Between 1864 and 1876, five military expeditions crossed this windswept country, and although only a couple of skirmishes occurred in the badlands, their stories hold a significant place in the history of the Great Sioux War. Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer accompanied two of these expeditions, and although he was not the highest-ranking officer on either one, his controversial exploits and death at the Little Bighorn gave him a more enduring place in history than many officers of his time. Route historians have retraced portions of the travel routes using military records and maps, letters, journals, and archeological surveys, and remnants of the trail remain in ruts left by hundreds of wagon wheels.