Rosebud Massacre

Since I've made him a character in my scribbles, I've been reading about George Crook.

In particular the battle of the Rosebud.

This is where General Crook learned that the northern plains Indians fought a little differently from the Apache and Northwest Indians he'd been accustomed to.

But part of that difference was from a change in how the Sioux and Cheyenne were dealing with Whites.

They'd gotten new leaders who were aggressive, take-the-fight-to-the-enemy types.

And they took the fight to Crook at Rosebud creek.

I've read several accounts of that fight and the worst I can call it for Crook is a draw.

The outcome of the battle was not decisive for either side, but it did fix Crook in one spot for  

Both sides apparently fought until ammunition levels were getting critical and the Sioux withdrew.  Crook then sent riders to his supply dump and withdrew to a better position until fresh supplies arrived.

Those supplies did not arrive until after Col. Custer had met his fate.

Something I've not seen mentioned is I think the Indians had something of an after action review of the Rosebud battle and did a "this worked, this didn't" kind of analysis and applied it to the Battle of the Greasy Grass.

I think some historians forget that Indians are people too and capable of learning and changing their approaches to problems.

I also think a lot of historians keep missing that Rosebud and Little Big Horn are separated by about a week and how long it takes to move a supplies when it's carried by wagon or mule (or how far a wagon or mule can go in a day).

Someone mentioned that the pros study logistics, some obscure general I think. 

I have also noticed that George Crook was an unpopular officer with his contemporaries who really only kept his job by being relentlessly successful...  Until Rosebud.

There's a lot to unpack about the man, but history is written from what people wrote about someone and those someones hate you...