It wasn’t one of the proudest moments in the history of the American West. On a June day, the formidable Plains Indians killed more than 260 soldiers, scouts and helpers in a matter of hours, including General George Armstrong Custer.

The reason for the Army’s attack was a very bad one, trying to persuade Sioux and Northern Cheyenne to return to their reservations. The resulting decision to attack was even worse, a miscalculation of both numbers and skills that ended the lives of so many.

The rolling grasslands of southeastern Montana look much the same today as they did on that blistering June afternoon. One difference is that the hillsides are dotted by white marble markers, each indicating a spot where the body of a soldier was found after the battle. The markers are not tombstones. Most of the men are buried in a common grave near where Custer and about fifty others made a last stand among a fortress of dead horses. In 1877, Custer’s remains were removed and sent to West Point. Most of his officers are interred in national cemeteries.

The fact that this national monument was originally called Custer Battlefield, and wasn’t changed to Little Bighorn Battlefield until the early 90s, probably tells the developing story of the site the best. The first request for an Indian warrior marker was made in 1925 from the daughter of Lame White Man. Rock cairns started appearing throughout the battlefield, but it took many years for “sanctioned” markers to appear. In 1999, after 123 years, the very first red granite markers for Indian warriors who fell in the Battle were unveiled. An Indian Memorial was dedicated in 2003.

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument covers an area of 1.2 square miles. A paved, self-guiding trail connects eighteen points of interest. It is open daily, with the exception of January 1, Thanksgiving and Christmas.