Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-10
THE RENO INQUIRY.

| I1E hENO lNQClhl.
| Detailed Finding of the Court.
The following is the report of the Reno
court of inquiry:
The court of inquiry, assembled by special
order No. 255, dated headquarters of the
army, Washington, Nov. 25, 1878, reports,
in obedience to that order, the following
facts involving the conduct of Maj. Marcus
A. Reno, Seventh cavalry, in regard to the
battle of the Little Big Horn, fought June
25th and Goth, 1876:
l. On the morning of the 25th of June,
1876, the Seventh cavalry, Lieut.. Col. G. A.
| Custer, commanding. operating against the
hostile Indians in Montana territory, near
the Little Big Horn river, was divided into
four battalions, two of which were COM
manded by Col. Custer in person, with the
exception Of one company in charge of the
pack train; one by Maj. Reno and one by
Capt. F. w. Benteen. This division took
place from about twelve to fifteen miles from
the scene of battle afterwards fought. The
column under Capt. Benteen received orders
to move to the left for an indefinite distance
Ito the first and second valleys) hunting
Indians, with orders to charge any it might
meet with. The battalion under Mai. Reno
received orders to draw out of the column,
and, doing SO, marched parallel to, and only
short distance from, the column COM
manded by Col. Custer.
2. About three or four miles from what
afterward was found to be the Little Big
Horn river, where the fighting took place,
Maj. Reno received orders to move forward
as rapidly as he thought prudent until, COM
ing up with the Indians, who were reported
fleeing, he would charge them and move
everything before him, and would receive
the support of the column under Col. Custer.
3. In obedience to the orders given by
Col. Custer Capt. Benteen marched to the
left (south) at an angle of about forty-fv
degrees, but meeting an impractioable coun-
try, was forced by it to march more to his
right than the angle above indicated, and
nearer approaching parallel route to the
trail followed by the rest of the command.
3. Maj. Reno. in obedience to the orders
given him, moved on at fast trot on the
main Indian trail until reaching the Little
Big Horn river, which he forded and halted
for few minutes to reform his battalion.
After reforming he marched the battalion
forward toward the Indian village, down
stream, or in northerly direction, two COM
panies in line of battle and one in support,
until about half way to the point where he
finally halted, when he brought the company
in reserve forward to the line of battle,
continuing the movement at fast
| trot Or gallop until after passing
over a distance of about two miles,
when he halted and diemounted to fight
on foot at point of timber upon which the
right flank Of his battalion rested. After
fighting in this formation less than half an
| hour, the Indians passing to his left rear and
| appearing in his front, the skirmish line was
| withdrawn to the timber and the fight con-
tinued for a short time-half an hour or for
ty-fve minutes in all-when the command,
| OF nearly all of it, was mounted, formed and
at rapid gait was withdrawn to the opposite
side of the river. In this movement one of
fcer and about sixteen soldiers and citizens
were left in the woods, besides one wounded
man or more, two citizens and thirteen SOL
diers rejoining the command afterward. In
this retreat Major Reno's battalion lost some
twenty-nine men in killed and wounded,
and three officers, including DR.. De Wolf,
killed.
5. In the meantime Capt. Benteen hay
ing carried out, as far as was practicable, the
spirit of his orders, turned in the direction
of the route taken by the remainder of the
regimentsan reaching the trail followed it
to near the crossing of the Little Big Horn,
arriving there about the same time that
Reno's command was crossing the river in
retreat lower down, and finally joined his
battalion with that of Reno on the hill.
Forty minutes or an hour later the pack-trai
which had been left behind on the trail by
the rapid movements of the command and
| the delays incident to its march joined the
| united command, which consisted of seven
companies, together with about thirty or thir-
ty-tive men belonging to the companies un-
der Col. Custer.
6. After detaching Benteen's and Renos
columns Col. Custer moved with his imme-
date command in the trail followed by Reno
to point within one mile of the river,
where he diverged to the right, or south
ward, following the general direction of the
river to point about four miles below that
afterward taken by Maj. Reno, where he and
his command were destroyed by the hostiles.
The last living witness of this march, Trum-
peter Martin, left Col. Custer's command
when it was about two miles distant from
the field where it afterward met it's fate
There is nothing more in evidence as TO this
command save that firing was heard pro-
ceeding from its direction from about the
time that Reno retreated from the bottom
up to the time the pack train was approach.
ing the position on the hill. All firing which
indicated fighting was concluded before the
final preparations in Maj. Reno's command
for the movement which was afterward at
tempted.
Z. After the distribution of ammunition
and proper provision for the wounded men
Maj. Beno's entire command moved dow
the river in the direction it was though
Clusters column had taken, and in which i
was known Gen. Terry's command was tx
be found. This movement was carried sufi
GENTLY far to discover that its continuance
would imperil the entire command, upo1
which it returned to the position formerl,
occupied, and made successful resistanc
till succor reached it. The defense of tn
position on the hill was heroic one agains
fearful odds. The conduct of the officer
throughout was excellent, and while subor
j dinates in some instances did more for tn
kpsafety of the command by brilliant display
of courage than Maj. Reno, there was moth
ing in his conduct which required animal
version from this court.
Opinion-It is the conclusion of the cour
in view of all the facts in evidence, that h
further proceedings are necessary in the cas-