I think it was the Indians that had the most to do with why the assault was a disaster. Up until that point their entire mode of warfare was based around lures, retreating and ambushing in a pre-designated area. No one in the military was expecting to meet with a determined and coordinated force of Indians standing their ground, they fully expected them to melt away into the countryside as they had always done when met with a sizeable force. As it turns out they did pack up and disperse very quickly after the battle was won. I think even the Indians were surprised that they achieved such a resounding victory.
Horizon magazine decades ago printed the Indian version which supports your observation. I find this an excellent series. Custer invariably operated on the edge almost losing himself and his command at least once during the Civil War, this time it caught up with him. Fine comment to a fine series, thanks
I think what saved some these officer's reputation to a point and made Custer the bad guy was the fact that Custer died and didn't get to tell his side of the story. As a Vet we went to the end of the earth to save a fellow comrade. I would think they had the same pledge then or should have. I guess that's why I'm still confused about this battle. Great job again Siobhan and thank you.
Yes! That's why it's so hard, when reading the Reno Court testimony, to know what's the truth, what's an excuse, and what they desperately are trying to convince themselves of.
It's about time that major Reno has been exonerated of any blame he certainly was no coward and along with Captain Benteen saved what was left of the 7th Cavalry
I still say the only reason anyone survived was because of Reno. Remember it was Custer who was supposed to be supporting Reno and he left he completely exposed instead.
It's impossible to know what would happen. Reno was supposed to drive the children and woman out for Custer to round up with no bloodshed he and tucked tail and ran. Custer didn't know Reno ran and therefore got steam rolled. Had they had walkie talkies everything would be different. War during the time while horse back was the only form of communication was a different world. As stated above, there was a study done of the most learned generals and West point students and they found every move Custer made was by the book and correct. It's easy to judge something after it happened, but the reality is things are much more complex than that. Had Reno not been drinking, had the Reno charge worked, had there not been so many Indians in one places had the terrain been different, who knows what would happen.....this is like the Titanic sinking and so fascinating as we simply do not know what happened, and like the Titanic where the captain did about everything right, sometimes tragedy and chaos still hits and is fated.
People misunderstand this. Reno later pretended he thought Custer would be coming up behind him. This was an obvious lie, he knew Custer was riding north on the bluffs on the other side of the river in a pincer movement, Reno and his troop could see this and reported Custer even waved his hat at them. Reno’s job was to attract Indians to the south temporarily away from the village whilst he took the women hostage, exactly the same tactic which worked at Washita. The idea that this wasn’t explained by Custer at officer’s call is absurd.
@@mikerelva6915 It seems to me, that Reno ran to another position, because his troops were getting their asses kicked. He saved lives as a result. You referenced the Titanic and it’s captain. He was solely responsible for the destruction of the ship. He wanted to set a speed record across the Atlantic, through an area where there were icebergs! What an idiot! The ship couldn’t respond fast enough to avoid hitting an iceberg. It was him alone, who was responsible for the sinking of that ship. Certainly, the designers saying that the Titanic was “unsinkable,” played apart, too. Like Custer, that captain was a pompous fool. I don’t know how anyone could say everything Custer did was “by the book and correct.“ It wasn’t from the start! He disobeyed orders. He was supposed to wait for reinforcements to come up. He didn’t do that. Is that “by the book?”
@@drstrangelove4998 it's so hard to understand what happened in history when we don't understand the present. If you were to ask 100 Americans what happened on January 6th, you will get all different answers. Some would say Trumpers rioted and took the capitol, tried to commit insurrection while others will say it was an orchestrated false flag by "the deep state" and the election was stolen. Who is right? Both sides feel equally right. It's really impossible to truly know what happened that day. We do know that Reno was court summoned multiple times for degenerate behavior and not only hated Custer, but hated the men he served with. He was a father too....had to worry about his children while Custer, Myles and Weir did not. Who knows what really happened, but the more you deep dive on Reno you start to see he would not be willing to sacrifice his life to size the cocky Custer's life. In regards to the Titanic, again we don't know. We like to summarize and wrap things up in a neat package but it never works that way. The captain thought the ship was sink proof and that the first chambers could adequately be shut down before the spillage leaked over and sunk the whole ship. The ships designer knew that was not true and it was hidden until it was fixed on later models. It was a domino effect of multiple follies but the captain made the decision to go down with the ship.....would Reno have? I don't know. Doubt it after long study on him Ive always felt you can look at a person and tell much. Custer clearly is a show boat, Myles K seemed like a nice guy along with Weir, Reno seems like an A hole and Benteen also seems like he just only cares about Benteen and climbing the ladder. The shame is that day was a waste. The Indians came back to their reservations shortly after. There was also immense pressure on Custer to deliver and he knew that....and the military was well aware he was a pitbull and what kind of reckless man he was. The military sent a pitbull in there that would achieve the objective or be killed with no sense of self-preservation for him or his men. It was a failure on so many levels but we like simple answers for complex problems. We will never know what happened that day, all we can do is analyze the best we can and guess. I believe that Benteen and Reno could have went guns blazing and saved some of Custer and Myles men but would have lost many of their own. It's simple self preservation, better your neck than mine.
