The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-16
THE RENO INVESTIGATION.
LIEUTENANT VILLAGES TEsTiMoSY-THE STORY
OF THE RENO RETREAT nEToLD-wHEEE Gus
TEE WAS AT THAT TTME-THREE THOUSAND
INDIANS IN FRONT OF RENO



CHICAGO. Jan. Is. 1872
The third days session Of the military court before
which Major Reno is arraigncd was held at the Pal
mer House yesterday. The experiences of the two
preceding days bore fruit in the selection of new
and larger room wherein to hold the Court. This
obvatcd tho necessity of JAM During greater
part OF the day General Sheridan occupied seat to
the left of the judges and paid careful attention to
the progress of the testimony. There were number
of old soldiers and eN-army officers in attendance, and
among the notable persons the Rev. Dr.. Edwards,
who had accompanied Reno in his campaign during
the civil chaplain of his command. This gen
tlcman, in q conversation With the HERALD GORE
sponcnt rdculed the charge preferred against Major
Reno. insisting that his acts of the opposite
extreme rather than minimum of bravery.
At eleven O'Clock Colonel King convened the Court,
but Major Reno was not promptly ill attendance.
When this fact suggested to the Judge he said, mo
matter he knows the hour for meeting and it is his
business to be present. In few moments Reno
stepped in with the excuse a was just outside the
door if it please the Court" you should have
been inside, replied the Colonel Major Reno
smiled sat down and the proceedings began.
The evidence OF the previous day was read by the
stenographer and some corrections made.
TESTIMONY OF LIEUTENANT WALLACE.
The Recorder called the second witness, George ID.
Wallace, who stated that he was second lieutenant of
G company Seventh cavalry, under Reno s command,
now FIRST lieutenant commanding Ills testimony
was quite explicit throughout and presented nearly
consecutive narrative of facts. so fur as they
Major Reno. who second i'll command i'll the
campaign. In reference to the division of the troops
the day of the beginning OF the battle the witness
said that three companies placed under the
command OF Major Reno, three under Colonel Ben
teen and five were directed by General CUSTER Major
Reno's force numbered from hundred and ten to
one hundred and thirteen men, Benteen's
larger; Custer had many as 225 men; Colonel Ben
<alv
ard where Indians supposed to be encamped;
General Custer and Major Reno, the the right
bank OF the stream and the other on the left moved
down toward the Indian village nearly parallel to
each other The witness testified that he overheard
the order given by General Custer to Major Reno.
| 1t was, Charge the Indians wherever they
| found, and will support you" The wit
| ness was not certain whether the word 'we was
used not, but that his impression; this order
| witness believed, promulgated to the troops
| commanded by Major Reno; witness said that he
accompanied Major Reno's division; it was about
twelve o'clock when they separated from General
Little Big Horn, reformed into line. and continued
sa Stream on Ia e ss but bs
tween onc-half of mile and mile from
its bank Indians were constantly in sight but there
shots fired back and forth till they had gone
a couple of miles or so; when the redskins began to
fire upon them they dismounted and formed skir-
mish line of the officers composing that line
| the witness stated that he saw quite distance
| in front of them an Indian village extend
| ing some three miles in length and about
first notice that the witness had that there was viii
lago near them. As to the condition OF Major Renos
force Lieutenant Wallace then went to state that
they had been making long marches with little sleep,
and in fact up nearly all the previous night,
| both the men and horses being worn out COM
pletely: after crossing the ford Major Reno sent
his Indian scouts--of which he had twenty -two-on
in advance; these were followed by. eompa-
| MES and NJ. the third company following
| in the rear the Indians were apparently running
| away from them till the skirmsh line was formed.
when they advanced upon the United States troops
fighting after the regular Indian fashion, at first the
| men were driven back into some woods but when
the Indians began closing upon their rear they were
forced where they made their stand for
| the remainder of that and the folloying day. The
witness had related the greater part of his story in
ANSWERING THE RECORDER.
The Recorder then asked him questions to bring
out more fully details OF the occurrences. No In
| ing the stream. In the path they followed to where
the skirmish line formed there were obstacles
| as it was about two O'Clock in the afternoon
when the skrmish line was formed. The Recorder
| then asked question for the purpose of showing
whether Major Reno had dsobeyed orders 1t was in
| effect whether Major Reno had given his men any
orders 10 charge the Indians The answer was that
such order given in the opinion of the witness
| they had proceeded i'll a galop after crossing the
stream and that the only thing that could be
I tcrpreted such order mt the point where they
engaged the Indians the redskins could DC seen COM
| ing up out of ravine IN numbers the witness
| believed that they from two hundred to three
| hundred, which force continued to increase as long
az the fight lasted 1t Lieutenant Wallaces belief
that the Indians had known the position force and
I intention of General Clusters command ever since
noon on the I'd OF June for ut that time the
| OF both the whites and redskins disco ercd
| each other; they were then ut Mount Rosebud; wit
said Ienos engagement with the Indians lasted
about threcquartcrs OF an hour: his used up all
! tleir ammunition; he saw two wounded and enc
killed. Reno retrea.ed across the river because he
was surrounded by Indians ho made charge and
| went right through them that the only way he
could get OUT tho Indians scattered all over the
I ground like trees in an apple orchard; when they
| saw q soldier without revolver they would ride
close up to him, within ten feet OF witness
word was passed that they going to charge. aud
the retreat began there was nothing said to where
| they were to retreat to; they about fifteen
4 minutes in the retreat; it Was half mile from
where the retreat began to the river 18th, the
] deep to horse; the bank where they
entered was two three feet high that where they
left the stream considerably higher; they three
10 i've minutes in crossing and went about quarter
of mile from the river to the HILL this the only
the river to which they could have retreated;
as witness could tell. when Reno engaged the Indians
| Custer was TO the rear and right.
| LIMIT oy INQUIRY
| On the 2stl two days after the fight. they moved
| forward and found clusters horses and men lying
his uoint Mr. Gilbert counsel for Major Reno de-
4 sired the Court to ruo as TO whether the inquiry
would only the Majors conduct in tho limited
| timo and space occupied by his engagement. or
whether IL would include the entire incidents OF the
battle as well what occurred before and after H. He
said Major Reno only asked that his own action be
I investigated The court then cleared for q
short time. and after the opening Of the doors the
| decision announced which, IN erect, was that
ALI the events of the campaign relative or remote
10 Major Reno should be allowed expression In testi-
! ,uony or drawn out in intcrroratorics.
! Witness then proceeded. saying that about ten
] minutes after MajoA Reno reached the hill Colonel
I,ontcen arrived with about hundred and twenty
1 men: in about an hour Captain McDougal came with
| the mack train and about ono hundred and forty
men: there some efforts on the part OF Captain
Wjer aud witness 81 different times 70 move forward.
but they were afraid to venture, the Indians sppear
inc in great numbers no Judged there were 900 to
$500 occupying the hills and ravncs in front and T.,
the right OF them tho night of the 18th the men
tnndor Major Reno in fair condition. but they
\ had sey,rsl wounded and were tired and hungry.
A number OF other questions were put and an
sveed but nothing Of material Importance elected.
The Recorder then need that he had no further
| questions to AJAX the witness and inquired OF Mr..
t,ilbcrt IL he would begin tho cross-exannation or
/ postpone it until tho morning. IL WAS agreed to
begin the crossexaminAton tomorrow and the