jag
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Post by jag on Nov 21, 2011 11:56:02 GMT -6
... I have sneaking admiration for Benteen. He was an officers officer. How would you know? You're an idiot! Besides, you wouldn't know an officer from a gravedigger. Go study Little Red Riding Hood; it's more your speed and it has a plot line someone like you would love. Best wishes, Fred. Umm... Just a guess here Fred, but would that be "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"? ;D
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Post by fred on Nov 21, 2011 19:15:17 GMT -6
Umm... Just a guess here Fred, but would that be "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"? You know what I have grown to like about you, "jag"? You have it down pat. You get it. Some day we will have to raise that glass together and when we do, the first one's on me. Best wishes, Fred.
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Post by fred on Nov 21, 2011 19:26:56 GMT -6
There is no evidence Benteen was an unpopular officer, and some the other way.... Absolutely. He was close to Keogh, very good friends with McDougall, and rode often with Dr. Lord. Gibson came close to worshipping him, despite Benteen's distaste for the man. Then there was Benteen's little "mess": Owen Hale, and probably Elliott, Myers, West, and Hamilton. Hardly the stuff of dislike. One could also point to the men Benteen disliked and spoke poorly of, yet he admired Terry and Gibbon. Let's also not forget that Goldin told Benteen he was a colonel in the Wisconsin Guard. I am not sure Benteen ever really found out all the dirt Goldin kept sweeping under the carpet. Sorry, but I do not have much of an issue with that trait! Who was it who said, "If you can do it, it ain't braggin'"? George Halas? Apply that to Benteen. There is none. Some of this has been posted here before, but since the topic has been brought up again, I thought it would be propitious to re-post it here: W. A. Graham writes of Benteen, “… his known character and the habit of his entire life refutes the imputation that at any time or in any circumstances he failed in his duty as an officer and a soldier. He fought as he had lived, fearless, uncompromising, and grimly stern. Benteen was one of the best soldiers the United States Army has ever possessed” [ The Story of the Little Big Horn, pp. 105 – 106]. “[Benteen], together with Major Reno, had been attacked and charged by Custer’s partisans with responsibility for the disaster of June 25, 1876. He had resented and brooded over the injustice of that charge for many years. From his viewpoint, the man who rashly led five companies of his regiment to destruction, and unnecessarily imperiled the rest, because he met death in a heroic setting, had been glorified by propaganda; while he, the man to whom more than to any other, belonged the credit of saving what was left of the regiment, had been slandered and reviled because he had not rescued that man and those who perished with him. He was bitter…. Moreover, Benteen was the product of an era of bitterness and strife; of a time when passions ran high; when enmities built upon stern judgments were carried to the grave and even beyond it… [T]his stalwart soldier of a bygone day.” From Erkki, March 5, 2008— The Frank L. Anders—R. G. Cartwright Correspondence, volume 1, pp. 95 – 96: Anders to Cartwright, February 7, 1948. Godfrey was Anders' godfather. In 1927, Godfrey told Anders "without mincing words that up to Benteen's death he was the finest type of accomplished cavalry officer that the United States army ever had. He specifically did not except Custer. He said to me 'I was never a Custerite.'