Battle of the Little Bighorn - Part 2

General Custer had absolutely no idea how many Native Americans were actually gathered immediately before the Battle at Little Bighorn. More than a century later, the battlefield was excavated - with extraordinary findings.

Because the federal soldiers under Custer's command were only issued a specific type of weapon - .45 caliber Springfield carbines and pistols - their battlefield-cartridges can readily be identified. But what of all the other spent casings which archaeologists have found at the site?

Analyzing the evidence, found at Little Bighorn, experts have determined the warriors used more than 47 types of firearms against the soldiers of the 7th Cavalry. That is far more than earlier believed and likely means that more than 800 warriors were armed.

Custer, and his men, were out-armed more than four to one.

Every gun's firing pin is unique. It leaves the same impression on every cartridge case it fires. So ... is it possible to match cartridge cases to guns?

After painstaking work, experts could correlate where the warriors were situated - and how they moved about the battlefield.

See, also:

Battle at Little Bighorn - Part 1

Battle at Little Bighorn - Part 3

Battle at Little Bighorn - Part 4

Battle at Little Bighorn - Part 5