Thomas Mower McDougall subsequently he was appointed Captain, 15 Dec 1875. In 1876 Captain McDougall commanded Company B and accompanied the 7th Cavalry Regiment, under command of Lt. Col. George A. Custer in its fateful departure from Fort Abraham Lincoln to participate in what became known as the Great Sioux War of 1876, which culminated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand which occurred on June 25–26, 1876. On May 17, 1876, the 7th Cavalry left their base at Fort Abraham Lincoln near present day Mandan, North Dakota to join in a campaign against the Sioux Indians.
5th Cavalry Regiment the Great Plains, and against the Utes in Colorado. On 8 July 1869 at the Republican River in Kansas, Cpl John Kyle made a valiant stand against attacking Indians resulting in him receiving the Medal of Honor. The 5th was then sent to Arizona, where it defeated the Apaches in 95 engagements from 1871 to 1874. Due to these actions, General William Sherman told a committee from the United States House of Representatives that "the services of the 5th Cavalry Regiment in Arizona were unequaled by that of any Cavalry Regiment." After General Custer and 264 of his men died