Book excerpt: In Montana, on June 25, 1876 Lieutenant Colonel George Custer and the Seventh U.S. Cavalry faced thousands of Native American warriors. Custer’s Last Stand is the battle resulting from years of fighting between the expanding United States and the Native Americans who already populated the land. When the battle ended, not one of the United States soldiers in Custer's immediate command had survived. The trail of events which led to this historic battle are explored in this descriptive account, along with the famous and colorful characters who took part, including Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Marcus Reno, and George Custer. This book is developed from THE BATTLE OF THE LITTLE BIGHORN IN AMERICAN HISTORY to allow republication of the original text into ebook, paperback, and trade editions.