>>7281186>Literally did nothing wrongHis plan at LBH was perfect. If the Indian village was a quarter of the size it was. Truth was it was mammoth. Perhaps the largest assemblage of the Indian nations up to that date.
The wisest thing to do was to scout (reconnaissance) the village as accurately as possible without being detected. Once the data was in hand, Custer should have bypassed the village for the Yellowstone River and reinforcements. As large as the village was, the combined forces of Terry's column (of which Custer's men were a small part of, and which included infantry and Gatling guns) would've overwhelmed it.
So, since he didn't do that, and he opted to take on the village with 600 men, THAT was Mistake #1.
Mistake #2 was dividing his regiment into 3 battalions -- none within supporting range of the others. This was a huge blunder. Captain Benteen said to Custer upon hearing the order to divide the troops, "Hadn't we better keep the regiment together? If there are as many hostiles as the scouts say, we're going to need every man we've got."
But Custer thought he knew best.