You follow the bullet trail to passed soldiers . Before Custer and his men left the river knew they were in a day to die . Where they landed coming out of that Coulee was no place to make a stand . Just a last stand . They were coraled . Custer didn't have time to write a detailed order to Reno Benteen. He was in peril. And he knew it .
Custer was a lot of things in his career, good and bad. But whatever was pushing his motives or clouding his better judgement, I agree that early in the battle he knew he was in big trouble with no way out. That note written so soon with a tone of 'save us" indicates that. This is just my view from my life experience, Benteen now knew A/Custer was in deep doodoo, B/ there was LOTS more Indians in the area than expected, C/ rushing full speed to Custer would require throwing caution to the wind and risking an ambush. In other words he would not make the same hasty decisions as Custer. Weir's comments I'd not read before but to me he was shooting off his mouth (bravado). I've walked the battlefield and Weir's point is not very far from Reno's position. IMHO Weir got a reality check when he got a better look at the major FUBAR around Custer, so he came back. People's memories are a fickle thing as some fade away after the event and sometimes details emerge later after things have calmed down. Then there's motives and butt-covering. The truth in the mix somewhere. ADD:: The real miracle is how anyone, horse or troops, made it across the river and up Reno Hill. That hill is STEEP and high. Even today with a good fresh horse it would suck the energy out of the horse. Considering the govt issue horses were not the best and were worn out at the time of the attack, it is truly amazing. I don't think adrenaline alone can account for making it to the top.
Of course, conduct unbecoming an officer in Reno's case was a polite way of saying he had a Peeping Tom proclivity. His burial at the battlefield with full military honors is simply over-the-top insanity. It's shameful. There's no other word for it. Excellent video, though. Much appreciated.
Custer should have waited for Terry and a Gibbon and if he didn't never split his command in 3. The scouts told him how many Indians there were.He was a brave man but foolish and a glory hounding a shame he didn't care about his men.
@richardalves2920 The Crow scouts recommended that Custer attack immediately, as they assumed they had been seen by the Sioux and therefore the 7th needed to act fast. The Arikara were more cautious. Different scouts recommended different actions. So Custer actually DID listen to his scouts, just not the scouts we too often hear quoted. 🤷🏼♀️
"animadversion". My first reaction to that word was "What a cop out! Using a rarely used word to blunt what you really mean." But then I realized that back then, in the Victorian era, people read a lot more and had more words to choose from. In "American Caesar", William Manchester's biography of Douglas MacArthur, he talks about the time Arthur MacArthur, Douglas' father,' was the head of the American army in the Philippines at the time when William Howard Taft was the civilian commissioner to the Philippines. (Arthur MacArthur was a hero of the Civil War and spent the Indians War in a lot obscure forts with no entertainment other then reading long Victorian books.) Taft had asked MacArthur to use his troops to do something and MacArthur replied that it could not be done because it might 'm....' the military. He used an obscure word like animadversion, but it meant 'to make a vassal of some one or something.' MacArthur's point was that the military could not make civilians do something and the civilians could not make the military do something unless orders came down from the President of the United States. But Taft did not know what the word meant and was irritated to have to look it up. It made some bad blood between them. Victorians had a lot of big words back then.
I really like your presentation Style because you don't try to force a narrative so it's very simple and enjoyable to listen to while being very informative. The rare photos you use AR a nice touch as you just don't use the standard ones. Can't wait for the next video keep up the excellent work of keeping Real History Alive. GARRYOWEN Ps The Army Navy journal is an incredible book dont you think ?
Thank you!!! I do try to find cool photos, but sometimes it's easier to reuse the same images, or the popular ones, so people watching don't mix up my characters or get confused as so many images pop up. So thank you for mentioning that you prefer the different photos! I will focus more on them in the future! Also thank you for your kind words. I always feel like i ought to be more professional but if I keep things chatty and simple, I have more fun, and I hope that comes across. YES I LOVE THE ARMY NAVY JOURNAL TOO!!!!
