, 1879-01-19
MAJ. RENO.
Continuation Of the Testimony
Of the Scout, Girard.
which Goes to Make Out q Worse
Case for Reno.
Ee Heard the Firing During Clusters
Fight with the Indiana


the testimony, and Lieut.. Wallace had correct
ed, explained: and alnp}ified bis evidence il
some miner particulars, the interpreter, F. F
G;rard, was again put Oh the stand and lis cx
animation continued BY Lieut.. Lee. He coulc
not tell how many shots were fired before Reno,
command came to d halt and deploycd. Whcr
the command ueployed, the Indians were to thu
fnont aud left Of the skirnist-line, the first IN
6iao at distance Of 500 or LOCO yards He did
MT see the line make any advance. Whatever
,nore was made must have taken place while ht
uas iu the timber With Reynolds, for be noticed
IN coming out, that the line had swung Is if VI
2lyot-
THE INDIAN VILLAGE
r.s mile and half or TWO miles from the
linz down the left bank Of the Little BIG Horn,
The command did not remain On the s!z;rmisl,.
roe over ten minutes before it swung around.
Witness was asked TO describe the timber where
the right Of the line was drawn up, and did SC
At some length, giving distances. The com
rnaud did NOT stay in the timber, after leaving
the slirmish-linc, over ten minutes, aud went
nj in q diagonal direction towards the river.
The t.oops in the timber seemed anxious to get
nut, Every man was for himself, and there was
nothing like order or y concerted movement.
After he heard the order "To horse" the men
withdrew from the line, got their horses, and a1l
officer told him they were going to charge.
Witness and REYNOLDS were in tho timber, and
concluded that tue orders weren't intended for
t!,c,u that the troops would return after the
CHARGE, and that they needn't bother themselves
to join them, as tncy would bc in the way
While in the timber he saw Dc Rudio and a
scout named jackson: lie pulled out his
fip,nja
u'c!ock. When they left the woods it was twi-
lirAr, and the watch indicated that it was Q
, O'Clock. The command, while In the timber,
VIE III q sheltered position. so that they could
load and fire under shelter. Witness heard
firing, while III the timber, to the left of the
yila:c D. Rudo slapped his haud on bis
thigh and said, very excite11y: "By -,
THERE'S CUSTER, LET $ GO AND JOIN HIM."
Witness, however, told him to wait; that there
would bc time enough for TINT Witness heard
continuous firing oil the way down the banks to
the place known as Custcr's battlefield. At
first the shots we're scattering. and then in vol
lrys. When they went down afterwards to
bury the soldiers they found gray horse,
wounded, on the lett bank OF the river, ut
ford further down the stream than the point
"B.'' The general firing. on what was known
as Clusters battlefield, lasted about two hours,
uni Indicated geueral engagement. After leay-
ing the timber, witness re joined Reno's command
about II 80 The night of the 26th. Immediately
after leaving lie timber, however, on the 25th,
witness crossed the river at the point where Reno
lad crossed, and saw the moving Indian village.
lie estimates their fighting men at between
$500 and 1900.
Witness described tho downward course of
the nvcr, spoke Of the trails, the fords, etc. ard
otherwise showed his familiarity with the situa-
fioE. There were only three fords,-;wEere Reno
crossed in his advance, where lie crossed on his
retreat to the hill, and where the gray horse
was found. From the latter point, witness
cou'o see where the lodges had been. 4 large
portion Of the Village was below the ford. The
lodges he first saw, while at the ford. were not
quite the centre OF the village It was about ten
or fifteen minutes before Reno LETT the timber
that witness last saw Custer'5 colu!nn.--at least
he supposed it was Custer's, for he. knew moth
Ing OF the division into three battal:ons. The
the stream. &c found out afterwards
that. it was actually Custer's conl-
1naud. because Reno and Bcnteen Joined
on the hill, and, knowing where the firing
further down had taken place. he was satisfied
since tue latter's column was The only one that
could have been there. When on the little
knoll, referred to in FRIDAYS testimony, the
ralley seemed alive w'ita Indians. Afterwards
cluded they had discovered Custer, and had prof.
anly moved down in the direction of the point
''B " with the design OF
CUTTING OFF CUSTER
oe4o!c nc couio reacu luelr sHla@e. he large
Io.tion VI tue Anulaus' ~ ottieI words, aoan-
uoueu Aeno anu Ncht uo"h 10 intercept custer.
: Iuolahs "oulo eHoose prairie OF plaita, anu not
q timber, as point OF attack. In RESPONSE to 4
queston IRON ~ Lieut.. lee Is 70 now long loo
.' n1en' WIN oo1o touuoS ot a1Inuulilon; coulo
IA, nave pfoteeteo themselves aEalns- the 1ostlie
sn1ase "ltness sa,u ue t"ouslt lucy Go9io nave
ne!u 3 out aeanst 4uise nuinocr o1 !nolans as
4o1, ~ Ine1t PROV s!gus auu ataWui'1llon lasted
Mt* uloeIs asheu L'eut~ Lee, WIG ood naa gone
W " tue spolnes!s lnas tuele "eIe ouou rounus,
"a W "ou.uu ue huuu enoueu ~ asi. Tue Ques-
...otlh taon on tne pasls u tnc numoer o1 ROUNDS
"u..I .ue tssu.o,i' nau eno"n Liz "'en to na'e
posessssu r.r
49, Lieu.. LsG sa1u NJ. uloelt cou!u uo tnat VI
.ae plolGI anns: nc aG ~ 70 ashla2
".s.ss auoot 4,5 Ano" ~ ieeaFo " tne
a. h nl.ness- ~ lePi1 70 Questlon
s,,. VI Ia stla.ac.e'. salo ne u1un,s Know ~"
tulo tlasn a Isiele was. ne kne" ne nad nreo thlr
teen +teasa. sno.S ~ Lne we OF len m1hntes,, anu
fne!. a1eie NV W.T. aus ~ "uc as tn or
,,'a. e,,1"aai - psI nan - tne nnlnnef "
aftar,ra1:; eu Io.'aulns, % N1tucSs satu 1t n5
e|,..hatt -" t"o aGau ooo.Ss 70 tne teit hu
;3.,:t .'s ~ 1ue 'ilaE1s "1'It' ne eouluas
~ Il - 90 ~ 70 ~. es.ei3i ueau nse5, oianu
~ - o., W tae lc1t VI enc snluSc, out @ n!t-
.&nn+ tnSr w @ anu ne'Ee. 10 Sne I1scr panh. 1nc
,va., 1s,e har ~ 1oa'u Sus.s oou. "as r.
f.o,n ~, ~ = .. 1nu .ele W = a.ie
are .roso ~ "ncte 1ne Ely no'se mas 4uumu tna
sn..te-a &c" a1u ooaes, W. ot e.se,
,sIerc s< 9n,'n ~ ~ p9nt