Frederick Benteen Frederick William Benteen ( August 24 , 1834 – June 22 , 1898 ) was a military officer during the American Civil War and then during the Indian Campaigns and Great Sioux War against the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne . Benteen is best known for being in command of a battalion ( Companies D , H , & K ) of the 7th U . S . Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in late June , 1876 . While scouting the area , Captain Benteen received an urgent note from his superior officer George Armstrong Custer ordering him to bring up the ammunition packs and join him in Custer ' s surprise attack on a large Native American encampment . Benteen ' s failure to promptly comply is one of the most controversial aspects of the famed battle , which resulted in the death of Custer and the complete annihilation of the five companies of cavalrymen which comprised Custer ' s detachment . Early life and career . Frederick Benteen was born August 24 , 1834 , in Petersburg , Virginia to Theodore Charles Benteen and his wife Caroline ( Hargrove ) Benteen . Benteen ' s ancestors had emigrated to America from the Netherlands in the 18th century , settling in Baltimore . The family had moved to Virginia from Baltimore shortly after the birth of their first child , Henrietta Elizabeth , in October 1831 . Frederick Benteen was educated at the Petersburg Classical Institute , where he was first trained in military drill . His family moved to St . Louis , Missouri in 1849 . In 1856 , he became acquainted with Catharine " Kate " Louisa Norman , a young woman recently arrived in St . Louis from Philadelphia . The election of Abraham Lincoln as U . S . President in 1860 polarized the country . Theodore Charles Benteen , an ardent secessionist , vehemently opposed his son ' s associating with Unionists . A family crisis was ignited when Frederick joined the Union Army on September 1 , 1861 as a first lieutenant in the 1st Missouri Volunteer Cavalry Regiment . Frederick married Catherine Norman on January 7 , 1862 at St . George ' s Church in St . Louis . In July 1863 , Catherine Benteen gave birth to the couple ' s first child , Caroline Elizabeth , but the daughter would die before reaching her first year . Benteen participated in numerous battles during the American Civil War , for which he was awarded the brevet ranks of major and then lieutenant colonel . Among his engagements were Wilson ' s Creek , Pea Ridge , Vicksburg and Westport . On February 27 , 1864 , Benteen was promoted to lieutenant colonel and commander of the 10th Missouri Cavalry . Benteen was mustered out at the war ' s end in the spring of 1865 , and shortly thereafter was appointed to the rank of colonel as commander of a " " Buffalo Soldier " " regiment , the 138th U . S . Colored Volunteers . He led the regiment from July , 1865 to January , 1866 , when it was mustered out . Later that year , he was appointed a captain in the 7th U . S . Cavalry . Meanwhile , the Senate finally approved awards of brevets to distinguished veterans of the Civil War . Benteen received brevets of major for the Battle of Mine Creek and lieutenant colonel for the Battle of Columbus ( 1865 ) . 7th Cavalry service under Custer . In January 1867 , Benteen departed for his new assignment with the 7th Cavalry Regiment and its field commander Lt . Col . George Armstrong Custer . This would be Benteen ' s regiment for 16 years . Until 1882 , except for periods of leave and detached duty , Benteen commanded Troop H of the 7th Cavalry . On January 30 , 1867 , Benteen made a customary courtesy call to the quarters of Custer and his wife Elizabeth . Benteen said later that he regarded Custer to be a braggart from their first meeting ( and his dislike deepened as his years of service under Custer went by ) Meanwhile , on March 27 , 1867 , Benteen ' s wife gave birth to a son in Atlanta . Following the Civil War , the Cheyenne Indians represented the greatest threat on the Kansas frontier . In late July 1868 , Benteen led an expedition to provide security for the Indian agents near Fort Larned . On August 13 , Benteen , commanding 30 troopers , encountered a Cheyenne raiding party along the banks of Elk Horn Creek near Fort Zarah . He charged into a force of what appeared to be about fifty warriors . To Benteen ' s surprise , he then discovered more than 200 Cheyennes raiding a ranch . Benteen pursued the Cheyennes without rest until dark , engaging them throughout the day without respite . This first undisputed victory of the 7th Cavalry brought Benteen a brevet to colonel and the adoration of the settlers of central Kansas . On October 13 , Benteen and his men went to escort a wagon train loaded with weapons and ammunition meant for the regiment . They reached the wagon train just as a war party began to attack . Benteen drove off the warriors , saving the wagon train from capture . Later , the trail of the raiding party would lead the 7th Cavalry to a Cheyenne encampment on the Washita River in the Indian Territory . In response to the continued raids , General Philip Sheridan devised a plan of punitive reprisals . His troops would respond to Indian attacks by entering winter encampments , destroying supplies and livestock , and killing those who resisted . It would include the cavalry moving in the dead of winter through a largely uncharted region and required daring leadership . Sheridan turned to Lt . Col . George Armstrong Custer , who was brought back early from his court - martial and given the mission . Sheridan trusted only Custer with such a deed , and in November 1868 Custer returned to his regiment under special orders from Sheridan . On November 23 , 1868 , Custer left Camp Supply with the 11 companies of the 7th Cavalry , heading towards the Washita River . On November 27 , the 7th surrounded a Cheyenne encampment at the river . Just before dawn , Custer launched a four - pronged assault on the village . Benteen , as captain of H Company , led a squadron of Major Elliott ' s command during the attack . His horse was shot from under him by a son of Cheyenne Chief Black Kettle . The boy was about fourteen years old and was armed only with a revolver . Benteen called out that the boy ' s life would be spared if he dropped his weapon . Benteen made the peace sign . In reply , the boy aimed his revolver at Benteen and fired . The bullet missed , so the boy fired again , the bullet passing through the sleeve of Benteen ’ s coat . The boy then fired a third time , as Benteen continued to make friendly overtures . This bullet hit Benteen ’ s horse , killing it and pitching Benteen into the snow . When the Indian boy raised his pistol to fire once more , Benteen finally shot him dead . Custer in his battle report to Sheridan made little reference to his own casualties . This was because during the action itself , the 7th lost only one man killed ( Captain Hamilton ) and seven wounded . However , shortly after the actual battle , Major Elliot and 19 men had pursued escaping warriors up the river and had yet to return : as such were posted as missing . It later emerged that Elliot ( who rode off with the cry ' Here ' s for a brevet or a coffin ' ) had been surrounded and wiped out by the Cheyenne , along with all his men . Benteen decided that Custer had abandoned Elliot and wrote to a friend criticizing Custer over this . The letter was passed to the St . Louis Democrat newspaper without Benteen ' s permission . On its publication Custer called the officers together and threatened to ' horsewhip ' the author . Without revealing that the letter had been published without his knowledge or permission , Benteen admitted authorship , albeit with a hand on his pistol . Custer did not attempt a whipping but dismissed the matter with a curt ' Mister Benteen , I will see you later ' . Little Big Horn . During the Little Bighorn ( “ Sioux ” ) expedition in 1876 , under Custer , Captain Benteen again commanded Company H . Approximately 12 miles from the Little Bighorn River , he was assigned command of a battalion comprising Companies H , D and K . Although Custer was uncertain of the exact location of the Indians , he assigned Benteen the task of defending the left flank . Benteen searched fruitlessly through rough ground for about two hours before returning to the trail of the main column . As he advanced toward the river , he was met by a messenger from Custer , soon followed by another , indicating that a big village had been found and that Benteen should come ahead . A note delivered to him read : " " Come on . Big village . Be quick . Bring packs . " " Custer seemingly meant for Benteen to unite his companies with the slow pack mules ( which were bringing up the rear and guarded by Company B ) and then ride on to link up with Custer ' s five companies . These packs contained the regiment ' s ammunition reserve . Benteen , however was in no apparent hurry and even spent 20 vital minutes watering his horses at a ford . ( Re : April 2010 Wild West Magazine : " . . . as any good cavalry officer would do seeing they had been pushed to exhaustion in the drive to their commanded location ) . Hearing gunfire ahead , however , Benteen spurred his command to a gallop . A battalion made up of companies M , A and G and led by Major Marcus Reno had attacked the southwest corner of a large Indian village along the Little Bighorn River and had been routed with heavy casualties in its attack on the Sioux village , and the tattered remains of the battalion struggled to cross the river and climb the bluffs . As Reno ' s units were still under fire and low on ammunition , and since Reno was technically Benteen ' s superior officer , Reno ordered Benteen to share his battalion ' s ammunition with him . Reno was visibly shaken , and his ability to effectually command was diminished . Within a few minutes , loud firing to the north was heard by the men on the bluffs , and the Sioux began to turn away from the Reno / Benteen units and head back into the village and continue towards the firing . These volleys signified that Custer was engaged , but to what extent , Reno and Benteen had no idea . They did not at once advance to find out , which would later create a controversy regarding an alleged abandonment of Custer ( General Nelson A . Miles made an accusation to that effect ) . Captain Thomas Weir , infuriated by the lack of movement to support Custer , rode north about a mile towards the sound of the shots to the present - day Weir Point , eventually followed by men of his company , then Benteen and the three companies under his command and finally Reno and his men , carrying the wounded . At Weir Point the view of Custer ' s location , some three miles further north , was largely of a cloud of dust and numerous Native American warriors in command of the battlefield . The Lakota and Cheyenne quickly destroyed Custer ’ s battalion and then turned their attention to Reno and Benteen , driving them back to their original position now called the " Reno - Benteen defense site " . It was a horseshoe - shaped perimeter on the bluffs near where Reno and Benteen had met . During the next 24 hours , Benteen assumed virtual command . He led two charges which drove the Indians back just as it seemed the soldiers would be overrun . Cool and calm , Benteen was seen walking amongst his troops encouraging them and leading by example . He was wounded in the thumb , and the heel was shot off one of his boots . Benteen was later criticized for his slow travel between the time he was sent to secure the left and the time he reached the bluffs overlooking the river . However , the route he was ordered to scout is much more rugged terrain than the gently descending North Fork of Reno Creek that Custer ' s command had ridden down at full gallop . His decision to remain with Reno , rather than continuing on at once to seek Custer , was also questioned by critics . Later activities . Benteen participated in the Nez Perce campaign in 1877 , later being brevetted brigadier general on February 27 , 1890 for his actions at the Battle of Canyon Creek , as well as for his earlier actions at the Little Bighorn . He testified at the Reno Court of Inquiry in 1879 in Chicago . Benteen was promoted to major , 9th U . S . Cavalry , in December 1882 . In 1887 , he was suspended for drunk and disorderly conduct at Fort DuChesne , Utah . He was convicted and faced dismissal from the Army , but President Grover Cleveland reduced his sentence to a one - year suspension . Benteen retired on July 7 , 1888 , citing disability from rheumatism and heart disease . Frederick Benteen died ten years later on June 22 , 1898 , leaving his widow Kate and a son Frederick . He was buried in Westview Cemetery in Atlanta , his pallbearers included Georgia Governor William Y . Atkinson and Charles Collier , the mayor of Atlanta . Benteen ' s remains were later reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery . Monuments and memorials . Benteen Elementary School in Atlanta , Georgia is named for Frederick Benteen ' s son , Frederick Wilson Benteen .