.... He said that Benteen was utterly reliable, trustworthy, had a keen sense of humor, a very fine natural sense of distances, areas, number of men in formations, either large or small and that he was especially fine in strategy and tactics. That his ideas of striking distances never failed to hold good. He was especially good at the judging of the capability of man or beast on a campaign, and that he was especially good in the conservation of the troops under his command. Godfrey, in a direct question that I asked him why the Custer – Benteen hatred he made the answer that they were too [sic] good cavalrymen in one regiment and that they radically differed in every way as to administration, training, care of men and horses, tactics, strategy and campaigning.” Hugh Scott, Some Memories of a Soldier, p. 454. "I found my model early in Captain Benteen, the idol of the Seventh Cavalry on the upper Missouri in 1877, who governed mainly by suggestion; in all the years I knew him I never once heard him raise his voice to enforce his purpose. He would sit by the open fire at night, his bright pleasant face framed by his snow-white hair, beaming with kindness and humor, and often I watched his every movement, to find out the secret of his quiet steady government, that I might go out and govern likewise... If he found this kindly manner were misunderstood, then his iron hand would close down quickly, but that was seldom necessary, and then only with newcomers and never twice with the same person." Klokner, The Officer Corps of Custer’s Seventh Cavalry, p. 45: “Benteen’s antagonism and intense dislike for Custer is well documented. He had his own peculiarities but was nevertheless supremely courageous and highly respected, even idolized, particularly by his beloved Company H.” Hardorff, On the Little Bighorn With Walter Camp. Camp wrote: “Benteen was an officer of long and honorable experience, and a fighter of the bulldog type. He was every bit as able… as Custer himself. In battle he was alert and cool, and quick and clear of perception. Like Custer, he could take in a situation instantly, without study, but he was not headlong. This was the difference in the two men. He was not what would be called a dashing man, although when it came to fighting, Benteen was there to stay, even to the last ditch if necessary, but he burned no bridges behind. He possessed the admirable trait of caution, and he took account of reserve. “… Benteen, the bravest of the brave, was too large a man to be influenced at such a time by considerations of personal enmity. [232] “In my opinion, could Benteen have but known Custer’s predicament he would have taken matters into his hands much earlier than he did and tried to at least direct [away] some of the force of warriors against Custer. It was not until the incompetence of Reno had more fully shown itself and that the fear of a great disaster to the seven companies had been whispered in Benteen’s ear by one of his closest friends, a commissioned officer, that Benteen took hold of the whole situation with a firm hand.” [233] [Camp’s version of Benteen’s method of running his company is certainly disputed by General Scott.] Windolph, Charles; Hunt, Frazier and Robert, eds., I Fought With Custer. Windolph wrote: “And I’m proud to have known and fought under Captain Benteen, of ‘H.’ He was just about the finest soldier and the greatest gentleman I ever knew.” [2 – 3] I might add that while I referred to "Herosrest" in a rather pejorative term, he is correct when he called Benteen an officer's officer. There are such animals and anyone who has been in the service can pick them out. Easy to describe; impossible to fake. You know them when you serve with them. Best wishes, Fred.
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Post by lew on Nov 21, 2011 23:28:33 GMT -6
Fred, I remember a couple of years ago-Elizabeth (who used to be on this site) posted several letters Custer had written during the Civil War. What struck me was that he was not going to support his old Boss George McClellan in the 1864 Presidential election. While most of the high brass in the Army of Potomac were sticking their necks out, by openly supporting McClellan--Custer shunned the man who had been instrumental in his career. It seems Custer only had use for someone when they were in a position to help him. Another point--After Alfred Pleasonton was replaced and sent West-it seems Custer never made an effort to maintain contact. Benteen however, seemed to remain loyal to those who had helped his career-as in his defense of James Wilson.
