>> and the disagreement between you and pat is exactly what's going on with your party right now. >> okay. that's going to do it for us on fox report. i'll see you at noon eastern with outnumbered. thanks for watching. news is the first draft of history. it is immediate and takes place in real time. legends take longer to develop and are sometimes based on myth. this fox news series looks at the truth behind the legend. [ horse whinnying ]

♪ captain, send a message. >> yes, general. >> we found a large indian village. send men and ammunition quickly. >> yes, sir. >> ride as fast as you can. >> yes, sir. >> go! >> hurry boys, we got'em. >> the cavalry will dispatch these and head home. ♪ >> forward!

♪ sweet land of liberty ♪ my country tis of thee ♪ sweet land of liberty ♪ land of my father's pride ♪ land of the pilgrims' pride ♪ from every mountain side ♪ let freedom ring >> on the north american plains, opportunity calls men of courage

to chase the sun west ♪ on the north american plains, opportunity calls men of courage to chase the sun west into a new frontier. they would shape a nation, lay hold of their destiny and birth a new mythology. but with the passing of time, every myth has its reckoning. george armstrong custer, known to america as a decorated civil war veteran, ambitious leader, determined general and heroic warrior. but behind every myth stands a man, and every legend lies the truth. >> as most americans know, george armstrong custer, the swaggering boy general is famous for his futile last stand at the little bighorn. but the legend of custer's crushing defeat does not tell

the whole story. the truth is, custer and the more than 200 men who die with him that day could have been saved. and it is custer's flawed leadership, not just on that fateful day that sets him up for his ultimate demise. >> two years removed from the civil war america faces a new challenge, securing the western territories and achieving its continent wide destiny. 28-year-old george custer, stash general of the civil war is charged with removing the last obstacle in the way -- the plains indians. for custer, it's a chance to return to glory and build on his fame. >> be safe, george, and come back quickly and in one piece. >> i will, my dear. >> choosing custer on is libby,

his wife of three years, and by his side, younger brother tom who serves on his staff. >> george custer was a rock star general, a young man, youngest general in the union army coming out of the civil war, so he's got this kind of huge reputation that he is now going to bring to fighting the indians. >> move out! >> by 1867, many native tribes have been forced ontoo reservations, but on the plains, 100,000 people still roam free, including the sioux and cheyenne. custer is charged with moving them onto reservation or eliminating them all together.

[ screaming ] >> it may be asked, what have the indians done to make such an incursion necessary? they have been guilty of numerous thefts and murders during the preceding summer and fall. none of which have they been called into account. >> but before the army resorts to warfare, they invite several cheyenne chiefs to council with general winfield hancock. >> i come with an offer of peace from president johnson, our great chief. >> it's custer's new chance to size-up his new foes. >> tomb lives have been lost, too much bloodshed, however, if your young men choose to go on the warpath, you leave us no option but to fight. >> tall bear says the winter was very hard on our people. >> yes.

>> the cheyenne's main concern is the scarcity of food, which they blame on the white man. >> settlers kept coming in and encroaching on the american native lands. there were less and less resources, less and less grass for horses, less game to hunt. land was shrinking. >> although the two sides fail to make peace, they do agree to meet again the next day. but when morning comes, the cheyenne have disappeared. >> gone. take your men, find them. you know what to do. >> it's an assignment custer's been training for his whole life. >> report to your station,

soldier. >> young george begins his military career at west point and makes a less than impressive start. he excels at high jinks. and hell raising. he earns more demerits than any other cadet. >> george custer may not be a serious student, he graduates last in his west point class, but it's not because he's dumb. it's because half of his fellow cadets have already dropped out to fight in the civil war. >> when custer leaves the academy, the outcome of the war is still uncertain. he joins the union fight and proves to be a courageous warrior. rushing into battle and taking huge chances. as he combines textbook military tactics with uncanny good luck. >> custer had horse after horse shot out from under him, engaged in the most daring hand-to-hand

