Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-11-20
DoANE ROBINSON WRONG

In Recent Lecture in Sioux Cit.
He Gets the Wrong End of tn
Custer Battle, and Tries t.
Make Reno the Coward, a Hero
1t was 30 years last June since tn
nation was told that Gen. Custer anC
part of his regiment, the 7th cavalry
had been cut to pieces in a blood.
battle among the bluffs bordering tn
Little Big Horn river in Montana
Much has been written of that mem
orable event, and many stories hav'
been told of how it happened and O
the chief actors in that bloody drama
until the towards in that unequa
strife have been made heroes and tn
gallant soldiers who died with Custe.
are blamed for the slaughter.
In a recent lecture at Sioux City b.
Doane Robinson, secretary of th'
Historical Society of this state, HI
discussed Sitting Bull and his quail
ties as a Medicine man, and othel
matters reported by the Sioux City
Journal, from which we quote the
following:
sit was Mr.. Robinson's opinion, re
sulting from data gathered among
the Indians, that Custer was to be
blamed for the massacre, and not
Reno, whom military histories con.
denim for failing to 70 to CuSter's aid,
The distance from where Reno was
~entrenched to where the Custer mas
sacre took place, according to the
speaker, was about ten miles, and
had Reno started his cavalry off at
full speed the horsemen, without any
interference, could not have got half
way to Custer before the entire Gus
ter force of 263 men was completely
wiped out. According to the stories
told by the Indians Reno did the only
sensible thing and is deserving of
great credit.
The lecture was we'll attended and
highly enjoyed by those present"
OF course Mr.. Robinson is not SO
much to blame for the story he tells
because he has been told these things
by men who didn't know the facts,
yet history would have told him that
Reno was the coward and Benteen
orders in refusing to move
rapidly to Custer's relief.
The editor of the LEADER was per-
sonally acquainted with every officer
In the regiment from Gen. Custer
down, as we'll as with the chief In
terpreter, Fred Girard, who knew
Sitting Bull for years before that
bloody June day In Montana.
Girard accompanied Gen. Custer
until the command "a divided about
noon when the order to attack was
Gen. Custer told Girard to
accompany Mai. Reno, as he might
need his services during the approach
ing battle.
W. shall not go into details con-
corning the movements Of Captain
Benteen or Captain McDOugal, who
were some distance in the rear when
and Reno separated, but con
line story to an interview we had
Fred Girard on his return to
Fort Lincoln shortly after the slaugh-
ter,
ut was about 1890 when Gen. Gus
ter ordered Reno to cross the Little
Big Horn and attack the Indian vii
age in sight and that he would pass
Town the river and attack the Indians
1t the other end" said Mr.. Girard to
,he writer.
Reno forded the river without diff /
and we found the Indians in
nasty preparation for flight. We adj
'anced to q body Of timber and the
rider to dismount was given instead
Il charging the camp. When the
,roops were dismounted, both TANKS
we're protected by the river, and per-
ectly safe from attack on flank or
We advanced from the horses
md took position in the timber, and
very nan fired from behind trees
Until the Indians were scattered and
II Reno had charged
hem he would have saved Custer
rom slaughter"
1When Reno ordered his men to
mount and retreat not a. man had
zen killed or even wounded, but in
he confusion Of retreat we lost nearly
men killed and wounded before the
ommand gained the hill across the
tver. When we began to retreat the
catered Indians picked up courage
nd followed US vigorously and they
'ere all armed with rifles while the
rOops had carbines.
From the time we crossed the river
nd attacked the Indians until our
streat, less than forty minutes had I
|&psed.
Custer after leaving Reno marched
own the river about three miles be- I