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jag
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Post by jag on Nov 22, 2011 8:47:52 GMT -6
There is no evidence Benteen was an unpopular officer, and some the other way.... Absolutely. He was close to Keogh, very good friends with McDougall, and rode often with Dr. Lord. Gibson came close to worshipping him, despite Benteen's distaste for the man. Then there was Benteen's little "mess": Owen Hale, and probably Elliott, Myers, West, and Hamilton. Hardly the stuff of dislike. One could also point to the men Benteen disliked and spoke poorly of, yet he admired Terry and Gibbon. Let's also not forget that Goldin told Benteen he was a colonel in the Wisconsin Guard. I am not sure Benteen ever really found out all the dirt Goldin kept sweeping under the carpet. Sorry, but I do not have much of an issue with that trait! Who was it who said, "If you can do it, it ain't braggin'"? George Halas? Apply that to Benteen. There is none. Some of this has been posted here before, but since the topic has been brought up again, I thought it would be propitious to re-post it here: W. A. Graham writes of Benteen, “… his known character and the habit of his entire life refutes the imputation that at any time or in any circumstances he failed in his duty as an officer and a soldier. He fought as he had lived, fearless, uncompromising, and grimly stern. Benteen was one of the best soldiers the United States Army has ever possessed” [ The Story of the Little Big Horn, pp. 105 – 106]. “[Benteen], together with Major Reno, had been attacked and charged by Custer’s partisans with responsibility for the disaster of June 25, 1876. He had resented and brooded over the injustice of that charge for many years. From his viewpoint, the man who rashly led five companies of his regiment to destruction, and unnecessarily imperiled the rest, because he met death in a heroic setting, had been glorified by propaganda; while he, the man to whom more than to any other, belonged the credit of saving what was left of the regiment, had been slandered and reviled because he had not rescued that man and those who perished with him. He was bitter…. Moreover, Benteen was the product of an era of bitterness and strife; of a time when passions ran high; when enmities built upon stern judgments were carried to the grave and even beyond it… [T]his stalwart soldier of a bygone day.” From Erkki, March 5, 2008— The Frank L. Anders—R. G. Cartwright Correspondence, volume 1, pp. 95 – 96: Anders to Cartwright, February 7, 1948. Godfrey was Anders' godfather. In 1927, Godfrey told Anders "without mincing words that up to Benteen's death he was the finest type of accomplished cavalry officer that the United States army ever had. He specifically did not except Custer. He said to me 'I was never a Custerite.'.... He said that Benteen was utterly reliable, trustworthy, had a keen sense of humor, a very fine natural sense of distances, areas, number of men in formations, either large or small and that he was especially fine in strategy and tactics. That his ideas of striking distances never failed to hold good. He was especially good at the judging of the capability of man or beast on a campaign, and that he was especially good in the conservation of the troops under his command. Godfrey, in a direct question that I asked him why the Custer – Benteen hatred he made the answer that they were too [sic] good cavalrymen in one regiment and that they radically differed in every way as to administration, training, care of men and horses, tactics, strategy and campaigning.” Hugh Scott, Some Memories of a Soldier, p. 454. "I found my model early in Captain Benteen, the idol of the Seventh Cavalry on the upper Missouri in 1877, who governed mainly by suggestion; in all the years I knew him I never once heard him raise his voice to enforce his purpose. He would sit by the open fire at night, his bright pleasant face framed by his snow-white hair, beaming with kindness and humor, and often I watched his every movement, to find out the secret of his quiet steady government, that I might go out and govern likewise... If he found this kindly manner were misunderstood, then his iron hand would close down quickly, but that was seldom necessary, and then only with newcomers and never twice with the same person." Klokner, The Officer Corps of Custer’s Seventh Cavalry, p. 45: “Benteen’s antagonism and intense dislike for Custer is well documented. He had his own peculiarities but was nevertheless supremely courageous and highly respected, even idolized, particularly by his beloved Company H.” Hardorff, On the Little Bighorn With Walter Camp. Camp wrote: “Benteen was an officer of long and honorable experience, and a fighter of the bulldog type. He was every bit as able… as Custer himself. In battle he was alert and cool, and quick and clear of perception. Like Custer, he could take in a situation instantly, without study, but he was not headlong. This was the difference in the two men. He was not what would be called a dashing man, although when it came to fighting, Benteen was there to stay, even to the last ditch if necessary, but he burned no bridges behind. He possessed the admirable trait of caution, and he took account of reserve. “… Benteen, the bravest of the brave, was too large a man to be influenced at such a time by considerations of personal enmity. [232] “In my opinion, could Benteen have but known Custer’s predicament he would have taken matters into his hands much earlier than he did and tried to at least direct [away] some of the force of warriors against Custer. It was not until the incompetence of Reno had more fully shown itself and that the fear of a great disaster to the seven companies had been whispered in Benteen’s ear by one of his closest friends, a commissioned officer, that Benteen took hold of the whole situation with a firm hand.” [233] [Camp’s version of Benteen’s method of running his company is certainly disputed by General Scott.] Windolph, Charles; Hunt, Frazier and Robert, eds., I Fought With Custer. Windolph wrote: “And I’m proud to have known and fought under Captain Benteen, of ‘H.’ He was just about the finest soldier and the greatest gentleman I ever knew.” [2 – 3] I might add that while I referred to "Herosrest" in a rather pejorative term, he is correct when he called Benteen an officer's officer. There are such animals and anyone who has been in the service can pick them out. Easy to describe; impossible to fake. You know them when you serve with them. Best wishes, Fred. Fred, Just a little info. here - as I noted you said "probably". Maj. Elliot was definitely in the Custer cluster. These guys were close friends. I know how it appears, but in this instance, the appearance is deceiving. Benteen used Elliot's death against Custer to rankle him as he was supposed to be his friend, and he rubbed it in royally. Jag
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Post by fred on Nov 22, 2011 14:02:05 GMT -6
Just a little info. here - as I noted you said "probably". Maj. Elliot was definitely in the Custer cluster. These guys were close friends.... Benteen used Elliot's death against Custer to rankle him as he was supposed to be his friend, and he rubbed it in royally. Jag, You are probably correct, but remember too, Elliott was a very popular officer and may have straddled both sides of the fence. Keogh did a little of that and there always seemed to be some grudging respect between Weir and Benteen, as well. The only clue we have-- at least that I have been able to track down-- was that Benteen mentioned these mess buddies-- to whom, I forget-- and that when Hale was killed in 1877, "now" they were all dead. He mentioned a number-- five, I think it was-- and by process of elimination, I arrived at those names. Hale was the only one I was certain of, but it points out that Benteen wasn't the blackhard many would like to have us believe. Best wishes, Fred.
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jag
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Post by jag on Nov 22, 2011 17:15:48 GMT -6
Just a little info. here - as I noted you said "probably". Maj. Elliot was definitely in the Custer cluster. These guys were close friends.... Benteen used Elliot's death against Custer to rankle him as he was supposed to be his friend, and he rubbed it in royally. Jag, You are probably correct, but remember too, Elliott was a very popular officer and may have straddled both sides of the fence. Keogh did a little of that and there always seemed to be some grudging respect between Weir and Benteen, as well. The only clue we have-- at least that I have been able to track down-- was that Benteen mentioned these mess buddies-- to whom, I forget-- and that when Hale was killed in 1877, "now" they were all dead. He mentioned a number-- five, I think it was-- and by process of elimination, I arrived at those names. Hale was the only one I was certain of, but it points out that Benteen wasn't the blackhard many would like to have us believe. Best wishes, Fred. Yeah I kind of guessed that's what you were driving at. Won't argue with the logic you present here. I had several sources, would have to track them all down, but one is this recent article, the guy did a fantastic research job on Elliot where he had this to say.... "Captain Elliott and his regiment became part of Brevet Maj. Gen. George A. Custer's cavalry division stationed at Austin. While serving in the Lone Star State, according to author Barnard, Custer and Elliott enjoyed a good relationship. "What is evident during this period is that Captain Elliott obviously struck up, if not a close personal friendship with George Custer, at least a close professional tie," writes Barnard. "Elliott frequently was appointed to boards of survey and other administrative positions in the command. For a time in December 1865 Elliott served as the command's judge advocate, handling general courts-martial for Custer." "Mustered out of the service in 1866, Elliott sought an appointment as a regular officer in the Army. Among his supporters were Rep. Julian, Sen. Oliver P. Morton of Indiana and his old commanding officer and Civil War hero Custer. In a letter of recommendation addressed to the War Department in December 1865, Custer said Elliott was "eminently qualified to hold a commission in the Regular Army," and called him "a natural soldier improved by extensive experience and field service." But not until March 11, 1867, was Elliott appointed a major in the 7th Cavalry." The article in full appears here: www.historynet.com/wounds-from-the-washita-the-major-elliott-affair.htm
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Post by fred on Nov 23, 2011 6:24:17 GMT -6
Jag,
I do not know if you have ever seen this or not, but there is a really good book titled, The Officer Corps of Custer's Seventh Cavalry, by James B. Klokner, published by Schiffer. I bought it from Sandy Barnard a couple of years ago and it gives very nice bios of every officer that served in the Seventh from its inception to or through 1876. (It must be through, because Hugh Scott is in there, as well.) Good stuff!
