Trailer Trip 2014: Little Big Horn Battlefield

Friday we arrived at Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monumnt in Montana. We got here about 3:30 and set up at the 7^th Ranch RV campground. This is really nice and reasonable too. Their season ends October 1 and they’ll shut it down then. There aren’t very many campers here now. The place is well kept, the spaces actually have some space between them, there are bathroom and shower and laundry facilities and they are also well kept and clean. It’s about 5 miles from the battlefield.

It was hot Thursday and Friday. I know it was 90 on Thursday and must have been the same yesterday. They set both all-time record high and low for September this month. Earlier this month it snowed here. I don’t know if the record low was a low daily high or an overnight low. Either way, we were told it was two records. It’s supposed to get much cooler this weekend with possible rain and thunderstorms.

We went over to the battlefield site and visitor center after we unhitched and had time to watch the film and walk around a little. There is a memorial to the 7^th cavalry on “Last Stand Hill” that has been there since 1881. It honors the men of the 7^th cavalry who died here in battle and lists their names.

Here’s a factoid: 42-47 percent of the 7^th cavalry were from foreign countries and many didn't speak English. They had joined the army for their own personal reasons. According to the Ranger Talk, economic pressure on new immigrants was severe at that time and many joined up for the paycheck and a chance to begin their lives in the west.

The Indian mrmorial is much newer, erected in 2003, to honor the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians who died here. We thought it was incredible. It tells their story and why they fought at Little Big Horn.