Happy Custer Day!

[gipper]

Not true. Custer was well liked by most of his fellow officers. I recommend reading T. J. Stiles' book Custer's Trials and Nathan Philbrick's book The Last Stand.



That had nothing to do with it. Reno was just a coward, in addition to being a mediocre officer. Reno's brainless, fatal decision to leave the timber and move to Reno Hill was inexcusable, cost him at least 25% of his troops, and freed the Indians to focus on Custer.

Once Benteen handed Reno Custer's hand-written order on Reno Hill to quickly bring more ammo, he had a solemn duty to execute that order immediately, not stall for nearly an hour while Custer was fighting for his life.

Benteen was the real jerk in the unit, and he harbored a long-standing baseless grudge against Custer. Benteen did not just betray Custer by taking his sweet time bringing the ammo forward, he also betrayed the 200-plus men who were with Custer as well. Benteen should have arrived at Reno Hill at least 20 minutes earlier, but he moved with shameful casualness after getting Custer's order.


"Other units"? The only units at the battle were part of the 7th Cavalry Regiment. The troops under Benteen and under Reno were part of the 7th Cavalry; they all belonged to Custer's regiment. When the 7th neared the area, Custer split his regiment into three sections; he gave Reno command of one battalion (three companies) and Benteen command of another battalion.

Much of your post conflicts with historical accounts. This one in particular.
Benteen: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

If Benteen was so incompetent, why was there no court-martial?

By other units, I was referring to Benteen and Reno.

 

[Mushroom]

Once Benteen handed Reno Custer's hand-written order on Reno Hill to quickly bring more ammo, he had a solemn duty to execute that order immediately, not stall for nearly an hour while Custer was fighting for his life.

Only one problem, the pack mules with the ammo that was needed had not arrived yet.

Yes, the orders specifically were to come to assist, and to "bring the packs", in other words the pack mules with all of the extra ammo. It was not to come immediately, it was to come immediately with ammo. And in case you are not aware, pack mules travel significantly slower than cavalry troops do. The pack train with the ammo was still over three miles away from Benteen, who was himself another three to four miles from the scene of battle. And by the time the pack trains finally arrived, it was already over.

By the time the ammo train was near, the first scout reports had returned and reported the battle was essentially over and the Indians were heading their way "thick as grasshoppers in a harvest field".

So the only person to blame here was LtCol Custer himself, for orders that mandated that they only join him with the ammunition. Not that even that would have mattered, it only would have gotten more people killed.

 

[mikegriffith1]

Much of your post conflicts with historical accounts. This one in particular.
Benteen: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

If Benteen was so incompetent, why was there no court-martial?

By other units, I was referring to Benteen and Reno.

Let me save you some time: The overwhelming majority of historians who have studied the Battle of the Little Big Horn have concluded that Reno and Benteen, whether intentionally or not, sabotaged Custer by failing to follow clear orders. Pick any modern book on the battle and you'll find that it reaches this conclusion.

Why was there no court martial??? You're kidding, right??? Because Custer was a well-known conservative Democrat and the Army was dominated by Republicans at the time. Ulysses S. Grant, though he was honorable in many cases, shamefully blamed Custer for the massacre before he even knew what had happened.

There was eventually a court of inquiry into Reno's conduct at the Little Big Horn, in 1879, but it was mostly a whitewash, even though the court recorder made it clear that he believed Reno's conduct had been feckless and blundering, if not cowardly.

However, Reno had already been disgraced and dismissed from the Army for immoral conduct in 1877. Yet, Republican President Rutherford Hayes reduced his dismissal to just two years. That should give you some idea of the politics that were in play at the time.

 

[Mushroom]

failing to follow clear orders.

The orders were clear. Come join the battle with all the ammo.

The ammo were on mules, and behind the forces. They had to wait for the mules to arrive, as his orders specifically mandated they come with all the ammo.

 

[flewism]

I live 20 miles from where Custer was born. There is still an 8ft high bronze statue of him drawing his sword on a 5 ft marble pedestal in the town's central park. I'm surprised it hasn't been vandalized or pulled down. My reading on him describes him as an arrogant prick. They have an Ampitheater in that same park with live music on the weekend. I attend those events regularly.

 

[Lastamender]

Was it? Seems to me your quest to eliminate us failed on a grand scale.

View attachment 967181