Best wishes, Fred.
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Post by El Crab on Nov 23, 2011 22:15:57 GMT -6
I stand corrected. I guess Benteen's later bitterness infected my brain. That, and his writings of the Washita to that newspaper.
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Post by herosrest on Nov 24, 2011 6:48:51 GMT -6
When the other Fred published his work on the life of GAC, Benteen had no option but become exceedingly defensive about the battle. That he did. The tarnish will never wear off - Whittaker did what he did and a great many students of the battle since, do exactly the same by leaping to Benteen's defence. Benteen almost becomes the dashing cavalier of the piece and he certainly was not that. He was put in a hole by Whittaker and dug his way out. The Reno Inquiry was equally Benteen on trial. Peter Thompson left the best record of Benteen's character and nature in reference to the counter attack at Reno Hill. Those who imagine Benteen charging down the hill at the head of his small band of 'H' sters - could not be further from the truth. He was cashiered from the military. A similar thing happened to Reno. Custer did not survive to face Court Martial, which is what would have happened. ;D
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Post by markland on Nov 24, 2011 9:08:38 GMT -6
Crab, remember that was a personal letter to either a friend or family member who showed it to a representative from the paper.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Billy
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Post by "Hunk" Papa on Nov 24, 2011 9:34:00 GMT -6
Crab, remember that was a personal letter to either a friend or family member who showed it to a representative from the paper. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! Billy Don't think so Billy. The style of the Washita letter is not Benteen's so it is likely that he did write to a friend, my guess would be R.N. Price, with the details and that friend then composed the letter which appeared in the press. Benteen did something similar in 1879 when he wrote to Price about Whittaker's letter in the New York Sun and below is the relevant part of Benteen's letter to Price: My dear Price:
...Cadets for ages to come will bow in humility at the Custer shrine at West Point, and - if it makes better soldiers and men of them, why the necessity of knocking the paste eye out of their idol?
Whittaker had a recent letter in the N.Y. Sun, in which Genl. Merritt, Reno, Mike Sheridan, Genl. S. and myself catch, well, Merry H. Can’t you go for that Heathen Chinee? Rasp up your bolt of sarcasm which is so well hurled and give him a shake up for me. If you haven’t seen the article, will send it to you.
Kind remembrances from all of us to yr. family and self. Thanks for the photos. Truly yrs. BenteenIt is likely that Benteen wrote to Price in like vein about the Washita. Note the 'Rasp up your bolt of sarcasm which is so well hurled.' How would Benteen know what Price was capable of if he had not had prior evidence of it? Good to hear from you. Happy Thanksgiving to all overtheponders. Hunk
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jag
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Post by jag on Nov 25, 2011 8:12:06 GMT -6
Jag, I do not know if you have ever seen this or not, but there is a really good book titled, The Officer Corps of Custer's Seventh Cavalry, by James B. Klokner, published by Schiffer. I bought it from Sandy Barnard a couple of years ago and it gives very nice bios of every officer that served in the Seventh from its inception to or through 1876. (It must be through, because Hugh Scott is in there, as well.) Good stuff! Best wishes, Fred. I've happened upon it in my searches, but I don't have a copy of it. If price is any indicator, it must be good. Thanks jag
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Post by fred on Nov 25, 2011 9:36:22 GMT -6
I've happened upon it in my searches, but I don't have a copy of it. If price is any indicator, it must be good. Barnard has it listed for $60 in his catalogue. And yes, it is good. Very, very little "opinion"; mostly just facts. Dispassionately done. Best wishes, Fred.
