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Post by Jas. Watson on Mar 31, 2006 8:33:35 GMT -6
I have seen different entries on different rosters that John Fitzgerald purposely straggled out along with John Brennen, and survived--they both bragged and laughed about it afterwards. And I have also seen some rosters say that he wasn't even at the battle, but left at the Yellowstone camp. What is the consensus? Was he there or not? I do admit I see more saying that he was at LBH than not.
Jas.
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Post by Diane Merkel on Mar 31, 2006 9:06:53 GMT -6
Hammer puts him at Reno-Benteen albeit a little late. From Men with Custer, pp. 108-109: With the Custer Column on June 25. His horse became exhausted and he joined the force on the hilltop. . . . Peter Thompson related that Fitzgerald and Brennan turned their horses to the rear when they had gone about two miles beyond the lone tepee, just before the Little Big Horn River fight. Included is a portion of a letter written by John McGuire which says, in part, "The talk in 'C' Troop in regard to the aforementioned men [Fitzgerald and Brennan] was that they did not care to enter the engagement with Custer." He was there but, if he did brag and laugh about avoiding the battle, he was IMHO a disgusting person.
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Post by Jas. Watson on Mar 31, 2006 15:17:59 GMT -6
Thank you. I have read those accounts. But I was thinking maybe someone would have something that says he wasn't there...because I was surprised to read somewhere that he wasn't. Again thank you, I figure you would have the most accepted data. Hammer also mentions them being together and bragging about getting away from the Custer column. And as for your comment about him being 'a disgusting person', I might have to agree. I assume they were friends and that the both of them were probably cut from the same cloth. I understand that Brennen, anyway, was dishonorably discharged in 1879.
Thanks, Jas.
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Post by Diane Merkel on Mar 31, 2006 21:34:47 GMT -6
Maybe someone will come up with a source for a different story. Do you remember where you read that he wasn't there?
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Post by Jas. Watson on Apr 3, 2006 9:29:16 GMT -6
I did some checking in my stuff...all the printed sources say he was. I now remember that it was only on a site linked from here that had a roster on it that says he wasn't--and it surprised me so much that it 'plagued' me...now I have to find which link it was that said that. I know it was from here someplace.
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