked the volunteers for the exceptional
work they did these two days on the trails during the busy weekend. Their
presence on the trails is a big help to the staff in order to be free to
manage crowd control elsewhere in the Monument. She shared other
battlefield news.
Supt Denice Swanke presenting
battlefield updates
Mike closed the general membership meeting. Folks put away tables and
chairs, packed up stuff from the command post, loaded their cars. We said
our goodbyes for another year, and people drove away. Joanne and I were
the last to leave. We turned off the lights to the administration
building, and locked the door behind us. Change is good.
I’ll always look for you on Last Stand Hill.
Bob
See you on Calhoun Hill in June
2017
(Back to Top)
|
