Crow Agency in Big Horn County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Reno’s Valley Fight
Little Bighorn Battlefield
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 23, 2015
1. Reno’s Valley Fight Marker
After fording the Little Bighorn River one mile to your left, Reno’s battalion gallops down the valley below. Convinced he is vastly outnumbered, Reno dismounts, and forms a skirmish line across the valley floor, firing into the lodges.
Warriors in great numbers rush forward to defend the village. Outflanked, Reno retreats into the timber. Sitting Bull directs surprised noncombatants to flee to the north and west.
“The very earth seemed to grow Indians and they were running towards me.”
“They were fighting in regular Indian style, riding up and down, some few on foot and some few on the hills to the left passing around and coming in on our rear, filling the whole space in our rear, a mile or two, with scattered Indians riding about.”
“The soldiers had crossed the river and were coming toward the camp . . . there were not many soldiers, and I knew they would be beaten because there were many Sioux and Cheyenne.”
“I heard the alarm but I did not believe it. I thought it was a false alarm. I did not think it possible that any white men would attack us, so strong as we were.”
this page online
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Wars, US Indian.
Location. 45° 31.555′ N, 107° 23.016′ W. Marker is in Crow Agency, Montana, in Big Horn County. It is on Little Bighorn Battlefield Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located on the Little Bighorn Battlefield, near the Reno-Benteen Battlefield. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Crow Agency MT 59022, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Montana’s and he Crow Nation, in Southeast Montana, in Custer Country. It is also in the American Mountain West, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, on the Great Plains, and specifically on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Reno’s Retreat (here, next to this marker); Custer’s Advance (a few steps from this marker); Reno's Skirmish Line - Warrior Counterattack (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Retreat Crossing (about 400 feet away); Timber Fight (about 400 feet away); Crow's Nest (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lone Tipi (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Reno-Benteen Defense (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Crow Agency.
Also see . . . The Battle of the Little Bighorn, 1876. (Submitted on August 7, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 23, 2015
2. Reno’s Valley Fight Marker
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 23, 2015
3. Marker on the Little Bighorn Battlefield
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 7, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,921 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 7, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
