G. Joseph Sills, Jr. Papers

This collection contains the research materials and correspondence of G. Joseph Sills (1931-2000) concerning the events surrounding th Battle of Little Big Horn and Custer's Last Stand. The collection has been divided into two boxes: one containing his correspondence with various historians and National Park Service personnel, one holding his research and writings. The correspondence extends chronologically from Sills first visit to the Little Big Horn Associates annual conference in 1984 through his death in the summer of 2000. Chief correspondents include historians Brian Pohanka, Ronald Nichols, and Francis B. Taunton. A summary of the sixteen years of exchanges between Sills, Pohanka, and Nichols has been compiled by Pohanka and is at the end of this finding aid.

The research Sills collected contains notes made while investigating the Battle of Little Big Horn at the National Archives and other pertinent archives. Much of his research was documented by hand on yellow legal pads and is contained herewith. The collection also contains photocopies of other manuscript materials with Sills' annotation. Intensely focused on the events surrounding Custer's Last Stand, the collection revolves around not only George A. Custer, but several of his subordinates as well (Myles Walter Keogh, Frederick William Benteen, and Marcus A. Reno). In addition, there are a number of articles--both published and unpublished--written by Sills' colleagues and correspondents. Lastly, Sills' various lectures and essays are included in this collection. These writings range from esoteric jottings on scraps of paper to final, typewritten drafts. The largely undated material in this box is arranged alphabetically and grouped into (1) notes and research, (2) secondary literature, and (3) Sills' writings, manuscripts, and ephemera.