|
The museum is located on the former site of Sitting Bull's camp, on the famous Garryowen bend of the Little Bighorn River, a traditional summer hunting campsite for many Plains Indian tribes. As the Seventh Cavalry approached in late June of 1876, this was the site of one of the largest Indian gatherings ever recorded in North America. Several famous locations associated with the Battle of the Little Bighorn are visible from Garryowen. These sites include Reno's hilltop defense site, Weir Point, Last Stand Hill, Medicine Tail Coulee, the Crow's Nest, the Wolf Mountains as well as the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and Custer National Cemetery. The museum is open year round, admittance fees are $4 for adults and $3 for seniors, with those under 12 admitted free. Groups and tours are welcome, with advance notice requested but not required.
|
Cavalry and Indian artifacts excavated on the site of the Battle of the Little Bighorn join large dioramas showing step-by-step battle action. Such items include Little Wolf's Golden Eagle Tail Feathered War Bonnet, which was worn during many battles including the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The contract for Sitting Bull's appearance in the famous Buffalo Bill Wild West Show is on display and is the only known attested signature of Sitting Bull. Also exhibited is a facsimile of the signatorial rock pictograph attributed to Crazy Horse made on a sandstone cliff above Reno Creek after the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The original was destroyed in 1963.
Indian War era artifacts include many items found at the battle site, such as Crow Dog's rifle, several war clubs and trade knives, cavalry spurs, and Flow-blue enamelware from sitting Bull's camp. Cavalry items on display include Tom Custer's Kerr revolver and an Army pistol dropped on the Reno retreat
Exhibits of 2006:
In celebration of the Lewis and Clark Journey, the Custer Battlefield Museum, in Garryowen, Montana will exhibit an exceptional collection of Lewis and Clark oil paintings, documents, and historical ephemera. This one-of-a-kind display has been touted by historians as a must see. The collection includes extremely rare documents and books detailing the five-year expedition of Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery.
In addition, the exhibit features numerous plein air oil paintings by noted western artist Tom Waugh, depicting the journey of Lewis and Clark through the Yellowstone Valley. Also on exhibit are three figurines depicting Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea, which were created from period clothing by David Powell, a well known Montana artist who was recently inducted into the elite organization of Cowboy Artists of America.
"The Lewis and Clark expedition was the first government survey of natural resources in the American West, and its importance cannot be overstated. It is important that museums are able to share their collections and support other institutions," said Custer Battlefield Museum Director Chris Kortlander.
Highlights of the exhibit include the hand-notated and signed set of journal notes of the first officially authorized publication of the travels of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, owned by Nicholas Biddle, editor of Lewis and Clark's journals. His personal set contains original handwritten notes and several period newspaper articles, as well as the first government images of Lewis and Clark, which were given to Biddle by the Department of the Treasury and tipped in by Biddle himself.
Another highlight of the exhibit is an original document signed by William Clark. The exhibit also includes Sergeant Patrick Gass' personal journal filled with hand-drawn scenes and first-hand accounts of the Corps' daily struggles. Also included is a peace pipe that is believed to have been acquired through the Corps' interaction with native Indians, as well as an 1809 counterfeit journal and original 1st editions of the 1814 Corps journals. "We are so excited to have assembled this exceptional collection of Lewis and Clark journals and ephemera," Kortlander stated. "This is one of the finest Lewis and Clark exhibits in the American West and we are honored to bring it to an interested public." |
