The New York herald., 1877-11-19
IHE ROSEBUD BAITLl.
What Major Reno Says Of Sitting
Bulls Statement.
INTERESTING DETAILS OF THE FIGHT.
The Relations Which Existed Between
the Two Officers
WASHINGTON, Nov. II, 1877.

WASHINGTON, Nov II, 1871
Major Reno, who is visiting Washington was
waited upon BY the HERALD correspondent concerning
the implied charges made against him IN the account
OF the Rosebud fight given by Sitting Bull. he was
not disposed to discuss the subject at length He
says he sees no Tor reopcning the question o
the Little Big Horn, improperly called the Rosebud
battle: that the question Is we'll understood By the
officers OF the army who were engaged 10 It, and oy
their superors undcr whose supervision their reports
passed.
He attaches very little importance to the statement
Of Sitting Bull to HERALD correspondent published
in Thursdays paper. especially to that part Of It In
when tho Chel says that tho long haired chief whom
he supposed MAJOR Reno 10 bel after crossing the Little
BIZ Horn became frightened ~ camp Of old mon,
squaws and pappooses and retrcaed to the north side
the creek.
He SAYS briefly that morning Of tho battle no
separated from Custer with detachment OF three
companies and party OF scouts, and with no further
orders from hin than to attack the village In the
woods on tho south side OF tho Littlc Big Horn.
moved OF on q trot and did as he told being
assured that Custer would support him. Captain
Benteen also ordered out with another
skirmishing party OF about ono hundred men.
This in the forenoon. about ten O'Clock. He at
lacked the village and fought tho Indians about an
rscrossed a short distance below his nrst iording
place Having crossed he took o position on an
adjacent bluf, the Indians following ana keep
ing mp o continuous fusilade. Hero he
jo,ned by Captain Benteen, who bad followed
In his trail a. far rs tho creek, but as
he says In his ocis report seeing upon the opposite
side TOO many Sioux to encounter with sacty, he
cludcd not 10 cross When Benteen arrived NJ the
creek MAJOR Reno retreAting, aud the two made
junction the intronchmcni indicated on the HERALD
map which accompanies Sitting Bulls story. In this
intrenchment MAJOR Reno as senior officer commanding
both de,schments fought the Indians losing about
hundred In ALL and held his ground until relieved
by General Crook.
cusrxR's OPERATIONS
He says that Custer had any moro definite plan Of
operations than ont his detachment and
over lower down to support the attack he not
aware OF it. He pronounces as unquanedy absurd
tho story that he was to have made junction At any
particular point Ho believes, however, that Custer
intended fully to cross tho creek and como 10 his
resuc and that he was only prevented from
doing SO by a mistake in tho topography OF
tho country. He has reason TO think that
while hc was lighting the Indians IN their village at
the time Of the original attack Custer heard the firing
and tried to nnd way down tho steep ridge that ne
struck and effect ford,ng. THIS, however. Custer
miles below the rendezvous Of Reno and Bentesn.
Subsequent examination led Major Reno to be-
Iieve this to be the course pursued by
Custer; but why Custer should have gone
down the crock after finding his crossing checked
when finally made the creek, instead Of returning
In the direction of the remainder OF his command
question that Reno Ia unable TO Determine. His
hypothesis Is that he ished to make tor tho mouth
Of the creek few miles, whore . asaxiboat with
be-; but that he encountered moro Indians, was
overpowersd. and lost his life and those OF the
265 men In his force
QUESTION rIxl
Msjor Reno says also that Custer and all Of bis
probably dead when he Joined forces with Cap
tain Benteen north bank OF the creek. He does
mot consider himself any responsible Tor the kill
Ing ei Custer and mis- men than a in Now York
would have been. On the othcr hand, ne thinks that
take Of General Custer placed tho attacking detach-
mcnt In serious and to some extent unnecessary
Jeopardy. Ho is grevcd that certain papers should
charge hin with cnmity toward bravo
and gallant Z man as Custer. They were personal
friends, he says, and were upon the best OF terms,
having been in the Military Academy at West Point
together and known each other for many years
Major Rcno has very little 6dcnce In the truthful
Of Sitting Bull any other Indian and wants
regard to the Little Big Horn fight than the official
ports OF Generals Sherman, Crook and Terry ana tho
statements Of the survivors OF the battle