Post by conz on Oct 29, 2007 8:53:43 GMT -6
Since not much seems to be known about this Custer history book, I thought I'd produce what documentation exists in the book itself...
Reno and Apsaalooka Survive Custer, by Ottie W. Reno, Cornwall Books, London and New York, 1997. 329 pp.
The author, Ottie W. Reno, is/was a judge in Waverly, OH, and a distant cousin ("fourth cousins twice removed") to the infamous Major Marcus Reno. In his preface, he says,
"Bob Lee, a former editor of the Sturgis Tribune, graciously invited me into his home near Sturgis, South Dakota. He is one of several people with whom I visited and shared information and who encouraged me to research and write about Marcus Reno's life."
"This book is meant to be historically accurate but not an in-depth historic treatise. It is a biography of Marcus Reno enriched by reference to the input and experience of the Crow."
The first half of this book purports to be the autobiographical transcripts of Marcus Reno's life in the Civil War and Indian Wars, as taken by Sister Beatrice during the last couple months of his deathbed in the hospice. The second half documents some of the proceedings of the 1967 Pentagon Hearing to re-instate Maj. Reno's commission.
Some historical points of evidence:
In mid-88 he was in Washington DC, renting a room from Mrs. Collins there, as he continued to lobby for his reinstatement, and waiting for tests on his tongue and throat cancer. By mid-December the cancer flared up again, and he removed himself to Providence Hospital. He was admitted 2 Jan, an institution run by the Sisters of Charity.
Reno always carried with him a large briefcase full of papers and documentation concerning his personal history and the legal battles surrounding him.
His nurse in the hospital was a Sister Beatrice, who continued to serve him during his hospice before he died on 30 Mar '89. He was buried with no headstone on his grave, in Glenwood cemetery in Washington DC.
The book purports a letter written by Reno on the day of his death, which considering his condition is highly problematical. In it, he writes: "To you, Sister Beatrice, I owe my everlasting gratitude for the long and thankless task of transcribing my notes."
The book states that his son, Ross, disappeared after 1896 and nobody knows what became of him. It doesn't mentioned what happened to Marcus' briefcase of notes and letters.
The author criticizes Ross' wife, Ittie's, attempt to write a biography of Reno in America magazine in early 1912, stating that it was largely a work of fiction, although an attempt to resurrect Reno's good name. O.Reno says of Ittie's published account:
"Instead of leaving the account mainly in the words of Major Reno, Ittie took his manuscript and rewrote it, phrasing many things in a manner he would not have used, and interpreting some things which happened at Little Bit Horn in ways aimed at capturing the attention of readers more so than at depicting the exact circumstances of the battle. Some of her facts were obviously inaccurate."
But where is this "manuscript" of Reno's, that the author more faithfully reproduced in the first half of his book? Nothing is revealed...we are to presume that it is in the possession of the author.
The last third of the book contains many transcripts from various parties attempting to get Reno's dishonorable de-commissioning overturned, so that he could be buried in the national cemetery at LBH.
The "gravitas" for the autobiographical portion of this book is not indicated. It is possible that the stories presented as if by Reno's own hand were reconstructed from the testimonies above, in order for them to be more "readable" by casual students. If so, it means that they have some historical/factual basis, but are not the actual words of the deceased Major.
Reno was reburied at LBH Sep 9, 1967.
My conclusion is that the Reno "manuscript," at least as presented in the first half of this book, is actually fictionalized history, as the stories contained therein are very close to the actual evidence presented by various men in the 1967 proceedings to clear Reno's name. So while there is a very good basis for the stories contained in this book, I do not believe that they are Reno's actual writings.
The witnesses included at these proceedings, which provided much of this history, were:
- Charles Reno (relative, making the plea, but not actually providing evidence)
- Gene Fattig (counsel)
- Col. Sam Berzilleri (USAF lawyer and American Legion representative)
- Col. Chester Shore
- Col. George Walton(author of Reno's biography, Faint the Trumpet Sounds)
Clair
Reno and Apsaalooka Survive Custer, by Ottie W. Reno, Cornwall Books, London and New York, 1997. 329 pp.
