Based on the responses, particularly the one from Montrose, apparently there have been an immense number of shell & bullet archaeology finds in the Reno valley skirmish & timber areas, though virtually all is undocumented. Has there been ANY well documented searches in that area that anyone knows of? It’s too bad that we don’t have a well constructed archaeological shell & bullet findings map similar to what has been done on the other side of the river.
The “immense number” of bullet & shell casing finds in the valley that Montrose stated previously appears to be based on hearsay. Perhaps we could call it fairly reliable hearsay. But regardless, an “immense number” is completely ambiguous. What were the numbers? Were most of those finds cavalry shell casings? How many casings compared to Luce/NC areas? How many were Indian bullets? Where were they located?
There is no hearsay about it. Archaeologist Doug Scott attests to it and much of the findings included those by the late Glen Swanson. "Immense" is a relative term, so I would not get too carried away with that word. "Quite a few" is a better descriptive I think: a few hundred may be what was found.
Jason Pitsch found eleven .45-55 cartridge cases in fields west of the Garryowen post office. The cases were found in a linear pattern, roughly angled northwest to southeast. Doug Scott: “Logic dictates that the attack lines [in the valley fight] would be angled to meet the enemy.” Supporting this thesis is the finding “of .44-caliber Henry, .50-caliber Spencer, and .50-70-caliber cartridge cases on a bench to the west of the line.” About twenty-five of them were found there and they indicate firing positions occupied by warriors. In addition, “Pitsch recovered seven cartridge cases on a terrace above the Hunkpapa village site. These cases were intermixed with seven .44 Henry cases, five .50-70 cases, a Spencer case, and a round ball…. The .45-55 cases may represent soldiers or Arikara army scouts gaining the ground and firing into the village, as is reported by Libby…. [T]he cases were not aligned, and all were clustered on the terrace.”
Dozens more were discovered by Pitsch along the brow area in what is traditionally thought of as Reno’s skirmish line in the timber area. All these discoveries are properly shown on the Bonafede map.
Through an analysis of the letters Superintendent Edward S. Luce wrote describing the artifacts he and others found, Bruce Trinque concluded that Richard Fox’ “West Ridge” is the real Luce Ridge and it is this area—north to Nye-Cartwright—that the troops traversed. More than 100 cases were found by Luce, generally three to four yards apart, indicating dismounted skirmishers. As the trail of cases continued, the spacing changed to about nine yards indicating mounted skirmishing.
Jerome Greene claimed 214 empty carbine cases were found on or near Nye-Cartwright Ridge.
Richard Hardorff wrote, “… Dr. James S. Brust rediscovered Butler’s kill site, which was originally identified by Gen. Godfrey in 1916, and which location is some 125 yards southwest of the present site of the Butler marker. In years past, Godfrey’s Butler site yielded a horse skeleton, several expended cartridges, a horseshoe and a shank portion of a boot, containing a decomposed foot. The rotted leather revealed some faded initials, thought to read ‘JD,’ but which may well have been the letters ‘JB’.”
(A) Along the front side of Butler Ridge which faces the LBH, were found: [Fox says this is where Custer himself and Yates watched the action at Ford B.]
• Ten .45/55-caliber bullets
• Four .45/55 cases
• Two unfired .45/55 cartridges
• Two Colt .45 bullets
• One .50/70 cartridge
• Three .44 Henry cases
• Three .50 Spencer cases
• Four brass cavalry insignia
• One arrowhead
• Two half horseshoes
• One metal ring
• Brass grommets
• Iron snaps
• One Winchester rifle
(B) In the north fork of MTC, below and along the south and southeast face of Luce Ridge—traditional Luce Ridge is East Ridge—roughly parallel to East Ridge:
• Four .45/55 cases
• Three .50/70 cases
• Fourteen .45/55 cases, plus an additional undetermined number
• At least three horse skeletons, plus additional horse bones
• At least three human skeletons, plus additional human bones
• A saddle and bridle, saddle leather and pommel rings, and horseshoes
• Much of this was probably from the battle with the southern half of Wolf Tooth’s band.
(C) In the lower ground, north and northwest of Butler Ridge, east of Deep Coulee:
• Two .45/55 cartridges
• A horseshoe, harness buckle, and straps
• A leather boot
• A leather scabbard
• An arrowhead
• Two human skeletons
• Numerous horse bones
(D) On the southern slope of Nye-Cartwright Ridge, directly behind the river face of Butler Ridge:
• Four .45/55 cases
• Four .45/55 cartridges
• Six .56 Spencer cases
• Twenty-four .50/70 cases
• Fifteen .44 Henry cases
• Nine .44 Henry cartridges
• An Indian bridle
(E) All along the Nye-Cartwright/Luce Ridge complex. This is now behind all of the previous (Letters), including (B):
• Upwards of 480 .45/55 cases and cartridges
• Several .50/70 cases
• An undetermined number of additional shells
• Saddle and tack parts
• Uniform buttons and buckles
(F) Behind Nye-Cartwright along a dry ravine of South Branch:
• Three .44 Henry cases
• This was probably from the skirmish with the northern half of Wolf Tooth’s band.
(G) Below the western edge of Nye-Cartwright, in what appear to be a series of gullies or ravines leading to, but before, Deep Coulee:
• Three human and three horse skeletons
• Various bridle and saddle parts
(H) Northern part of Deep Coulee on its west side, toward Calhoun Hill and the Henryville area:
• Human bones and two horse skeletons
• Eight .45/55 cases
• Two .50/70 cases
• Two .50- and one .56-caliber Spencer cases
• One .32 rimfire case
• Two .44 Henry cases
• One Winchester rifle
Best wishes,
Fred.