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Post by herosrest on Jun 5, 2023 6:31:28 GMT -6
Presently through the storm came flying a sledge, drawn by three horses at full speed, but without any noise of bells, while a black crowd of wolves galloped alongside, and tried to spring up at the horses and into the sledge, howling and snarling. At the moment when this strange sight came across them, there was a red flash from the sledge, and the report of a gun; then a terrible snarling and growling followed, in the midst of which was heard the shrieks of a woman, as a black crowd of wolves leaped into the sledge. A dark figure fell out behind on the snow, and Captain Blank fired into the heap of struggling wolves six shots from his revolver, while the Cossacks, with loud hurrahs, speared at the rest of the fierce brutes, as they galloped alongside the sledge and fled into the steppe, out of sight. Then, in a moment as it seemed, the young captain found himself left alone in the driving storm, the wolves all scattered in dismay, sledge and Cossacks alike lost to view and rushing toward the fort before the merciless gale, while in front of him lay two dead wolves, and a woman, who might or might not be dead as the case should turn out. The young captain was in the act of swinging himself off his horse to find out, when the woman rose up on her knees in the snow, and turned her face toward him. And Captain Blank stared at it in wonderment, for it was as the face of the queen of all beauty, and that beauty brunette....... link
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Post by johnson1941 on Jun 5, 2023 9:00:56 GMT -6
HR - I came across Whittaker in the NY Herold while looking for a 'report' by the Herald mentioned by Camp re: 28 bodies found in 'deep ravine'.
I found Camp's article, which is re: Colonel Sheridan and his burial party, as reported by 'a correspondent of the Herald'. Unfortunately the reporter wasn't as clear-cut on the 28 as Camp made it sound...not sure he was even there.
Of course those links are on my other PC - I'll add them later.
Lots of good Little Bighorn stuff there - do a search for "little big horn" (I only checked New York)
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Post by herosrest on Jun 5, 2023 10:19:49 GMT -6
A letter or report by Sheridan came to light through an auction some while back, and was quite detailed. That is M.V. Sheridan reporting lots about that mission in getting to Ft. Custer etc.. and on. I don't remember anything about 28 bodies or 28 bodies ravine but of course the primary interest was the Officer's remains. Here it is - 8 pages handwritten. There was some sympathy for Reno and Benteen from those above, and Custer was seen as rash and effective. No one particularly wanted scandal to fuel news headlines or ruin careers - does that ever change, do armies ever not have disasters. Dust off, pick up, move right along and 'git it done..... M.V. Sheridan left various stuff over later years related to his brothers death, and was the source of Ford C theories about Custer's movements. Ford C had/has the shingle bottom Sheridan rolled his wagons over. We know from a drawing of the valley made at that time by a journalist with Sheridan, that his command camped in the Reno timber and retreat area of the valley, and it seems to me that theidea that Ford C is a Deep Ravine feature is therefore far fetched. For moi, it was fleeing stampeded horses, wounded, in panic and some linked together in fours.... which fled the battle down Calhoun Coulee (ravine) into Deep Ravine which Benteen's company travelled to get to Custer's Hill. It seems that Freeman followed the Calhoun Hill route from Ford B and then discovered Keogh's body. Here's an interesting point about Keogh. According to M.V. Sheridan, Keogh wore a shirt when found. The body had not been stripped and among those who fought Keogh was Ogala Paint's Brown (Taming of the Sioux) who referred to Keogh as 'Black Robe' man. I have discussed this with Keogh buffs over a long time since the Agnes Dei recovered by Benteen, and the black robe mentioned by Paints Brown, can be considered Scapular or scapulary, and I believe Keogh wore a poncho like holy bullet-proof vest when he died. That may be a ribald hidden sense to his being woundedin he leg. Some think Keogh was shot down by Ford B because a boot was foond there but that really gets into rarified altitudes of theory related to 1877. Sgt. Caddle and the mystery photographer with Philetus Norris who hunted up Charley Reynolds. *Observations made on the Custer battle-field two days after the fight indicate that stubborn resistance was made. By the sides of many men were piles of cartridge-shells, in some instances amounting to thirty or more. Horses appear to have been retained in hand up to a late moment, and occasionally to have been used as breastworks. That the Indians suffered heavily is evinced by the haste with which they withdrew before Gibbon's small command, leaving behind the bulk of their camp material, that they might carry off their dead and wounded. Contrary to usual custom, but few of the dead were mutilated. All bodies were stripped of clothing save two or three. One of these bodies (Keogh's) retained the undershirt, the Indians having discovered under it a slender gold chain supporting an Agnus Dei. Fearing to violate the "medicine," they had left the chain and charm about his neck. During the lull on Reno's hill, while the Indians were away fighting Custer, the pack-train came up. The combined force at this point was now seven troops, and a movement was made in Custer's direction, but the Indians, having speedily finished their bloody work below, came back at Reno again with such dash and assurance that he prudently retired to his original position, and here maintained himself against every effort of the Sioux to destroy him, till the evening of the next day, when, on learning of the approach of Gibbon, the Indians hastily abandoned the field and village.There, ultimately is the reality of this fight - by whatever mindsets, the five companies were sacrificed that Reno's seven might survive. It's very simple, straight-forward, and cold blooded. Reno did this sort of thing routinely to get the job done. However, getting him the medal he probably deserves is going to be a huge if not impossible task.
