Benteen: Mistakes? Blatant Disregard?

[elisabeth]

Darling suggests that a fair degree of disillusionment with the mission may have set in throughout Benteen's command, not just for Benteen himself. If that's so, it would be understandable if Gibson's so relieved to have finally found an identifiable water-course that he doesn't feel the need to look any further; at last, they've fulfilled the letter of their orders and can turn back towards where the action is. If they all felt by now that it was a wild-goose chase, they might have been happy to accept any "valley" as the one they were supposed to be looking for. Consciously or unconsciously, they all probably wanted just to get it over with by this point.

They might realise later, once back on the trail, that what they'd seen couldn't have been the LBH -- but by then it was immaterial, as sounds of firing (and Kanipe, and Martini) told them the fight was under way up ahead, and that that's where any "pitching in" would have to take place.

[AZ Ranger]

I don't buy the wild goose chase theory of Benteen's movement to the left or any attempt to leave Benteen out. I believe it was a blocking movement as some officer's describe. If Custer believed the Indians were going to stand and fight I believe he would have chosen Benteen or himself to charge the village. It became apparent Indians weren't running so it was no longer necessary to continue Benteen's movement to the left.

Custer must have thought Benteen would be relatively close and acting in concert. If he wanted to keep Benteen from the action then why send messengers. He must have had some idea how Benteen would return because he believed that Benteen could look after the pack train while changing locations.

Benteen could move no faster then the slowest horses. You don't go into battle all strung out. As the OIC you can move fast and let the unit expand and contract or move at the pace the slowest horses can keep up. It would have served no purpose for the 10 fastest horses to leave the rest behind and hurry up. There was no more recon needed because they were engaged.

[elisabeth]

Oh yes, absolutely. I'm just talking about their perceptions of the mission. From the moment the Benteen battalion saw the Gray Horse Troop galloping, they must have suspected action was afoot -- and, perhaps, that they were left out of it.

I'm just suggesting that they -- Benteen's battalion -- might have had reason to suspect a wild-goose chase, however legit Custer's motives might have been.