The voyage of exploration to the western territories brought the white man many great things, but they were met with some opposition. The U.S. government planned to explore the Black Hills, after hearing about the gold they contained. It was not an easy task. The Sioux, with great strength, did not easily give up their sacred land. The only way to conquer the territory of the Black Hills was to wage war against the Sioux. The Battle of Little Big Horn is one that the United States will never forget. General George Custer led an army of men to eliminate the Sioux, one of the battalions was completely wiped out, including Custer. The Sioux were very strong, but the United States had much more power and technology. Why were we massacred? This question has remained a mystery to many people over the years. Sergeant Windolph, of Benteen's cavalry, and John F. Finerty, of General Crooks' cavalry, bring us some personal accounts and recollections of this tragedy. Many factors actually affected the outcome of this battle. George Custer could be responsible for such a tragedy. He made the crucial decisions that brought down his soldiers. Custer's personal ambition got the better of him. Windolph explains, “Custer was partially disgraced because General Terry had replaced him at the head of the expedition” (Windolph 174). He felt he should have controlled the entire expedition. Custer has made no secret of his intention to break away from Terry. General Terry, General Gibbon, and General Custer were all to meet on June 26, at the Rosebud, and plan their attack. But as soon as Custer encountered the Indian trail, he followed it until he reached the Indian village on June 25. He disobeys Terry's orders. While Terry and Gibbon were meeting at Rosebud, Custer was already dividing his regiment into three separate battalions. Sergeant Windolph, of the Reno Battalion, recalled: "The enemy increased in numbers so much that we were forced to hide in the woods for protection, but I firmly believe that if at that time all had our companies been together, the Indians would have been driven from their village (Windolph 166). If Custer had not separated his troops into three battalions, they could have left victorious against the Sioux. Windolph also states that "the Indians also declared that the separate detachments made their victory over the troops more certain" (Windolph 161).