Well, I guess you are just going to have to visit the battlefield again ;) They are about to renovate, and hopefully the new visitor's center will have at least some of the tremendous amount of artifacts that NPS is holding in Arizona. If you know any bigwigs, please tell them you want those items to come back to Montana and be available for students of the fight!!! As always thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. I'm trying to think of who to tackle next... maybe scout Charley Reynolds... what do you think?
A very detailed and well presented case Ma'am. Thank you and I look forward to seeing and hearing more from your channel. Again thank you for a very interesting time.
You don't know how happy that makes me! You are very kind. I finished a new video tonight but when I was listening to it a final time I noticed a mispronunciation right smack in the middle. I know it will annoy me to no end so I need to re-record it tomorrow. 🤦🏼♀️ I was bummed but you just cheered me up. Generous comments like yours make it worth it 🙏🎉🙏
I loved the presentation, especially the maps with overlaid animation. The battle itself, occurring at disparate locations at different times, is difficult to track. Thanks for bringing it alive.
Especially since both the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the Battle of Isandhlwana involved a modern, well-equipped army underestimating the fighting capacity of indigenous people. Both commanders were arrogant, worried than they would be unable to locate and confront their enemy. Also, both commanders divided their forces, failed to properly reconnoiter, and did not understand the landscape. @@SiobhanFallon7
I just find it,,, Soo,, I don't know,, interesting that Reno was buried in Custard's cemetery... Wow,,, It's just seems to me that Custard,, got the last jab in ..!! Your such a wonderful historian!! Thank you once again for reminding us that Truth is better than Fiction. ...
Ha! Hi Hugo!! Yes. It is ironic that Reno is there. Would he want to be buried there? No one knows. But he is at least taken care of there rather than the unnamed grave his family had plopped him in at his death 🤷🏼♀️
@@SiobhanFallon7 Or was it a strange sign Custard buried him,, returning the favor .... Well,, you never pull back on the truth your a brilliant historian and story teller... To you I take my hat off,, my dearest Lady 🌹
@@SiobhanFallon7 Have wonderful day 😊 ❤️ I got some of those wonderful videos of yours to catch up on!!! So another word's I got a beautiful plans with a beautiful historian!!!
@@SiobhanFallon7 On a similar note.... They just released some interesting things about the JFK assassination .... So the government does cover up?? ( say it ain't Sool😮) You know I thought I saw or read somewhere that when Grant Wasa general, during a certain battle he had some severe casualties .. . It was swept under the rug because,, Well the North won the war.... You are graceful and sharp 🌹
What input is there on Custer was cut off from crossing the Greasy Grass River . Because a Beaver damn had the river flooded . He and his men of the 7th Cavalry couldn't fjord it . And was flanked from Crazy Horse and warriors from up river . There were 5000 to 10,000 . He rode up medicine tail coulee ravine . Tall grass that year from hi rain helped Indian to get within close proximity to Last stand hill . And had man carbine rifles. Custer plan was doing wat he did in Kansas short months before. To surround woman and children as prisoners. The high water from Beaver offer that plan .
It was June and the river was in near flood stage from the snow melt. The Indians themselves said the number of warriors ranged from 1800 to 2500. Still a lot more Indians than the reservation agents claimed has left the reservation.
Crook estimates are as I gathered from him to that count .Bob Boze Bell said Beaver damn . Many have said it was 8 ' deep water . And knowing the country well my self . Know of how it is in the plains June 25th . If 2500 or 10,000 . He was greatly outnumbered.
I agree. She is an inspiration to me, as a fellow Army spouse. She had such strength and focus after so much unbelievable grief. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Thank you Siobhan, excellent work as usual, in my opinion definitive. The feelings running through Custer and his men running out of ammunition and desperately hoping to see Reno and Benteen as twice ordered, can only be imagined. Ammunition too when the subject comes up with friends and acquaintances who always have a cod account of Custer’s guilt. Greetings from England.
