The National tribune., 1888-02-09
THE YELLOWSTONE.
Harrington was Net Burned at the Stake, and Custer
HAs No Coward.

Was No Coward.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Ny atten.
ton having been called to an article pub
lished in the N Y. Verdi of Nov % last, in
which NJ A. Reno, late Major, 7th u s. Cav,
expresses the opinion that Lieut. Henry NJ
at the stake, and criticises the conduct of Gen.
Custer and his brave comrades who persisted on
the Eittle Big Horn.
desire to say that the statements made by
Mai. Reno are wholly and malici0usly false
Reno was identified with the battle in which
Custer and his brave comrades were slaughtered.
and his conduct in this engagement was such
as to warrant the charge of cowardice.
Prior to the engagement Gen. Custer ordered
Mai. Reno, with Capt. MOyl Ian, Capt French and
Lieut.. Mcintosh, with three companies. TO at
tack the Indian village from above, and placed
four companies, under command Of Capt Ben
teen, to guard the pack train, and to be sent TO
Reno in case he needed them.
Maj. Reno crossed the river above the village,
but instead of obeying orders and charging upon
the village, Disappointed in body of timber aud
awaited the approach of the Indians. he re-
treated across the river to the bluffs, and was
shortly after reinforced by Capt. Benteen, who,
with the noble assistance rendered by officers
and men, succeeded in keeping the Indians in
check until the arrival of Gen. Terry.
1t was the cowardice of Mai. Reno through
out this engagement, for which he was court
martialed. The leniency alone of his brother
officers saved him from dismissal
Maj. Reno says: After the great battle
and several other officers, looking through field
glasses, saw Indians miles away engaged in
the war dance about three captives who were
tied at the stake, and my impression was that
Harrington was one of the unfortunate ones"
For years | have lived among the Sioux In
dians, and personally know many who took part
in the Custer massacre; and from knOwled &c
gained through them l can truly say Maj.
Reno did not see what he claims now TO have
seen. Not single captive was taken from the
field of battle, All were tortured to death on
the battlefield, and not one Was burned at the
stake 1t was the general belief of the Off
GERS who were in position to know, that Lieut..
Harrington was one of the number whose body
was so horribly mutilated as to render identi-
ficatiOn impossible.
The statement of Mai. Reno, that when
we found the dead men, they lay in such posi-
ton as to show that they had fed after the
| first attack and the Indians pursued them and
shot them down, for in almost every instance
| they were shot in the back, would apply to the
brave men in his own command while upon
their retreat from the woods, for they Obeyed
the orders of Reno. But as to Gen. Custer and
the noble officers and men who fell with him,
Maj. Reno knows the statement to be false; but
it is characteristic of the man who made It,
were completely surrounded in an open plain,
and were outnumbeTed 10 to one. Is it TO be
wondered at that some were shot in the back {?
In speaking Of Tom Custer and the mutila-
ton of his remains by Rain-in-the Face, Reno
states that Custer had confined Rain-in- the
Face for the larceny of piece of cloth; making
it appear that he was confined for a trivial
offense. Reno knows, that by order of Gen.
Custer, Rain-in the Face was arrested at Stand
| ing Rock for murder by Lieut.. Tom Custer
and confined at Fort A. Lincoln; that he made
his escape from the guard house with two sol
| he does not know that Rain-in-the-Face mutt
| lated Tom Clusters remains. There were many
others mutilated in the same manner.
Maj. Reno charges Custer with lack Of cour-
age. Gen. Clusters ambition was inordinate, as
all who knew him will not deny; but his
record as a brave officer has never before been
| questioned. and l doubt if the malicious state
ments made by man who, while an officer in
the army, was suspended for two years tried for
eowardice, and finally ourt-martialed, cash
tered and dishonorably dismissed the service
for conduct unbeeoming an officer and gentle
man, viii have any weight with the public
FRED. S. Snow, Deep River, Conn.
| [NoTE.-Fred. s. Snow is known all over the
| Plains, from Texas to the Boundary, and from the
| Rockies to the Mississippi, as Antelope Fred,
| and has been for fully 20 years famous scout
! packer and wagOnmaster for the various mill
| tary commanders on the frontier. During the
war he was gallant soldier in the Hawkins
Zouaves 18th n. " and the 5th Md, and is
now spending the Winter in the East.-EDITOR
| NATIONAL TRIBUNE.