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Post by johnson1941 on Jun 5, 2023 10:29:35 GMT -6
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Post by herosrest on Jun 5, 2023 11:27:12 GMT -6
No one, a year before, or then, had a realistic clue what happened. 1877 presented observation from Lt. O. Long of 5th Infantry with map, Lt P. Clark with map, P.W. Norris on his way to Yellowstone, with map; an account of the ground after P.H. Sheridan's visit published in the Cherokee Advocate, and at some point upto early 1879, the map by Buell at Ft. Custer or more correctly the Buell map, which is a devil to attribute. There's Bourke as well. God knows what will turn up in the future. Excuse me wandering about the topic, it's Monday which is a creative relax for me. Buell's wife used to visit the battleground and dress graves. She was somehow connected to Keogh and M cDougall and an image of M cDougall's sister (I think) was taken from Keogh in the aftermath and recovered with spots of blood, years later. I had a subscription with the NewYork Times who maintain records wayback but lapsed that some time back - there is a lot of stuff there also. Custer's Body. Of course, no one was really sure if it was Custer's remains and that story broke as well at some early points in complaint by families of the enlisted men left behind for scavengers. Sheridan was already drumming up support for the monument erected by Roe in 1880, and there was a stream of visitors to the field from the unfinished Ft. Custer (post No.2) as river boats and wagons shipped in supplies to the 200 civilians building the structures. Of course, they never bothered to visit the battlefield and take memento or trophy. If Sheridan re-located his 1877 camp, sobeit, news to me and why? I guess the jouney upriver to the Reno field in the valley was for the easiest bodies - Officer's killed with Reno. Hodgson and M cIntosh. DeWolf is a problem and one that carried some later consequences for Benteen at Chicago. Anyway, I do enjoy the views of fresh eyes digging into this stuff - play on.
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Post by herosrest on Jun 5, 2023 12:07:52 GMT -6
A project of long standing for me is cause for decisions which led to the Marker's Mission undertaken by 25th Infantry. Interesting lot of stuff - Owen J. Sweet. Here is Report on the Custer Battlefield – May 15th, 1890, which, like it or not, explains what his placement of the markers shows. His theory of the battle. This coincided with Charles King's account of the battle, and was followed by Godfrey's theory in 1892. Jerome Greene and University of Oklahoma Press: ' I think the government can do no less than to give these remains decent burial, by putting them in coffins, and remove them to some suitable place….It is hard for me to understand how the remains of the officers could be in condition for removal….while those of privates and non-commissioned officers had become food for wolves….I want to secure the body of my son. Samuel E. Staples's letter to Congressman William W. Rice (Rep-Mass.), November 9, 1877' What I wonder is, how and why, with the soldiers remains interred under the monument in 1880, by Charles F. Roe of West Point and New York National Guard cavalry fame; and no battlefield Superintendent - why the markers which were present in 1880, were maintained. I doubt very much that they were. Then, between 1880 and the 10th Aniversary, the monument was refaced to dress damage caused during installation, by weather, and people taking pot shots at it. Willow stakes still standing 14 years later..... hmmm....... Then came Charles......... Oh boy. There's a good coffee breaker - here.
