July 2 1876 - CYA Day

["Hunk" Papa]

"I think I owe it to myself" to record the 132nd anniversary of Brigadier General Alfred Howe Terry's 'Kick a Man When He's Down' diatribe otherwise known as his second official report.

We should also give a thunderous round of applause to the Montana Column for according to Terry "The movements proposed by Gen. Gibbon's column were carried out to the letter" and if Terry was telling the truth, any military column which planned in advance to cross the divide between Tullock's Creek and the Big Horn valley is deserving of our highest esteem for stupidity above and beyond the call of 'cuckoo'.

Hunk

[clw]

Here, here!

And while we're at it, I read Sheridan's annual report before I went to bed last night and dreamed I had him by the ear while I gave him a piece of my mind. "If you'd only listened to me in the first place", over and over and over... And don't even get me started on his pal Watkins.

Included is Terry's annual report which has still another entertaining version of the above referring to 'waiting fights' and 'double attacks' and how his previous previous report was garbled by the telegrapher. It's oh so nicely patted in shape in the final version.

[biggordie]

I told him I would be there on the 25th, er late on the 25th, er not before the 25th, er the morning of the 26th, er the afternoon of the 26th, er the night of the 26th, er not before the 26th, er not later than the 27th, er before August...............................

Please disregard the foregoing until Hughes can tell me what to write so as to make it come out right. In the meantime, I will await word from someone as to what I should do now.

Smith is even now on his way to deliver the latest version of events and those things that tell people what to do - you know, the things that get the numbers put on them. Where I get to desire stuff.

Hughes!! Hughes!! I need you!!

["Hunk" Papa]

Jul 2, 2008 8:40:31 GMT -6 biggordie said:

I told him I would be there on the 25th, er late on the 25th, er not before the 25th, er the morning of the 26th, er the afternoon of the 26th, er the night of the 26th, er not before the 26th, er not later than the 27th, er before August...............................

Please disregard the foregoing until Hughes can tell me what to write so as to make it come out right. In the meantime, I will await word from someone as to what I should do now.

Smith is even now on his way to deliver the latest version of events and those things that tell people what to do - you know, the things that get the numbers put on them. Where I get to desire stuff.

Hughes!! Hughes!! I need you!!

Never fear my Commanding Officer, brother-in-law and all round good egg, Hughes is here to endorse all you say, especially the bit about Gibbon's (Tee hee, you were in command of course) column carrying out it's movements to the letter.

After explaining that you (sorry) Gibbon was waiting in vain for Custer's messenger to bring his plan of action to us in Tullock's Creek on June 24th I am really going to town as follows:

"With such information, and an intimation of urgency, it would have been possible for y.. er Gibbon at the head of his veteran 2d and 7th to appear on the field of action by the afternoon of the 25th. Instead of leaving the course of the Tullock and making a most arduous and exhausting march to the Big Horn, Gibbon could then have continued up the Tullock, over a fair route, directly to the Indian village."

That will be a great help wont it as it ties in exactly with what you have said my noble CO?

Yours, none too certainly, Robert P. Hughes.

P.S. Bring six packs.