The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-02-08
RENO VS.. CUSTER.
An Intelligent Review of the Testimony
in the Reno Inquiry.

IN the Reno inquiry.
Chicago Times. Feb. ,.
1t may be that Capt. Whitaker, the
author of the "Life of Gen. G. A. Gus
ter" was engaged only in a shrewd ef-
fort to advertise his book when he
made his charge against Reno. If so.
the public will forgive his efforts at a
speculation in view of the mass of in
formation which has been developed in
the Investigation which has grown
from Wlhttaker's charges. Much that
was unknown has been learned; in 9TH
er, false statements have been correct
ed; and, finally, from out the mass of
evidence-often vague and contradic-
tory II is true-thetruth underlying the
whole matter is being slowly evolved.
1t is scarcely necessary to say that this
truth is of a character that rights the
memory of Custer from the charges of
rashness and bad judgment which have
been so freely circulated since the gal
liant cayalryman's last battle. How
far, in righting his memory, the reputa-
tion OF his brother officers may be i'm
paired is a question now on trial by the
military commission.
The alleged disobedience of orders
charged, against Custer has not as yet
been touched upon n-this examination
except in a remote manner. This
comes from the fact that the scope of
the investigation seems limited to
Reno's share in the catastrophe. AT
the outset of the trial, this journal
earnestly urged that some license be
given the range of examination so that
Custer as wellas Reno should be placed
right before the public. If it could be
shown that there was an order to Gus
ter to discover the Indian camp, and
not to attack until Terry came up, and
that Reno knew the order, then it
would form an essential element in
Reno's defense. 1t is to be hoped that
the commission may allow testimony
in this direction because it will serve to
show how far Mai. Reno carried him
self in harmony with the orders of the
commander of the expedition. 1t
would not involve much additional la
Dor. The orders are in existence, and
can easily be produced. They will con-
tradict most emphatically the popular
statements that-C Custer disobeyed orders,
for the reason that the orders were for
him to find the Indian camp, and
thenceforth be guided by his own iudg-
ment. AS said, the facts in this direc-
tion are important because they may
afford ground for an explanation of
Reno's actions, while they will forever
put to rest the assertion that Custer
made his attack in defiance of orders
from the commander of the expedi-
ton.
One thing has been gone into by the
commission which is of a similar ma
ture-that is, as affecting both Custer
and Reno. The latter, in his report,
states IS one of the reasons of the de-
feat the fact that the command made a
rapid march of two days and one night
before making the attack. This has
been characterized as rashness OH the
part of Custer. Now, the testimony
has been almost unanimous before the
commission that the horses were not
used up when the commandreached the
river. The interpreter, Girard, show
ed this, and SO have others. These
facts completely exonerate Custer from
rashness, which has been one of the
principal charges against him. Anoth-
er has been that he showed bad judg-
ment in dividing his commands; in fact,
Maj. Reno himself, in his official report
of thc occurrence, gives this as one Of
the reasons of the defeat. Here again
the testimony before the commission
clears the memory of Custer from the
charge of bad judgment. His plan wa
that Reno should attack one end of the
Indian village while he struck at its
centre or the other end. The evidence
is clear that the plan worked well rs
far us it was carried out. When Rem,
crossed the river and. commenced NOV
ing down the left bank the Indians be-
came panic-stricken and commenced a
disorderly retreat. A few scores or
perhaps hundreds of them circled about
Reno's line of administers, evidently
for the sole purpose of covering the re-
franf of fha main bn1x- Iyar, -a.l