combat and emerged a two-star general. virtually unscathed from america's bloodiest conflict. >> after the union victory, the army reverts to its regular ranking system. but in deference to custer's war-time stature, he's still addressed as general. now, in pursuit of the fleeing cheyenne, the war hero is eager to earn his stars in the regular army. but after weeks on the plains, he's yet to find the enemy. >> custer was used to seeing his enemy out there camped out. and you knew just what were you going to do because you were classmates with that guy over there orp the other side. the cheyenne may hit-and-run,

hit and raid, and custer was not suited to that at all. >> for more than two months, custer searches doggedly for his elusive prey. >> i can whip the indians, if i can find them. and i will leave no effort untried to do this. i don't know whether i'm chasing men or ghosts. >> as the days drag on, supplies start to run out. the choice provisions are reserved for the officers, while stale bread is rationed out to the troops. exhausted and starving, their loyalty to custer begins to waver. >> sir. >> what is it? indians? >> no. over there. >> well, i'll be.

those are seventh cavalry men, walking away. embrazened sons of bitches. >> halt! halt! now drop your weapons! >> custer's frustrated, not only by the indians he can't catch, but by the soldiers he can't control. >> drop! >> this new war isn't working out [ gunshots ] i take these out...

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♪ >> to clear america's way west, george armstrong custer is in pursuit of the elusive cheyenne ♪ [ horses whinnying i don't know whether i'm chasing men or ghosts. >> for the first time in his storied career, the boy general

is failing. the cheyenne are nowhere to be found. rations are dwindling and men are deserting. to regain control, custer resorts to violence. [ gunshots ] >> custer's treatment of the deserters shows how desperate and unhinged he's become. he could have had the men whipped or even branded, both acceptable punishments at that time, but instead, he has them shot, a move that may intimidate his men, but in the end doesn't help him track down his elusive new enemy. >> put these men in the wagon, and let's get under way! we've wasted enough time already! i have no sympathy for them. [ coughing ] >> on the way to the next fiord, one of the men dies. all he has to show for the

mission is a dead soldier and a new nickname among his men -- hard ass. >> this was really hard on custer, he was not getting the glory he needed. he needed to be constantly fed, he needed to be constantly adored by his follower, and he missed his dear wife libby. >> be safe, george, and come back quickly. >> risking professional ruin, the general rides east at top speed. desperate to be consoled by the one person who supports him. ♪ >> how did you get here? >> i rode three days. i left my post. >> george. >> i had to be with you. >> for all of his hard

assedness, custer was a romantic when it came to his wife libby. he absolutely adored her and made sure she was as close to him as possible. >> whether bleed by love or ego, custer's impulsive behavior has serious repercussions. >> president grant is infuriated. custer is a military officer. he's violated military protocol, and grant wants to fire him. >> that trip cost him. he was court-martialed. not only for going off to see his wife without permission but also ordering deserters shot. >> only a few minute, including his brother, testify on custer's behalf. he's found guilty on all counts and suspended without pay. >> it's going to be all right. it's only a year. >> only a year. >> you survived worse.

come on. >> as a career military man, with no post and no mission, custer is lost. >> what he is, is bored out of his mind. he's not fighting every day. he's not winning an advancement. there are times when he was even considering leaving the military. >> george! telegram. >> they want me back! general sheridan himself has given me a new command. >> it is because of phil sheridan that custer gets brought in before his one-year suspension is over. and general sheridan thinks highly of custer, and he believes custer can get the job

done. >> for custer, it's a chance to redeem himself, as he leads the seventh cavalry on a winter offensive, determined to catch the enemy off guard. >> custer knows he's going to have to get the indians in secret. he's going to have to get them when it's cold, when they are all huddled down for the winter. >> on the ridge! prepare to dismount! >> there, sir. >> the cavalry finds a fresh trail and follows it to the outskirts of a cheyenne village. >> daryl, suppose there's more indians down there than we can handle? >> there aren't enough indians in the entire country to whip the seventh cavalry.

