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By the time of Custer's [[Black Hills Expedition|Black Hills expedition]] in 1874, the level of conflict and tension between the U.S. and many of the [[Plains Indians]] tribes (including the [[Lakota Sioux]] and the [[Cheyenne]]) had become exceedingly high. European-Americans continually broke treaty agreements and advanced further westward, resulting in violence and acts of depredation by both sides. To take possession of the [[Black Hills]] (and thus the gold deposits), and to stop Indian attacks, the U.S. decided to corral all remaining free Plains Indians. The Grant government set a deadline of January 31, 1876, for all Lakota and [[Arapaho]] wintering in the "unceded territory" to report to their designated agencies (reservations) or be considered "hostile".<ref>1868 Fort Laramie Treaty. The Cheyenne were not part of this treaty and had no designated agency. The reservation was for the Lakota and Arapaho.</ref>
At that time, the 7th Cavalry's regimental commander, Colonel [[Samuel D. Sturgis]], was on detached duty as the Superintendent of Mounted Recruiting Service and in command of the Cavalry Depot in [[St. Louis, Missouri]],<ref>{{cite web |url =https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Army/USMA/Cullums_Register/1303*.html |title= Online version of Cullum's Register of Graduates of the United States Military Academy – Class of 1846 – Samuel D. Sturgis |access-date = 10 December 2018}}</ref> which left Lieutenant Colonel Custer in command of the regiment. Custer and the 7th Cavalry departed from [[Fort Abraham Lincoln]] on May 17, 1876, part of a larger army force planning to round up remaining free Indians. Meanwhile, in the spring and summer of 1876, the Hunkpapa Lakota holy man [[Sitting Bull]] had called together the largest gathering of Plains Indians at Ash Creek, Montana (later moved to the Little Bighorn River) to discuss what to do about the whites.<ref>Marshall 2007, p. 15.</ref> It was this united encampment of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians that the 7th Calvary met at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in the [[Crow Indian Reservation]]<ref>Kappler, Charles J.: Indian Affairs. Laws and Treaties. Vol. II. Washington, 1904, p. 1008-1011. Treaty with the Crows, 1868.</ref> created in old Crow Country
Around June 15, Major [[Marcus Reno]] while scouting, discovered the trail of a large village on the [[Rosebud River]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/r&h/R&H-7Cav.htm|title=Seventh Regiment of Cavalry – Center of Military History|author=U.S. Army Center of Military History}}</ref> On June 22, Custer's entire regiment was detached to follow this trail. On June 25, some of Custer's [[Crow Indian]] scouts identified what they claimed was a large Indian encampment in the valley near the [[Little Bighorn River]]. Custer had first intended to attack the Indian village the next day, but since his presence became known, he decided to attack immediately and divided his forces into three battalions: one led by Major Reno, one by Captain [[Frederick Benteen]], and one by himself. Captain Thomas M. McDougall and Company B were with the [[pack train]]. Reno was sent north to charge the southern end of the encampment, Custer rode north, hidden to the east of the encampment by bluffs and planning to circle around and attack from the north,<ref>Welch 2007, p. 149.</ref><ref name="amfourthreeseven">Ambrose, Stephen E. (1996). ''Crazy Horse and Custer: The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors''. New York: Anchor Books. {{ISBN|0-385-47966-2}}, p. 437.</ref> and Benteen was initially sent south and west to scout Indian presence and potentially protect the column from the south.
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