East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-05-10

Perhaps there Is no battle in the
history of America that Is more IA
mou than the battle of the Little Big
Horn in which General Custer and
his five troops of cavalry. consisting
in all of 277 men, were m~assacreed
BY Sitting Bull and his Indian braves
on June %. 1876. Three names were
made immortal by that battle, those
of Custer, Sitting Bull and Major Re-
no. but to the latter there attracts an
odium which the lapse Of over a quar-
ter Of a century has not served to re-
move.
Their has been discussion without
end since that memorable date regard
ing Reno's conduct, some justifying
M others condemning him for he
course he took. Major Lee Moor
house of this city. collector Of Indian
curios and maker of the celebrated
Moorhouse photos, has just received a
letter from William o. Taylor of Or
ange, Mass, one of the few survivors
of Reno's command, and his COM
ments on this battle show in what
light Reno's conduct was regarded by
his troopers. He does not condemn
his leader but he does couture him,
disagreeing strongly with an opinion
expressed by Major Moorhouse in a
previous letter.
The details of the battle of the Lit
tie Big Horn are perhaps now to
almost every school child in the coun-
try. 1t has been told again and again
how Custer and his command were
sent against the hostile Sioux and al
lied tribes and of how he came upon
them, thousands strong, encamped
for six miles along the Little Big
Horn in Wyoming; of how the DASH
ing leader divided his troops into two
divisions intending to strike stimuli
t%aneously at both ends of the encamp-
ment; of how Reno sounded the re-
treat when he saw a red avalanche
pouring down upon him instead of de-
tending his position: and Of how Sit
ting Bull was thus able to send his
whole body of warriors against us
ter's little band so that none of the.
latter escaped the savage fury.
Major Moorhouse visited the scene
of the battle-ground a number of
years ago and took n series of pic
lures of the points which played Inn
portant parts in the tragedy. a copy
of the Inland Printer" containing
copies of several of these pictures and
o cut of Major Moorhouse fell into
the hands Of Mr.. Taylor in faraway
Massachusetts, and, desiring to secure
a set of the pictures, he began n cor
respondence and in his last letter
tells something of his W part in the
famous battle.
when as q private soldier in the
Seventh Cavalry l took part in the
campaign Of 1876 he writes. IT was
hut little more than a boy, had just
passed my goth birthday in fact, and
in common with many others If not
all Of the command, had then no con-
ception of the TRIBE significance or
historical importance of the events
taking place at that time. Indeed our
only thought seemed to be to get away
from that field Of carnage. There
was no taking of notes or gathering
of data not even n decent burial for
our dead, and we were civilized
Christians. Later years, bringing with
with more mature Judgment and a
clearer insight into things, have, as
a result produced a great longing to
know more about the entire affair,
especially about tho movements of
Custer and his five troops In the last
two or three hours of their life, hence
| have obtained and read all that
Guild find relating t the battle of the
Little Rig Horn. | find errors and
misstatcments in all but the story Of
Lieutenant DOdfrey (nOw GencraD,
whom | remember quite well, seems
To- me to be about the best yet written,
but this Is far from being as complete
as one could wish,
"Your opinion in regard TO Major
Rono's holding his position In the