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Post by herosrest on Jun 5, 2023 12:37:11 GMT -6
The last matter i'll pick up on is with DeRudio's observation of Custer, Cooke, etc on the skyline of bluffs to his north or east. I simply do not accept Godfrey's ideas of the march east of the river down Cedar Coulee simply extrapolated from a faint trail he remembered in 1886 after sign talking the battle with Gall at 10th Anniversary. The reason is straightforward and one Godfrey almost certainly was unaware of. DeRudio rode with Benteen, Company H's fourteen men, and the numerous Officer's of Terrys' staff and others such as Kanipe; who went looking for Custer and his Officers on 27th June, 1876. That's all they were interested in, the Officers and Officers alone. Varnum went along as well and detoured of the trail followed. DeRudio went onto the point where he believed he saw Custer from the valley floor as Benteen followed the right wings trail into MTC. Benteen later changed his mind about things shortly before the Chicago Inquiry and despite this, it doesn't change what others told. For me, Martin drew his pencil line from Maguire's B and he or someone labelled it '8'. But...... is '8' not 'B'.... . While I feel it was Bouyer whom DeRudio saw hat waving over half a mile away (just possible), if his distances are correct, I accept that he went to the terrain to check it out. Now, here's the credenza with this - was it Bouyer whom Gray dedicated his second book to, or was it Custer. Custer was in MTC if you accept Martin and therefore with Reno in retreat, Bouyer on the bluffs was signalling Custer as per Curley. The model writes itself and with Custer at Greasy Grass Hill, the warriors pour in from Weir Peak over the bluffs and down Cedar Coulee. They were gone by the time Benteen arrived or hidden waiting, north of Weir until Benteen unsaddled his horses to wait for M cDougall and Mathey to come up, and Reno to go down to the river and rifle through Hodgson's pockets for whatever was left in them. I feel that Curtis got what he published, correct, but bit too hard on a twaddle from White Man Runs Him. Reno's valley fight was brief and in effect a shoot and scoot effort. My view is that jamming weapons put the wind up him, and once he understood the problem he was out of there devil may care. Sod Custer.......... i've a scalp to hold onto. Regards.
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Post by johnson1941 on Jun 5, 2023 12:44:33 GMT -6
Hmmm - I was not under the impression Godfrey said they went down South Coulee - he had Custer up higher. Although when Edgerly went down South while Weir was on his Hill - Edgerly thought it may have been Custer's trail (or parallel to it) Its Camp and Martin etc who put them down Cedar {South} Coulee - the right turn after crossing the Hill/Ridge where they 1st saw the village - 'behind the long ridge running south of Edgerly peaks'. (after taking the long ridge over from Sundance Creek) Which of course jells with kanipe and Curley etc. (and De Rudio in a ways). So I agree. Camp with martin:
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Post by herosrest on Jun 5, 2023 13:01:18 GMT -6
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Post by johnson1941 on Jun 5, 2023 13:24:01 GMT -6
Oh I'm good with the battalions splitting in MTC - but they had to go down South Coulee to get there 1st. SOMEONE has to solve that delima of Gall & Godfrey & JSIT route vs Martin & Kanipe & De Rudio & Hare & Camp & McGuire & Benteen & et. al.! Cheers!
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Post by herosrest on Dec 2, 2023 9:43:23 GMT -6
"Col. Cooke took his notebook & wrote a note to Capt. Benteen which he tore out & handed to me. He asked me if my horse was fresh & when I told him that I thought so, he said, "Trumpeter. Go back the way we came & find Col. Benteen. He should be on the trail. Give him this message with Genl. Custer's compliments & then come back & report to me, but if there are too many Indians stay with your troop until you can report back." He, then cautioned me not to run my horse as I would be in need of him before the day was done. I then turned & rode back ... " Because the Cedar Coulee route unto and into, or across if that floats boats, is central not just to thories of events but also timing studies which are more valuable to their originaors than wives and kids, the micro-managed study of movement will always be affably disagreed in self-satisfaction. Just because WMC read his interviews and interviewers to indicate that SSR was 'Weir's Hill' does not mean he was riht or wrong because the source information and informants was confused at origin and further repeatedly confused by petting. Edward S. Curtis;s investigation produced a possible route of march over the bluffs which is paid little attention for a number of reasons central to motives for studying and presenting events. I'm not getting into that quite amazing field since Forest Gump has raced through it and the dust hasn't settled yet. It could be that the movements which produced sightings of Custer's command by Trumpeter Martin, are explained by Curtis's route where the advance along the river shown for Custer's command veered to the right along the ravine face of Deep Coule (Nth MTC) until finding a place to descend and cross the coullee to return down it towards the river and Greasy Grass Hill. That is the value of the route indicated by Curtis but of course he undermined his entire effort with Upshaw's interpretation of White Man Runs Hims account of delay by Custer. By Curtis' way, the command marched some distance up the eastern flank of Deep Coulee before moving into and across it back towards the river. In viewing that movement, Martin would have been looking at the retreat he suggested and before it actually took place.
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Post by herosrest on Dec 2, 2023 10:04:18 GMT -6
A view into the valley link
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