The Dakota Column was to meet with General John Gibbon's Montana Column at the mouth of the Powder River. On reaching the Powder River, General Terry learned from General John Gibbon that his scouts had located a large Sioux village that had been seen on lower Rosebud Creek. General Terry believed that the village had gone up the Rosebud and then over to other western drainages, but he dispatched the Seventh's "right wing" under Major Reno to scout the Powder and the Tongue to ensure that the village had not turned back east. The "right wing" consisted Companies I, E, L, F, and B Company led by "easygoing Tom McDougall". Deviating from General Terry's orders Major Reno shortened his inspection of the Powder River and the Tongue and went over to Reno Creek, where he confirmed a series of large fresh campsites from the Sioux village of some 400 plus lodges as it moved up Rosebud Creek. This information led General Terry to concentrate his troops at the mouth of Rosebud Creek, and then on June 22, 1876, to dispatch Custer with the entire 7th Cavalry Regiment up the Rosebud in pursuit of the Sioux village. On June 24, Custer learned from his Indian Scouts that the village had gone over the divide into the Little Horn Valley. Morning, June 25, assigned to take charge of the pack train On the early morning of the day of battle, June 25, 1876, Custer and the 7th Cavalry were on the divide between Rosebud Creek and the Little Bighorn River. From this divide, the Crow scouts had discovered indications of a large Sioux and Cheyenne village in the Valley of the Little Bighorn River at about 14–16 air miles distance. Custer divided his command into 4 groups. Colonel Custer retained five troops (C, E, F, I, and L) and assigned Major Reno three troops (A, G, and M) and these two groups proceeded down a small tributary of the Little Big Horn River (present day Reno Creek, referred to by the Sioux in 1876 as Sundance Creek) toward the Indian village in the Little Big Horn valley. Captain Benteen was also assigned three troops (H, D, and K) and sent off on a lateral path to the southwest to see if there were other Indian villages in the valley to the south. Captain McDougall and his Troop B were assigned to guard