prepare the regiment to attack. >> feeling the pressure for a victory, custer wastes no time gathering intelligence, taking a page from his west point playbook and civil war success, he divides his men, ordering an immediate attack from multiple directions. >> george custer implored a great many of the tacts that he used when he was at military school, dividing the thirds, that is strictly right out of west point. >> the indians are there! forward! forward! [ gunshots and screaming ]

>> they went hell for leather, charging into the village. they killed more than 100. many of them women and children. just slaughtered. >> major elliot, those indians running, take a detachment and run them down. >> yes, sir! >> let's go! forward! >> custer's familiar brash tactics work, attacking quickly, he maintains the element of surprise and achieves a long-sought victory, but his callous win at all cost attitude comes at a profound price. >> check the tipis thoroughly for weapons. >> among them is chief black kettle and his wife. custer's uncontrolled ambition not only costs many innocent lives but will lead to a bitter

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>> given a chance to resurrect his floundering military career, george custer attacks a defenseless cheyenne village, killing its nonviolent chief, give and chance to resurrect his career, custer attacks a newspap non-violent village, killing its chief and any chance at peace. >> they would have negotiated.

they would have found out it could have come to a peaceful resolve pretty quickly. >> but killing chief black kettle isn't custer's only mistake. >> they appear to be massing on the ridge. >> in a rush to battle, he only awakens his enemy. >> where in tar nation did those indians come from, on all side of us. >> indians could be seen in considerable numbers. we now found ourselves surrounded. >> custer had not scouted properlypnd down the river. other indian tribes, because this was november, had been wintering there. they hear all this ruckus, they pick up their guns and say let's go see what's going on. >> set the lodges on fire and get the prisoners mounted up. >> sir, major elliot has not yet returned. surely we're going to wait. >> he'll have to manage on his

own. come on, move out! >> his victory at ouachita quickly becomes a hollow one for custer. in the end, he kills mostly sleeping people who are led by one of the only peaceful chiefs on the great plains, and to top it off, custer leaves 20 troops behind, to fend for themselves against the cheyenne. >> two weeks later, the seventh cavalry returns, desperate to find their missing men.

>> we suddenly came upon the stalk, stiff bodies of our dead companio companions. no words were needed to tell how desperately they were overpowered. >> we need to prepare for proper burial at once. >> there's no time for sentimentality, plus, the ground is frozen solid. prepare to move out! >> leaving men behind, custer has committed a cardinal sin of military brotherhood. >> captain frederick bentine hates him from that day on, you abandon the troops,something yo.

bentine will never get over that. >> in retaliation, the captain breaks rank, sending an anonymous editorial to a st. louis newspaper, exposing the general. >> our missing comrades are forgotten. over them, the wolves will be howling will be their only rekweem. >> the public embarrassment unleashes custer's fury. >> let the slandering coward come forward and face me, if he's man enough. [ whiplashing ] >> sir! i am the author, and i am prepared for whatever punishment

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>> george custer's plan to revive his struggling career is backfiring. the general abandons 20 of his men on the battlefield. george custer's plan to revive his struggling career is backfiring. the general abandons 20 of his men on the battlefield. captain frederick bentine turns on his leader, alerting the country to custer's callous command. >> let the slandering coward come forward and face me. >> sir! i am the author, and i am prepared for whatever punishment you see fit. ♪ >> captain bentine? i will see you again, sir. you are dismissed.

