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Post by PhillyBlair on Jul 21, 2006 11:31:26 GMT -6
Thought it might be fun to start a thread of quotes from the Reno Court of Inquiry that are clearly absurd. It can be a lie, an exaggeration, a cover up, or all of the above. If I'm allowed to choose the rules here they are:
1. List JUST THE QUOTE and the NAME OF THE PERSON QUOTED
2. NO COMMENTARY OR ARGUING
3. Only ONE QUOTE PER ENTRY
This is meant to be fun and NOT "pro" or "anti" anyone.
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Post by PhillyBlair on Jul 21, 2006 11:32:33 GMT -6
Benteen:
"I thought then that there were 2,500 Indians surrounding us, but I think now there were eight or nine thousand."
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Post by Dark Cloud on Jul 21, 2006 11:44:27 GMT -6
You're making fun of an officer who was there, under fire. A scout who disliked him thought the warrior count was 3500, a thousand more than Benteen's initial estimate, and it could have been more. Benteen may have been referring to the horde in general, not specifically the warriors, couldn't he? I don't recall. And Herendeen says you cannot tell by the firing, anyway.
Exaggeration of enemy numbers is apparently so common in soldiers this is the norm, not an aberration or sign of falsehood. He wasn't alone, apparently.
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Post by PhillyBlair on Jul 21, 2006 13:10:17 GMT -6
1. List JUST THE QUOTE and the NAME OF THE PERSON QUOTED
2. NO COMMENTARY OR ARGUING
3. Only ONE QUOTE PER ENTRY
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Post by mcaryf on Jul 22, 2006 1:21:44 GMT -6
"I will support you" Girard quoting Custer to Reno.
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Post by elisabeth on Jul 23, 2006 10:15:01 GMT -6
DeRudio's interrogation.
Q: What was the color of the buckskin pants?
A: Buckskin color.
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Post by PhillyBlair on Jul 23, 2006 10:57:39 GMT -6
Benteen and Martin on the message from Custer and location of the pack train:
Benteen:
"....I met a sergeant [Kanipe] ... with instructions to the CO of the pack train....I told him the pack train was about seven miles back......about a mile or so further on I met Trumpeter Martin...."
Martin:
"Captain Benteen read the despatch and....gave me an order to Capt. McDougall......I went at once to Capt. McDougall about 150 yards...I delivered my message and returned to my company."
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Post by weir on Jul 23, 2006 12:28:13 GMT -6
RENO  These are extracts from Reno’s official report (which is like a testimony under oath in the military) and his testimony under oath at the Court of Inquiry in 1879. #1 1876 : [On Reno Hill,] we heard firing in that direction [Medicine Tail Ford] and knew it could only be Custer. 1879 : I do not remember anyone reporting to me that he heard firing. I heard no such firing.___ #2 1876 : In a short time, the pack train came up. 1879 : In about an hour and a half, the pack train would come up.___ #3 1876 : Custer intended to support me by moving further down the stream and attacking the village in the flank. 1879 : I had no reason to believe that General Custer would support me in other manner than from the rear […] Custer had no plan.____ #4 1876 : [On Reno Hill,] we heard firing in that direction [Medicine Tail Ford] and knew it could only be Custer. 1879 : I believe that when I came out of the timber, Custer’s command was all dead __ #5 1876 : We heard firing in that direction and knew it could only be Custer. 1879 : It didn’t occur to me that Custer with 225 men needed anyone quickly |
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Post by weir on Jul 23, 2006 12:28:43 GMT -6
BENTEEN  1879 : I heard vollies [by Custer’s men when Benteen was on Reno Hill, 4.20 p.m.]. 1879 (same testimony) : I am convinced that when the order brought back by Martin reached me [3.40 p.m.], General Custer and his whole command was dead.1879: I thought that Custer could take care of himself |
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Post by weir on Jul 23, 2006 12:41:07 GMT -6
"I will support you" Girard quoting Custer to Reno. I don't see anything absurd in this situation... As Reno said in his report, Custer wanted to support Reno by attacking the Indians in the flank with Benteen's help... But nobody joined Custer and Reno ran away before seeing a real Indian attack... "What made Major Reno run away when he did I cannot positively know, and he didn’t tell me. […] To turn ones back on Indians without being better mounted than they is throwing away life. When he started to that hill he had told me, not one minute before, that he was going to fight – it was in reply to a question of mine."Letter by Captain Thomas French, Company M, 7th cavalry, after Little Bighorn (Graham, William, The Custer Myth, p.341) __ "Reno proved incompetent and Benteen showed his indifference – I will not use the uglier words that have often been in my mind. Both failed Custer and he had to fight it alone. " Letter by Private William A. Taylor, a member of Company M at the Little Bighorn, to Edward Godfrey on February 20 1910 (Sklenar, Larry, To Hell with Honor, pp.260-261) |
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Post by PhillyBlair on Jul 23, 2006 13:29:13 GMT -6
Good stuff, but.......
1. List JUST THE QUOTE and the NAME OF THE PERSON QUOTED
2. NO COMMENTARY OR ARGUING
3. Only ONE QUOTE PER ENTRY
This is meant to be fun and NOT "pro" or "anti" anyone.
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