, 1879-02-06
MAI. RENO.
..o.hef Packer Testifies He Was
h'' Drunk.
r., customary for Officers to
" Carry a Flask.
uast Capt. Mathey Saw Of Reno on
"' Those Two Days.
Oh, Nal, Reno I'odgcd the 1ndfans'
"'' Bullets.

DNs1ElH$
a., ssro investigation was rcsomco a. .he
ipe N t,.usc IT hstt.past ~ ocluck yesterday
P'ln.. .a heipe the twentieth day atnce ia
Commencement -
...,1s,cnInr II so much Of h's evidence -
a"s' .;1or m the day before, continued testi-
w. 49, md, In answer to questions oy INC he'
sus IVY, ,,atcd that he did not remember l'aVlnG
eo's Wo,. Reno ut all On the afternoon ot the
S &C. .t,cr i,c had joined the Major'a command On
~ ss iii He related the circumstances o. tao
~. "..ano Of the positions Of the several COM
eas ~,.. Wltpyss was In Company; Com
p.nf p.nv fell back anl Company iesl IN ana
tn.d III the gap caused tl'rfnhy' ne "a" sss.
49,, c,ns, md remarked TO Capt. weir t''at "o
.so,yht they ought to bo c'osct1 up. eapt.
ws, reutied tl,s thfe was so, hut t''at nc !.ad
s,h nd oclers from Nal. Reno IN 10 no. wit
n ns.. to1,l hin lint he thought II Can't "e'f
aI1cd 10 the gaps without ordess n"l aitefSaf.
sdrised Maj Rcno about IT, " "ou'a % ~
r,aLt, The gaps were finally eloseu W ny osaeF
sI Ma}. Reuo. A..
a,.h n, tte eth, Or at auy time during the e''-
e,eement, OF before, or alter, nc nnser7eo On
,le n,tt Of Nal. Reno ans act Of t'nu't1 or hesl-
t.,lou In bis giving hEs orders OF III eomniasaa'
tpe The troops. .,
,h,t Gu the morning of the Nth Caft. benteen
..no w.. oy,r and told Nal. Reno that tho Indians
xoald hare to bo driven away from his front of
.one means, anil asked II d charge might not be
m.,e, Iic repeated his request several Times.
a1 .a." snolIy obtained permission to make tic
.h.,gr. 1T the time the charge was made tho
bn1ir,s were coming pretty fatt, and Mal. Reno
gne S, ri, md raid 10 laughing manner. "I'! be
SoG SoiiIi Il want 10 be killed BY M Indian: Eye
t41n through too many dglt1 for that" lie
- "not uasticularly Impressed with any OF tic
nusIGcatIoaa Of Mat. Reno on the 18th,
Lieut. Lee wanted to know II on tue next gay
nhr hi Nal. Keno appeared to be exercising
Ss lutles as commanding officer in manner
t.IcnIatc1 In his mind, to inspire hfs cotnrlnnl
rith confidence. Witness replied that fle was
moi impressed witt, tint idea at tllat time tapt.
ai commanding officer a. that time, aL!d WAS
s,inr ali tho orders that were given. He did
,ot think that Reno had tho entire confidence of
III jbt officers. 1t was nsunl for company OF
6trs to express different opinions 10 regard 10
iln plan Ut action tu 40 engagement, aud
iii diversity did not dctract necessarily from
fhe qualifications OF commanding officer. Wit
ness admitted that the reason Capt. bentecn
ordered tho troops to charge was he was where
hs rould see the ln.lans, md Reno was where
be- could not; also that lleno went with the
IN innns On thr charge, and That was one act
xhicb be saw Reno perform. He said that, In
Iii mind, commanding officer In hcsltatlnR IN
rrcpYi1,K a suggestion from the ofl}cor next fl,
se command Indicated no fear NECESSARILY, but.
rather uctiberaton and prudence. 1t appeared
10 be tbc general impression afnonE the men
,hat Cutter Ind rot into somc tight placc where
be could rot get to them, and that he had
auaniuued them.
Gen, Merritt asked witness II. when he moved
down 10 tho point occupied by EHpt. Weir, he
tould SEQ from there an5thing In the direction
oiCu.trr's battlefield. Witness replied that
be could not.
VAS called as Witness. Iic stated that he was
proprietor OF the Commercial Hotel In st. Paul,
sli,p. liz was with Custcr's command In June,
1siB, In bis march from Fort Lincoln to the
Little BLK Horn, As = citlIsn packer. His duties
ptck item. liz lid not sec Mai. lseno gu the
18th, but he saw several other officers,
who eneouraccd them to keep their spirits
up. Wttuess' horse had been shot.
laea4lworks On tbs Iiae, md lust a. ho was
passing pack hc SAW an oilIcer, whom hc
recognized ~ Ma1. Reno. lie snlutcd him nnl
su4.1" Uood evcdtnz.n Mai Acno asked him,
u be thought, Arc the mules Tight"
mani sn's9t :, .ti tfg''ea the Witness vh't do you
"Ttgn., I'D d-u you,' said MAJ. Reno, and
then b. slupped HIN IN the face. A he struck
him, witness lodged back: Reno hail bottle Uf
whisky Ln his hand. u1d ~ he struck witness the
lquus hcw over him, and Rcno staggered. Wit
brss went 10 strike htm back, 4ntl Churchill, tic
sftuess VI tln0ny beforc, caught bold Of him
latl hstd him back. Reno then pointed cur
llae It hun. Wi.ucss said he went over to the
line to yet sonrthfnR to cat mud blanket, ~ liz
hi1 lost everything OF his own. Lie had never
bal any trouble with Reno bcforc; he had been
atoltlfer three years nhll four months, and be
had MI honorable discharge from the pack
seryicc.
Mr. hilbert uskel him Ii Mai. Reno alappcd
tIm III tlle tace.
res" was the reply,
lie WA not q coward, thehi"
.o,s%9 .Sg !ns,'at!nK} ' .al don't know Is ought
"'M.j. lse,o was very drunk at that ttme1n
"ies, he WA vcry drunk"
~" ~! h. ssagEeF"
"Anl staruuer,"
,,.1t, LIE ~as SO drunk that he could hardly
,"1es. shoull say ao''
u'u hn fall downl'
lle paek.n
a., About how long do you think II would take
,s,:n W. na1 to get OVER It when lie was as oruuA
"ldon'. know; II bc kent II IN he nigh,
,a ueves get over 1t; but II be let Il alone ht
l'sx get over 1t IN 4 sl.ort time"
th,, %sis nMht ~ you ~ after you met Mini. Rens
t,.SC %CSSurch!ll n and I went back to the pack
",s} "Why did you 20 backs"
h,a n.tl ditn't lkc thu looks Of thc guD b.
''a III a's aa''I." [Lauahtcr.]
CAPT. u1NTxkN
III, ssan recalled, und was intcrrogated BY bfe
mru ~, ~ felat!os to Its knowledge VI the park
tufl!tS hat IL 60 back Il, f,4 ca, rn in n i g,