>> losing the respect of his officers and fearing the public will soon follow, custer goes on a pr offensive. writing a series of inflated articles about his past military exploits, hoping to rekindle his celebrity. the tactic works with the public. but among his men, it only worsens his standing. >> it was as if god himself was on my horse, dictating the movements of battle. well, there you go, boys, we're going to be fine, we have custer and god, who plays second part in this play. >> enter! >> sir, my daughter's fallen quite ill. i should like to take some time to with be her at ft. rice.

this is my request for leave. >> we all have to make sacrifices, captain, permission denied. >> yes, sir. >> george custer was quite strict with a lot of his officers. it was the extreme way of getting their respect. but when custer came down hard on bentine, there was some personal backing to his decision. >> before bentine can appeal, his year-old daughter dies. ever the good soldier, he

continues to obey custer, but his disdain for the general intensifies. oblivious to its effect on his image, custer holds showy outings, surrounding himself with family and friends, including his wife libby and younger brothers. >> tom, you've got to come hunting with me. >> his critics refer to them dericively at royal family. >> oh, come on, old man! >> i have a date with a piece of cheese i have to attend to. all right, then. >> along with small-scale events, the general holds lavish buffalo hunts, but not just for pleasure, as part of a military plan to starve out the native tribes. >> at one time there were probably 40 million buffalo on the plains, and this was the

indians' commissary, the ebuffao provide everything. >> it forces native indians to depend on reservations. at year's end, the nation faces a shortage of its own, a severe financial depression. >> the panic of 1873 ranks up there with any great recession/depression in american history. there becomes a desperation about jobs, about money. >> in response, the army orders custer to lead an expedition into the black hills of dakota territory, rumored to be rich in gold. it's a chance for the soldier to be a national savior and renew his fame. >> custer went in there with a lot of fanfare. he took along miners,

prospectors and jgeologistgeolo. >> the only problem, this land was promised to the sioux. >> the black haills are where te sioux come from. it is not only a desecration of the people living there but one of their most sacred places. >> ignoring the treaty, custer ventures deep into the black hills and finds what he calls gold in abundance. the news makes headlines across the nation. >> the black hills expedition return custer to the front pages of america's newspapers. brought him back some of the glory of the civil war days. but now it was custer of the west. >> the confirmation of gold in the black hills keeps custer in the public's good graces, but in truth, it is a short-term

victory, which sets him up for his ultimate demise. custer's encroachment onto sacred land infuriates the sioux people, including one of their chiefs, a seasoned chief called crazy horse who calls custer the white thief and vows to destroy him. is right twice a day." >> son of a... >> don't you cross that square with my watch. >> for more revealing stories on these and other western characters featured in "legends and lies," purchase the companion book available at billoreilly.com and bookstores nationwide. ♪ ♪ (singing) you wouldn't haul a load without checking your clearance. so why would you invest without checking brokercheck? check your broker with brokercheck. 80% but up to 90% fall short in getting key nutrients from food alone. let's do more. add one a day women's 50+ complete multivitamin.

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>> as gold is discovered in the ♪ as gold is discovered in the black hills of dakota territory, general george custer is happy to take credit for the boost to the nation's economy. >> this area was not just going to be great for gold, but was going to be great to settle and to bring more people in and get the indians out. >> the land had been set aside for use by the sioux in the ft. laramie treaty. although the u.s. now offers to buy the land, sioux spiritual leader, sitting bull, refuses.

>> sitting bull's people were ordered in to their agencies to report, of course they wouldn't come. so they thought they had to be taught a lesson, and then that justified the army going out to get them. custer was going to lead the troops. they were going to bring him in. >> in late spring, custer leads the seventh cavalry deep into indian territory on the northern plains. >> sir! there's an indian camp, up ahead. >> the general goes back to his familiar playbook. dividing his regiment into smaller detachments, the same tactic that worked for him at washita. >> custer does not do his homework. he does not do his reconnaissance. that's really his short card. >> captain bentine, advance on

the right with three companies. go, sir! go! >> general, perhaps it would be best not to separate the troops right now. >> you have your orders, captain! go! >> engaging a hungry and desperate band on the washita in the winter is a heck of a lot different than engaging determined sioux in good weather. >> but custer is single-minded, separating his men where they'll be blinded too his position. major reno will attack the camp head on while custer swings ard and approaches from the rear. a third unit stays back to guard supplies. while captain bentine scouts the surrounding hills. >> custer sends bentine off, in part because if there's going to be any glory in battle, bentine's not going to get any of it. >> downfield, major reno and his

