Gerard Part I: Ally to the Arikara & Custer, Enemy to the Sioux

Fred Gerard was a survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. He was an interpreter for the Arikara US Army scouts who rode with Major Marcus Reno’s column on June 25, 1876. He saw some of his closest friends die on that bloody day. And Gerard had a lot to say about Reno’s conduct when he testified at the Reno Court of Inquiry held in 1879. On the stand, Major Reno’s counsel tried to undermine Gerard’s account by implying that Gerard was in effect “sleeping with the enemy” and could not be trusted because he had an Indian wife. But Gerard’s life was much bigger than one battle. Gerard was a friend to the Arikara, and an enemy to the Lakota. He had been a civilian trader, a scout, an interpreter, a rancher, and even a salesman for Pillsbury. Gerard’s life gives an incredible glimpse into the evolving American West. Let’s learn more!