Thank you so very much. Half the reason I make these things is to force myself to learn the material, and thus have the info at the top of my brain when I get into my own debates about Custer ;)
Thank you for your wonderful presentation. You have a great talent for this. easy to understand and follow while keeping it very interesting. I have subscribed and have been watching your other content as well. Jeff, from NC
Oh, Jeff, thank you for the kind words. I seem to have all sorts of ongoing issues, esp with the sound, so I appreciate hearing that the presentations are still worthwhile! I just started working on a new one... Hope to hear from you again, Siobhan
While both modern and contemporary audiences have been greatly interested in Maj. Reno’s reputation, the U.S. Army of the late nineteenth century would not have had any official interest in Reno feelings. The Army’s concern would have been the debate within the officer corps over the propriety of Reno’s actions. A resolution of this debate was necessary to instruct the officer corps on the duty of a subordinate leader under offensive orders faced with an unexpected forlorn hope. The army’s answer, through the Reno court, was that the leader was permitted to assume the defense. Furthermore, the Army indicated it would not engage in post operations nitpicking of an officer’s conduct, if the fundamental decisions were sound. It is worth noting that if Reno had come to Custer’s position, he would have been in direct violation of orders to occupy warriors in the area of the village. It was interesting that Captain Benteen was not the subject of an inquiry or court martial. It can only be assumed that his personal courage and efficiency in the Reno defense, as well as the vagueness of Custer’s order, saved him. “Come quick;” where? “Bring packs;” to whom? Benteen no doubt benefited from the presumption that Custer spoke as Regimental Commander, not as an individual. Upon reaching Reno, Benteen satisfied his orders. It seems General Terry’s plan was that he and Colonel Gibbon taking the shorter route would be discovered by the warriors before Custer’s approaching column from the headwaters of the Rosebud. The noncombatants would flee south into Custer’s approaching column, while Terry and Gibbon successfully occupied the warrior force through long range infantry weapons, artillery, and Gatling guns. Custer would capture the noncombatants bringing a halt to the battle. However, Custer would be denied the entire credit for a successful outcome. Custer’s contemporary critics nailed it: Unnecessary attack; no reconnaissance; no plan; vague orders; lack of coordination and mutual supporting commands; failure to mass his entire force; and, violated General Terry’s intent. Total failure in command. Custer’s fault entirely.
Again, William O. Taylor, a cavalryman in Reno's command, gives a good account of this situation. His recently discovered account of this engagement sheds much light on it. I'm not sure being under Reno's command was a good place to be. On top of that Reno had some personal short comings that brought his character into question. His men knew and it undermined their confidence in him. Lots of drinking going on also. I believe Capt. Benteen performed as a leader, under these circumstances, should...
Your videos are such a gift to longtime Custer buffs like myself! As a native New Yorker, I was so surprised that these 3 had some New York connections. If im correct, Libbie lived in Manhattan, Whittaker met GAC there, and Reno's descendant Charles actually lived in my neighborhood! Thank you so much!
Libbie built a home in Bronxville and would vacation at a friend's home in the Catskills. I live in the Catskills and need to get over to that cabin sometime.
Deen an interested student of Custer as well as the battle of the GREASY GRASS since I was a child. Intelligence between the three columns of the army was nonexistent. Custer's orders were apparently too vague and much was left up to him to decide. Dividing his troops and sending Benteen and Reno on there own was a TACTICAL blunder, especially since Custer didn't listen to or heed the warnings of his scouts who knew there was a large village in the valley. I think Custer wanted all the credit for any victory for himself. Since his message to be quick and bring up the ammo probably cause Reno and Benteen to wait for the pack train plus they had wounded to try and care for it raises the question would they have been able to save Custer at all? It's also well known that neither Benteen nor Reno liked Custer too much at all. It's also calls into question if Custer really was going to support or backup Benteen or even Reno. Its theorized Custer wanted to round up all the non combatants ie. Women and children and use them as human shields. This tactic, as despicable as it is, was used by Custer at the Washita battle several years earlier.which very well may have saved his but then. The whole battle was one big cluster F+×k, Circle Jerk, and Sanfu. In the end Custer got, In my opinion, what he deserved by a larger highly motivated force. .
I think Reno's command had lost the majority of their KIA during the retreat from the timber across the creek to "Reno Hill" and not during the siege on the hill following the demise of Custer's command just to be clear. That's evidenced by Reno telling Benteen that he'd already lost what he termed "half his command" although many holdouts in the timber crossed the creek and made it up the hill to rejoin Reno's command when circumstances permitted. Interesting post of research showing Benteen differing, at the Court of Inquiry about knowing of Custer's demise, with what he said when he was ordered to find Custer's command just after the battle..
Yes, absolutely, Reno lost more men during the retreat from the timber than those KIA on Reno Hill. Great points. Thanks so much for watching and for bringing those details up.