men ride head long into the fight. unaware that nearly 500 battle-tested warriors lie in [ gunfire and screaming ] >> the first that realizes that they are in way over their head is marcus reno. i mean, he comes up on the village with his men, and they are just inundated, and so they fight and retreat, fight and retreat. >> pull back! >> isolated behind the ridge, custer has no idea reno's men are fighting for their lives. >> custer's not working in concert with others well. you need to coordinate your efforts. you need to know the terrain

very well. and actually the home field of your enemy. that's why the scouting and intelligence is so critical. >> caught the indians napping. dispatch a message to captain bentine. >> yes, sir, general. >> tell him to come without delay. we found a large indian village. bring men and ammunition, quickly. >> sir! >> ride back and contact bentine. ride fast as you can. >> yes, sir! >> go! >> hurry boys, we got'em. >> cavalry will dispatch these hostiles and then head home! [cheers and applause] >> forward!

>> custer plunges blindly into battle, unaware of the paireril that lies ahead. waiting in the hills is the first sioux leader, crazy horse. he's sworn to defend his people's land from the white thief at all costs. >> crazy horsecost. >> tracey horse where the best ever imaged. >> as the sevenal ver erie pursues, not only is will there a show down with brave warriors, but also a ruthless ambition. introducing otezla, apremilast. otezla is not an injection, or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently.

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80% of recurrent ischemic, strokes could be prevented. and i'm doing all i can to help prevent another one. a bayer aspirin regimen is one of those steps in helping prevent another stroke. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. >> after calling for reinforcements, george custer rides off in pursuit of the sioux and the illustrious legacy after calling for reinforcement custard rides off and then the legacy that he creates. he is unaware that awaiting had

him is a well repaired gathering of warriors and then the war chief crazy horse. >> while it's native american warriors with bulls and arrows, the truth is that they're experienced fighters that frad for modern weapons. in fact, many of their guns are knew er and those add varvanced carried by the soldiers that they're fighting. custards only hope is the message and comes quickly.

>> the key was to get a message and bring pack, bring pack. he is not sure what is really going on. >> prepare the battle? >> with no line in sight the team heads in the direction of the loudest gunfire where he find it is major and his men pinned down. >> prepare to find it on foot. >> the decision to stay and reinforce forever sells custards fate. >> even if they fought on the hill, had he thought that custards deserted them.

>> he did what was best under the circumstances. >> if custard was damaged bid the decision, that's a little something extra. >> with the captains help, they're able to defend off the attackers but without reinforcements, custard is overwhelmed. >> i am ever prepared. >> it takes crazy horse and his

warriors under an hour to overwhelm the general and his brother and more than 200 men. >> custards last stand stunned the nation. the united states thought that ffs a sophisticated urban zmags her montana comes to support that the crack unit from the u.s. army was whipped out by stone age people. how was that possible? >> the biggest thing is that he did not stop what was going on. he needed good scouts and you needed to pay close attention to subtlety. it's going to be subtle victorious and flame buoyant. >> the little big horn battle is the last stand p and it also

triggered the struggle for the people to hold on to their land. public outrage gives the army the you support that it needs to expand the fight. within a year they fled to canada and are forced ton the reservations. >> george armstrong is one of the most iconic figure in history. drew by ego and in the end it lead to his own de miz. in the end he is remembered for a stpectacular battle. cover our waters and dark pen the land.

>> already in the field. i know not what they maintain but as for me give me liberty or give me death. watching. when mexico sends their people, they're not bringing their best. they're bringing drugs, crime, rapest. >> donald trump has rewritten the rule book in politics. >> i don't know what i said. i don't remember. >> and won the party's nomination doing it. >> i won with woman. i love winning with woman. >> could he be the next president. >> the country is is going start winning winning winning.