The author, Ottie W. Reno, is/was a judge in Waverly, OH, and a distant cousin ("fourth cousins twice removed") to the infamous Major Marcus Reno. In his preface, he says,
"Bob Lee, a former editor of the Sturgis Tribune, graciously invited me into his home near Sturgis, South Dakota. He is one of several people with whom I visited and shared information and who encouraged me to research and write about Marcus Reno's life."
"This book is meant to be historically accurate but not an in-depth historic treatise. It is a biography of Marcus Reno enriched by reference to the input and experience of the Crow."
The first half of this book purports to be the autobiographical transcripts of Marcus Reno's life in the Civil War and Indian Wars, as taken by Sister Beatrice during the last couple months of his deathbed in the hospice. The second half documents some of the proceedings of the 1967 Pentagon Hearing to re-instate Maj. Reno's commission.
Some historical points of evidence:
In mid-88 he was in Washington DC, renting a room from Mrs. Collins there, as he continued to lobby for his reinstatement, and waiting for tests on his tongue and throat cancer. By mid-December the cancer flared up again, and he removed himself to Providence Hospital. He was admitted 2 Jan, an institution run by the Sisters of Charity.
Reno always carried with him a large briefcase full of papers and documentation concerning his personal history and the legal battles surrounding him.
His nurse in the hospital was a Sister Beatrice, who continued to serve him during his hospice before he died on 30 Mar '89. He was buried with no headstone on his grave, in Glenwood cemetery in Washington DC.
The book purports a letter written by Reno on the day of his death, which considering his condition is highly problematical. In it, he writes: "To you, Sister Beatrice, I owe my everlasting gratitude for the long and thankless task of transcribing my notes."
The book states that his son, Ross, disappeared after 1896 and nobody knows what became of him. It doesn't mentioned what happened to Marcus' briefcase of notes and letters.
The author criticizes Ross' wife, Ittie's, attempt to write a biography of Reno in America magazine in early 1912, stating that it was largely a work of fiction, although an attempt to resurrect Reno's good name. O.Reno says of Ittie's published account:
"Instead of leaving the account mainly in the words of Major Reno, Ittie took his manuscript and rewrote it, phrasing many things in a manner he would not have used, and interpreting some things which happened at Little Bit Horn in ways aimed at capturing the attention of readers more so than at depicting the exact circumstances of the battle. Some of her facts were obviously inaccurate."
But where is this "manuscript" of Reno's, that the author more faithfully reproduced in the first half of his book? Nothing is revealed...we are to presume that it is in the possession of the author.
The last third of the book contains many transcripts from various parties attempting to get Reno's dishonorable de-commissioning overturned, so that he could be buried in the national cemetery at LBH.
The "gravitas" for the autobiographical portion of this book is not indicated. It is possible that the stories presented as if by Reno's own hand were reconstructed from the testimonies above, in order for them to be more "readable" by casual students. If so, it means that they have some historical/factual basis, but are not the actual words of the deceased Major.
Reno was reburied at LBH Sep 9, 1967.
My conclusion is that the Reno "manuscript," at least as presented in the first half of this book, is actually fictionalized history, as the stories contained therein are very close to the actual evidence presented by various men in the 1967 proceedings to clear Reno's name. So while there is a very good basis for the stories contained in this book, I do not believe that they are Reno's actual writings.
The witnesses included at these proceedings, which provided much of this history, were:
- Charles Reno (relative, making the plea, but not actually providing evidence)
- Gene Fattig (counsel)
- Col. Sam Berzilleri (USAF lawyer and American Legion representative)
- Col. Chester Shore
- Col. George Walton(author of Reno's biography, Faint the Trumpet Sounds)
Clair