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Post by herosrest on Nov 27, 2011 8:11:56 GMT -6
Good day all - In the way that Trumpeter Martin's point of return has been long known and available to all, courtesy of W.A. Graham but entirely ignored by.... all (Why is that?) the narrative of the Arikara scouts has been presented as impenetrable, by those who study and present the battle fought at Little Big Horn. That is not so. Sufficient supporting evidence exists frpm Walter M. Camp, Billy Cross and others, to assemble a broadly detailed view of the overall scheme of things Lima Bravo. From W.M. Camp's notes - 'When we got there could not see any fighting going on and thought that fighting must all be stopped. Soon we saw survivors of valley fight coming up the ridge. Little Brave's spotted horse came up with the rest. Red Bear came straggling up without any shoes, and the boys picked the prickly pear prongs out of his feet. I soon recognized Bobtail Bull's horse. Strikes Two remarked that Bobtail Bull must have been killed in the fight. Horse had bridle, saddle, and blanket tied to horn of saddle. I went to Gerard and showed him Bobtail Bull's horse, and Gerard told us to catch him. I went and took the blanket and said I would keep it. Horse had a curbed bit and fancy trimmings. Stab took the bridle. Horse had no picket rope. Stab proposed that we follow the ridge toward where Custer had gone. We did so. Sioux were coming and getting around us before we got to end of ridge. A group of soldiers stood on the ridge behind us. The party was Stab, Strikes Two, Boy Chief, Strike Lodge, Little Sioux, Soldier, Karu, Watoksha, Mahcpiya Sha, and Cross. The Sioux now attacked us and drove us and the soldiers, and we went back beyond the lone tepee. Stab was riding one of the two captured mules, and his own horse was put in the captured herd.' This text is useful and illuminating. Reno and those with him were on the bluffs when Benteen's command approached and gave welcomed succour. Therefore the band of Arikara wolves who had remounted onto stolen Dakota ponies arrived to Reno's Hill before Benteen. They then advanced towards Custer, along the ridge, towards Medicie Tail Coulee and 'Sioux were coming and getting around us before we got to end of ridge'. Those who followed the ridge toward where Custer had gone, were, Stab, Strikes Two, Boy Chief, Strike Lodge, Little Sioux, Soldier, Karu, Watoksha, Mahcpiya Sha, and Cross. This is corroborated by William Cross whose interview was published on July 13th 1876. What in isolation can only be jumbled comments by Little Sioux in The Arikara Narrative, thus blossom to reality and offer a wonderful dose of fool prevention, for those who time-line Custer's command gadding about all over the place to Foxy Fords D, D1 and D2, etcetera, ad nausea. The Custer fight was a brief, very violent and overwhelming confused mayhem of retreat, surround after which the troops were shot down by overwhelming firepower, and cut to ribbons during unorganised retreat. Done and dusted by the time that Lt. Edgerley engaged Standing Bears party of fifteen Minieconjou who were returning to the village across the mouth of Water Rat Creek after the Custer fight had concluded. It is very interesting that E.S. Godfrey locates where Keogh and Calhoun's led horses were held and discovered; and also his location for Smith's troop. Such definite information, first hand from Gall, exists nowhere else. Thus it is known that the gray horse troop were not at Last Stand Hill and either moved from what is today Battle Ridge towards Deep Ravine from that intermediate position as indicated by Minnieconjou Lazy White Bull to Stanley Vestal in 1930, or vice versa - Deep Ravine towards Calhoun Hill. We know from Cheyenne record, Grinnell, that Company E were at the monument when troops retreatedand thus, Company E most certainly were not ever at Last Stand Hill and the monument they were at or near can only be that to Myles Walter Keogh. That the monument was that erected to contain horse's bones is an argument for horse's heads, since the location of that or those constructions is entirely unknown, despite the inconclusive work by Barnard, Brust