Long Hair Custer and his men were defeated that hot June day. Not a man in this command was alive. There were no survivors. Long Hair Custer divided his command into three separate commands earlier that morning to seek out the hostiles thinking that they were on the run to escape being captured. General Custer divided his command into three separate commands. The main command was under the leadership of General Custer, one command under the leadership of Major Marcus Reno, and the third command under the leadership of Major Frederick Benteen. The decision to separate his command into three separate commands was to search for other routes to travel to search for the Indians. He thought he had caught the Indians off guard and were trying to escape the onslaught of the military soldiers and being captured before Crazy Horse's forces attacked General Custer and his soldiers. Crazy Horse and Gall had maneuvered their warriors to cause Long-Hair Custer and his soldiers to suddenly become engaged in an all out major War. General Custer and his men were trapped on a knoll by the men of Crazy Horse and Gall. A fierce battle was being engaged. The warriors furiously charged the knoll where Long Hair stood his ground with his men. The warriors made many charges from all directions until the fighting soldiers became less and less. Their ammunition was giving out and the warriors charged the soldiers and were fighting hand to hand combat with the remaining soldiers. Huge dust clouds hovered over the area indicating a great battle was existing. Major Reno and Major Benteen saw this huge cloud of dust from their vantage places. Both officers and their men sought a place to insure their safety from a major conflict with the Indians.

When the fighting Indians realized that the Battle was over and Long Hair Custer was dead, the Indians began to gather around the area of the battle and take from the dead soldiers their pistols, pistol belts, rifles, ammunition, hats, kerchiefs, jackets, shirts, boots and anything of personal use they kept! These articles were their victory trophies. They had earned them. These trophies were valuable to them and could be of good use to them in the future! Long Hair Custer had made a very bad military decision to divide his entire command at that time.

Crow King, a Hunkpapa Sioux; Photographed by David F. Barry at Fort Buford, North Dakota, ca. 1881. American Indian Select List number 94. Public domain. See NARA.	Limited personal use of artwork by Eva Cellini, as shown on the cover of "Fighting Indians of the West" by Dee Brown with Martin F. Schmitt. Published by Ballantine Books, 1974.

One Sioux Indian and a strong leader was named Crow King. He had found the 7th Calvary's banner-flag and was wearing Long Hair Custer's pistol, holster, belt, hat, and jacket! He was slowly riding on his tired and war-worn horse singing his "swan-song" as though he were in a daze for he was weary and tired. He had fought hard and courageously. He was heading for his camp where all the Indians were to gather for their big celebration of victory over "Long Hair Custer" and to tell of his experiences during the great Battle. That night a huge fire was burning in the middle of their camp to celebrate their wonderful victory. When the time came for Crow King to tell about his individual accounts of the big and important battle, Sitting Bull, the great and respected Hunkpapa Sioux Chief gave to Crow King not one but his 4th and 5th Eagle feathers to wear in his hair for his outstanding bravery, courage, leadership, and his fighting ability. For to have five eagle feathers to wear on the back of his head as a symbol of bravery and leadership was quite an extra ordinary honor and meant much respect from everyone. He had won his battle honors. Crazy Horse himself received his battle honors too, and he went to Crow King putting his hands on Crow King's shoulders and said, "My brother, you were very brave for all you did in this big battle, and you deserve your newly adorned eagle feathers. You will wear them proudly for you have brought much honor to the Sioux this day and to all your Sioux brothers". The celebration lasted many hours for there were other warriors who received their eagle feathers also for their bravery shown in their victory over Long Hair Custer in the Battle Of The Little Big Horn.

The next day, the women went to the battle ground looking for their dead loved ones - sons, brothers and husbands. They put them on their travois to carry them to their burial sites. Many above ground burial scaffolds were made for their brave warriors to be mourned in their special way. Crow King and his family helped the women mourners to put their dead warriors on the travois and helped them to carry the dead warriors to their individual burial sites. This part of looking for their dead warriors and carrying them to their burial sites was very sad for the Sioux families. This big battle was now over and will be long remembered.

For several weeks had past since the Big Battle and conditions of the families of the dead and the funerals of their dead warriors were now beginning to return to normal activities of the Sioux Camp! News of the big Battle had reached the white man's world that General Custer and his brother Lt. Tom Custer were dead from the Battle of the Little Big Horn. A complete disaster to the United States 7th Calvary. The Indians had won a mighty battle, and they had defeated the United States Army very decisively. What a setback for the Army! The Indians who fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn were very proud of their accomplishments.

Generals Howard, Crook, Miles, and Terry were planning new campaigns against the Indians in these regions. The Indian leaders had received word that they were going to be attacked and dealt with harshly. The United States Army will bring much disaster to them and to bring them under control because of the death of General Custer and the defeat of the 7th Calvary at the Battle Of The Little Big Horn.

All the Chiefs and leaders of the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians sent word by smoke signals that a big Council will come forth quickly to decide what must be done to counter-act such a tremendous task. Crazy Horse spoke his words as did Sitting Bull, Gall, Two Moons, Iron Hawk, Dull Knife, Red Cloud, Crow King, and many others gave their advice. They all declared that these lands were theirs and they were not going to give them to the United States Army. They would die first. Some of the Indians decided to escape north to Canada as did Sitting Bull rather than fight the United States Army.