The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-14
Was the Gallant White Chief Aban-
doned by His SubOrdinateS
RENO'S STRANGE lNACTlON.
What Herald Correspondent Leaned
from the Seventh Cavalry.
THE LONG DELAYED INVESTIGATION.


The following despatch received by the HERALD
from its correspondent with General Terrys forces
in the Sioux campaign OF 1876, and contains the main
facts OH which the investigation into the conduct of
Major Reno at the battle OF the Little Big Horn is
based The correspondent standardization we re-
publish for the information of the court-werc based
on confidential communications made to him during
the campaign by officers and men who had been pres
ent in the fight. These charges made against Major
Reno by his brother officers first brought to pub
lie notice by the HERALD, accompanied by demand
for official investigation, which should either re-
leve Major Reno from charges which must affect his
character as soldier bring him due punishment
il found guilty. Action has at last been taken in this
serious natter but, unfortunately. not before the
most important witness-the man who saw with his
own eyes the sad of the Custer massacre
had passed from this world forever Had the govern
ment acted promptly on the HERALD's full and i'm
partial statement of the charges made against Major
Reno the evidence of the gallant Colonel Weir would
have settled the question of responsibility
in the terrible drama enacted the Little Big Horn:
Fonr LINCOLN, d. T.,
Via BISMARCK, Sept. 20, 1876
Now that the Sioux campaign is over no time should
be lost in clearing the causes which led to the
Custer disaster which will ever be remembered in our
history. No confidence can be placed in the official
report the battle of the 18th of june 1t is full OF
inaccuracies and has been read with something APP
proachng astonishment by the who took
tS as' Whole se truth about the custer
there must be Il full and searching investigation,
where the witnesses wiz navs 10 answer
lions may be looked for The story OF custer nght
anu death is still unwrittcn. Your correspondent has
cleaned important facts which must compel
further investigation but the officers of the regiment
will give information unless they are compelled
to do so From the dag tie HERALD correspondent
arrived III the camp OF the Seventh cavalry he sedu
lousy sought such information as would enable him
in manner that should leave no room for cavil or
evasion the responsibility Of the disaster that beset
arms on the 25th of June. The task was not an
easy 1t besct with difficulties that could not
be met and overcome in the ordinary way.
REIIcENcE OFFICERS AND WHY.
Men there who could tell the whole truth but
they were soldiers; IL their duty to be silent;
they obliged to speak the official language: they
were loyal to their regimcnt there secret and
they felt themselves bound in honor to be silent. 1t
was their interest Was it not known that the men
who had in life been the of the dead Custer
were than his enemies now that he was
dead? How. then could u mere subaltern dare to ex-
press opinion He must speak official Language
or he must prepare to be "jumped" that u.s. pounced
upon ut some unwary moment and treated with the
full rgor military law. driven from his profession
and made q besSar upon the world AFTER years OK
merItorious service.
What wonder that men who know the whole
truth refused to speak their own thoughts and
merely echoed the official language
But little by little the truth came ont; words
spoken ut unguarded moments and dropped in the
heat Of argument simple questions answered by
officers and men. and the whole joined together and
connected has produced the conviction that
pathy-a failure on the part of men TO do their
duty, lukcwarmness in supporting General Gus
ter-that might be called by an ugly name.
LET US HAVE INVESTIGATION.
The whole trnth Of the Custer massacre will never
be known unless the American public demand full
and searching investigation, when every man who
in the fight the 10Th of June at the Little Big
Horn will be compelled to tell what he knows. There
is buried with the dead terrible secret, but wit
nesses still live and the government can learn the
whole truth if the government wants to know it.
Then be settled forever the question whether the
massacre Of the Little Big Horn must be charged to
rsshness of the dead prudence of the living
The Issue is q fair one ana must not be evaded.
Either Custer or the men who survived him must be
made responsible for the lives lost the Little Big
Horn and while the witnesses are alive. is the
time to settle the question forever.
cusrEas ATTACK JUSTIFIED.
That Custer was justified IN making the attack on
the village vii! hardly be questioned by any officer
who has had any experience OF Indian
fighting. On that point the opinion Of Off
Even to-day they believe that had the GOO men
who rode after Clusters flag come into contact, as
body with the Indians. success would not have been
doubtful for a moment. The question. therefore.
hinges the disposition of the troops in the actual
fight. and this naturally involves the consideration
subordinate officers and what amount OF cooperation
he received at their hands.
THERE cowARpicE?
There is the story OF the tight in the bottom.
about which various versions are given, even
those wna nappsnead n DC essngea n IN
light the actions Of prominent actors, and
bring out in bold relief names that have scarcely
been mentioned in connection with the fight the
rout one may choose to view it. According to the
official report the three companies in the bottom
under Major Reno were overwhelmed by mass of
Indians and compelled to take to the woods A
prominent actor in the fight assured me that when
the skirnish line retired the woods there
nifty Indians actually engaged with Reno's command.
1t s extremely doubtful whether more than one
man had been struck by hostile bullet when the
skirmish line retired to the woods.
Nearly all the killed while getting their
horses or on the way to the ford. There great
slgals. will fl.sf
thing like a stampede. with Reno at the head. Opn-
ions are divided also, TO whether the position ut
the point OF woods In the bottom tenable moi.
One cool headed assured me that nifty men could
have held IL against 500 Indians.
INDIANS IN RENo's FRONT.
The mass of Indians who moved into the bottom
took no part In the fight against Reno's command.
As they moved out from their village they caught
sight of Custer the bluffs and turned of TO meet
him aud prevent him falling their and
children. The story that they first overwhelmed
Reno and then turned TO Custer Is pronounced fc-
ton. Some Of Renos command fought with great
bravery. especially captain French who the last
man 20 ~ the ford in the retreat. He remained
behind hrs company. and at times was completely
surrounded by Indians. Major Reno led the to
the buns AZ he tells us in his official report but
herc II is called charge. though there Ind
ans between the bluffs and the retreatng cavalry
charge. When the retreat began from the skirrnish
line only one man is known to have been wounded
NUMBER or THE EanwY ENGAGED.
The number of Indians actually engaged with the
troops at this point did not exceed sixty. All the
Incn who killed in thus command fell while get
ting their horses and while they were retrcating
across the FORD 10 the blufs. except the wounded
man. who wa abandoned in the retreat. The hand
ling of the troops this occasion has been very
severely criticised. ON entering the bottom they
were first deployed as skirmshers and then mounted
and dismounted several times within minutes
without any apparent cause The soldiers were
withdrawn from the skirmish line after they had
ircd afew shots a the Indians. who were long way
on. AMI there defence OF the woods worthy of
the name.
THE RETREAT STAMPEDE.
All this coDsprtd to dcmoraze the troops. and the
manner in which the retreat conducted caused it
TO degenerate into stampede There Is strong i'm
preston that had tougher fight bern made in the
bottom the Indians could not have overwhelmed Gus
ter with their whole force. IL must be kept well in
mind that the whole Indian force Withdrew and con-
ccntrated to attack Custer a. Reno had re-
treated TO the bluffs The statement that the Indians
remained In front of Rcno's position firing dropping
shots is absol ,tey contradcted by officers who were
present.
The Indians left Reno severely alone on his hill.
and for an hour heavy firing was distinctly audible
In the direction Custer had taken.