and Pohanka in 'Where Custer Fell', which extrapolated the new visions of events, developed since the mis 1950's and work by John Stands in Timber, Peter Powell and Kulhman. Knowledge given to JSIT related to June 25th 1876 and by the time of his visits to the Little Big Horn, he was no wiser to what took place where, which monument was referred to, or in fact which cemetary was referred to, to him, by those who fought decades earlier. In terms of the terrain, John Stands in Timber knew nothing more or less tha the most knowledgable student of today. He was feeling in the dark and was quite open and honest about it, unlike those who have since developed a wunderland of ifs, buts and maybes as god given authoratative fact. Opinionated fact from fiction, exemplified in the gobbledeegook of John Shipley Grey's historical fiction which gave Curley a magiic carpet, in the middle of his quantum physics, to waft the trusty scout a thousand yards further down the coulee. Those burying study of events in time motion analysis are playing ostrich with the tediously intricate and rewarding work that must be applied to the tribal narratives. You cannot see the modern monument area from the mouth of Deep Coulee, therefore to see gray horse troop at the modern monument, a warrior stood on Greasy Grss Ridge or Company E were not at the modern monument and no amount of quantum physical extrapolation will ever resolve that matter. It comes down to simple horse sense and logic - not the intuition which time travellers pass off for God given fact. Prime exampl involve the equation Pi/404 - you either get it or you don't. Exactly the same as Grade B or D+ at college. A reasonant beauty of this battle is those who have and do, study it. People make mistakes as evidenced by G.A. Custer, M.A. Reno and F.W. Benteen. People get confused. People drop the ball. People are partisan. We have a study of fools by fools, pardon the pun. Those who fought Custer had no reason to lie about it, when they chose to disclose events they did so openly with reservation only to their own safety - diplomacy. The way of the Plains was open honesty tinged by reticence. It was in your face. We turn now to sweet charity, who has also been a very naughty young lady and is grounded for three weeks. Never forget that the bugler got killed in the camp and must have, by all reliable accounts, ridden a grey horse. Gun-metal gray probably and possibly speckled. Who exactly, was the 'Speckled Cock, Indian scout, just come. Rode pony many miles. Pony tired. Indian tired. Say Custer shoot himself at end. Say all dead." told of by Katherine Gibson Fougera in her excellent book on 19th Century military life. I had a narrow escape at the battle of the Little Bighorn on the 25 & 26 of June and I will endeavor to give you my experience of Indian fighting. At about 10 A.M. on the 25th June, Gen. Custer's scouts returned and reported that they had discovered an Indian village about 15 miles distant, on the Little Bighorn, and that from what they had seen, they supposed the Indians to be retreating before our advance. We continued our march two or three miles farther (Lt. Gibson puts it at five miles further in his letter of July 4th 1876) when a halt was ordered and Gen. Custer began preparations for attacking the. enemy. He detailed Co's. H, D & K, under the command of Col. F. W. Benteen to take the left of our route, with orders, so I hear, to sweep everything in his way: Co's. M, A, & G were put under the command of Col. Reno; and being temporarily attached to Co. A, I found myself with this division. Gen. Custer took Co's. E, I, F, L & C, and occupied the right of the line of attack. The remaining Company, B, was left to guard the packtrain. After marching two or three miles, our command, the center, was ordered to trot and hold the gait until we reached the river, six or seven miles distant. Having reached the river, we forded, and on reaching the plain beyond the opposite bank, we were ordered into line of battle. ............................ From the New York Herald, July 30, 1876. Dated July 5, '76 Read it and weep - even the grown men.
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