Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-18
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Sharp controversy prevailed for a
at Little Big Horn, so
Custers years ago. regarding the
fNrdars actions of the unfortu-
nate commander and his
relations to his officers. In The Star
of July 10, 1876, is printed:
Justice to the memory of a peer
less soldier should not be dimmed by
| a charge of .disobedience of orders
without the fullest evidence. That he
was rash and that in the case of the
disaster his judgment was for once at
fault must be admitted, but that he
actually disobeyed orders would seem
to be disapproved by the orders of
Gen. Terry, indicated in the following
extract:
"HThe brigadier general commanding
directs that as soon as your regiment
can be made ready for the march you
proceed up. to Rosebud in pursuit of
| the Indians whose trail was discovered
by Mai. Reno a few days since. 1t is,
Of course, impossible to give any def
mite instructions in regard to this
movement, and were It. not impossible
to do so the department commander
places too much confidence in your
zeal, energy and ability to wish to
impose UPON you precise orders which
might hamper your action when near
| " in contact with the enemy. He
will. however, indicate to you his own
views of what your action should be,
and he desires that you should con-
| form to them unless you shall see
SUFFICIENT reason for departing from
them
"Quite possibly it may yet appear
| that Gen. Custer acted in direct OPP
l position to the views Indicated by
Gen. Terry, but while this fact would
relieve, the latter of the responsibility
Of the disaster, IL would not, under
/ the permission given to Custer to
act upon his own judgment, lay him
open to the charge of positive dis
obedience Of orders"
X II
The Custer disaster started a lively
public discussion Of the methods OF
H..t indian t the Government m srent,s IN
Fighters. Sam sampa ~ dnly - 70. 1879 u.s.
is the following suggestion:
| .sThe present would seem to be q
good time for the Government to try
| the experiment that has long been
urged by frontiersmen, viz, to let the
Volunteer troops of the border States
and Territories settle the Indian ques-
ton. Most persons best qualified to
1 Judge hold stoutly to the opinion that
soldiers recruited in those localities
for that special service make better
Indian fighters than the Regular
Army, the. officers of which are
Ihampered too much by old traditions
and unyielding notions of military
science for rough-and-tunlble fight.
ing, ambuscades and all that sort OF
thing. As the Regular Army Is efi-
IDENTIFY not large enough for the pres
| ent emergency, It might be well
enough to withdraw 1t from the In
dian country altogether and let the
border Volunteers go In and solve the
problem their own way, the General
Government retaining charge Of the
lcommissaiy, Quartermasteis and pay
| llepartments and putting the Volun-
teers on the same footing as the
| Regular troops 50 far as stores. pay.
etc, are concerned. With the high
| est possible regard for the Regular
Army. we ere constrained to believe
that an Indian war carried on IN this
way would be cheaper, shorter and
more effective In It's results than II
carried on under the rules laid down
| BY Jomini. a little variation couldn't
do much damage anyway
snow that there II probability
that the washington Monument is to
be completed at last,
Monument says The Star Of July
f,..3r,, - IL, 1876, the critic
OseAt z. askers. whose mission
/ In life seems TO be to fsnd fault with
everytiiinR they are not tirsk consulted
about. are coming rapidly 10 the front
with their objections to ~ design,