Wounded soldiers evacuated from the Little Big Horn by steamboat

On this day in US history, wounded soldiers from the infamous Battle of the Little Big Horn were evacuated by steamboat from the Far West on June 30, 1876. Despite the battle happening three days earlier, there were so many wounded in the battle with the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes that General Terry’s force did not arrive until the 30th. The transportation of the 54 wounded soldiers would not have been possible without the use of the steamboat, saving countless lives from being lost due to the speed and comfort of the transport. Soon, the entire nation will learn that General Custer and more than 200 men had lost their lives along the Little Big Horn River.