Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-06
kIOTOUS RENO.
ANOTHER COURT MARTIAL ORDERED
TO CONSIDER HIN.

TO CONSIDER HIN.
This Remark able Officer Goes Oh a spre.
at Fort Mead-He Attempts to Enter
Lnd,'s Room-His Movements ThwarteI
and Gen. Sturgis Places Him Under Ar.
rest-Tho Detail of the Court-Some Epi
sodes in Reno's Life.
Gen. Terry issued orders, yesterday, con.
vening general court martial at Fort
Meade, D. r., on the Oath hist. The detail
for the court is as follows:
/. Col. VIM. Fl. Wood. Eleventh U. s. in
fantry.
2. COL John W. Davidson, Second O. s. cav
airy.
g. Col. W. r. Shafter, First U. S. infantry.
4. Licutenant-Colonel Elmer OTIS, Seventh
U. s. cavalry.
5. Lieutenant. Colonel A. J. Alexander, &c.,
ond U. s. cavalry.
6. Lieutenant-C Colonel Edwin +. Townsend,
Eleventh q. S. infantry.
7. Major B. J. d. Irwin, Medical depart
meut.
8. ior Lewis Merrill, Seventh U. 8. cav
airy.
9. Major Joseph 8. Conrad, Eleventh U. s.
in fantry.
Judge Advocate, Capt. VIM. W. Sanders,
Sixth U. 8. infantry.
AS will be seen from the above, the court
is composed of officers high in rank, and
would not be convened for the trial of any
ordinary mortal, encountered with such an
amount Of rank.
1t is ordered for the trial of no less noted
person than Major Marcus A. Reno, of the
Seventh United States cavalry.
TIE CUSTER MASSACRE.
Introductory to the conduct of Major
Reno, which has again invoked the discip-
line of 4 general court martial, it is not amiss
to recall him to the recollection of the pub
lie. he came ccnspiouously before the pub
lie at the time of the memorable massacre of
the lamented Custer aud his gallant COM
mand.
Previous to this historical and appalling
event, Reno, like many other officers of the
army who had waited for dead mems shoes
to attain responsible position, was an un-
known officer among the ranks of such as
serve the government with moro promi-
nence on pay day than at any other time.
Clusters massacre carried with it an account
of Rem g movements during that memorable
day, when 400 or more Of the gallant
Seventh cavalry gave up their lives, the rat
tie of their fire being requiem heard by
Reno's besieged command. At the time the
suspicion became prevalent and was given
existence in words that Clusters death
was attributable to Reno's lack of enthusi-
asm in supporting him, call it by no harder
name. It will be remembered that General
Rosser and others, seconded by the press,
did not hesitate to charge Custer's massacre
upon Reno. Subsequently these charges as
sumed such shape that years after the
sickening event Reno felt called upon to re-
quest court of inquiry. It met in Chicago,
and the result Of the inquiry is of too recent
= date to need repetition to recall it, suffice
to say Reno was exhonorated. But this
'vindication" has never been accepted as
satisfactory to a public grief stricken and
appalled, by the sacrifice of Custer.
Many a:e free to give greater
crsdence to such otticars and scouts as termed
his conduct suspicious, than to those who as
sumed be did tho best he could under the
circumstances as he comprehended them.
LID1D1NoUs CONDUCT.
The chapter above is given to make the
story complete, but to be accurate, Reno in
terrolated another chapter in the foregoing.
With the heavy burden OF the suspicion
that his conduct hadn't been soldierly at the
Custer massacre, Reno returned to Fort Lin
coin to winter. There he sprang into notice
again, and became the property of the pub
lie, by conduct both unsoldierly and ungen-
tlemanly, putting it in the refined parlance of
the military. It is not forgotten, that
Reno stood trial for his conduct at the time.
The court was held in this city, and then it
was shown that he had grossly insulted a
or proposals. Indignantly repulsed, he
added to the one henious offense a system
of petty tyranny against the lady. This
conduct was aggravated by the fact that Maj.
Reno was at the time virtually the lady's
protector. Her husband was absent from
the post, on duty, and Maj. Reno being in
command the duty was incumbent upon him
to have special guard and watch over his
brother officers household, in the
sense Of courteous and gentlemanly
attention. His trust was betrayed,
to outrageously assault and defame the lady
committed to his charge by the customs of
the service and the honor enjoined by the
chivalry of his profession. The offense, for
such it was as proved before the court, of
Major Reno had the attendant circum-
stances of his and his victims position, to
make it more heinous. The intimacy ex-
listing, by the nature of the service, the
issolation to which subjected, between
officers and officers family, make it particu-
larly desirable that none but chivalric gen.
tlemen wear the uniform. Ordinarily this is
SO, but in Reno's case it didn't hold good,
and the court which tried him in st. Paul
10 lin this, sentenced him to dismissal from
the army.
However, President Hayes, from the inner
consciousness of facts possessed or apparent
alone to him, mitigated this sentence to q
suspension from rank and pay for two years.
Reno passed this interval almost forgotten,
except from the dread of his return to his
regiment, save where he came to public view
in the court of inquiry alluded to above.
THE DEVIL MONK WAS HE.
Last spring, or early last summer, Reno's
sentence having expired, he reported for
duty with his regiment at Gen. Terry's head
quarters. Likely in the sense of using every
precauton, Gen. Terry assigned Reno to
duty at Fort Meade, D. T., where be would
be under the immediate control of the
colonel of his regiment, Gen. Samuel D.
Sturgis. Where he would not likely have the
opportunity of assuming responsibility te
batray it.
1t is we'll to believe, in view ~of Reno'l
Il arm nj nondnnk both &C q nnliiar and nan