In one account I studied it was claimed Custer took off in pursuit of the fleeing squaws and children ! Any way George had a good run but his lack of tactical skill and over sized ego caught up with him. Btw I think Reno was the scapegoat and certainly not a coward.
In era of the Little Big Horn it was not unusual for soldiers to have alcohol in their canteen rather than water. I'm taking a good guess that alcohol had something to do with Reno's poor judgement at the Big Horn.
Whitaker’s statement about Reno’s cowardice and Benteen’s indifference is probably correct in a big picture way. However Custer’s foray and splitting his command was a military tactical blunder. The battle was the perfect storm of mistakes, lack of initiative, indifference, and last but not least a determined enemy. Happened with Fetterman 10 years earlier in Wyoming and at the Battle of Isandlwana in South Africa 3 years after the Little Bighorn debacle. Sometimes the indigenous people win the battle.
Time for you to put all this great research into a book of your own. Also, if you put out a call on one of your videos for anyone having letters, papers, photographs et cetera from persons involved with the battle you may come up with some previously unpublished insights. I often wonder if there are such important papers among Libbey Custers papers. Perhaps you can contact any family still alive who may be answer why she never visited Little Bighorn.
Could of been worse - islandwhana 1879 - over a thousand British troops and allies wiped out by the Zulus. Then less than 200 British troops fight off 4000 Zulus at Rorkes Drift Films Zulus Dawn and Zulu. ❤ Love to see you review this war considering this happened in 1879
Thank you so much! I have done a lot of research and it's difficult distilling it down into something that might be compelling on a screen. So I especially appreciate your comment 🙏 🎉 Please let me know if there are other videos of mine that resonate with you as well.
@nicholassteel5529 not sure. I'm just sort of winging it and hoping people with similar interests find me 🤷🏼♀️ People have been super so far. One of these days I'll figure this platform out 🤔 Please let me know if you have any suggestions 🙏
@@SiobhanFallon7 I was first introduced to General Custer in the 1960's when I was just a young boy. Your video's have greatly enhanced my knowledge of General Custers history.
This makes me think of Custer charging enemy lines in his career. To think 300 mounted soldiers charging the Indians that day wouldnt have sent them running is unthinkable. If Custer would have been in Reno and Benteen's place, he would have made that charge to save them! Ive always believed this and they should have received the charge of guilty.
Gen:Crooks lack of information about his defeat earlier to Custer was left out Why?shouldn't he had informed(messagers)his other generals...instead of going g fishing after his retreat.
The US Army at the time was a terrible force. The enlisted men were treated badly and hardly trained. The officers regarded themselves as socially superior and cared little about the men at all. When confronted with a determined enemy they folded. It took a defeat like the little big horn to start to sober up the US army at least a little bit..
Surrounded by relatives and favorites, Custer created a faction among the officers. The group surrounding Custer was the "In Crowd". The officers who were not part of the "In Crowd' felt excluded. Factionalism did not promote loyalty and cohesiveness.
Archeologists who have studied the site have found ballistic evidence that many of the indians had Henry repeater rifles . Much better suited for close in battle than the Enfield rifles that Custer's men had . The Enfield's were more accurate over a long distance but once the Indians got closer the advantage switched . I think ALL the commanders in the battle of little bighorn made mistakes !
Always been curious why the Arikawa scouts failed to flank the village and drive off most of the horses.Could it be their own horses were to spent to carry this out?
Libby survived until 1933...the year that Hitler came to power. The world had turned over many times. Reno was buried with Brevet rank of Brigadier General (see grave marker). There were many stories alleging that Reno was very drunk even before the shooting started. Many troopers were disgusted with his conduct (and/or inactions) during the siege. In Reno's defense, had he continued his charge and tried to lead his command through the massive village, it is unlikely that any would have survived. As to the trees... Maybe they could have held...until their ammo ran out...which would not have been long. From there, he did not lead a "charge", but a rout. . The court of inquiry really didn't want the truth...if they did, they wouldn't have waited until it was too late to press any appropriate charges. The Regiment knew that whatever his faults, Benteen was the hero of the siege...(which even the court affirmed in its feeble praise of Reno.) But as to the officers of the Regiment not telling all re Reno...well...sort of like John Wayne's character at the end of "Fort Apache" when he confirms the legend of Colonel Thursday and his gallant last stand...since the honor and the glory of the Regiment is what mattered...not the failings of one of its officers... YP
@@SiobhanFallon7 Not really, he needs to read all the Custer books and find out who is who and that the three damaging wittiness at the court were all fired by Reno when he was in command of the 7th Cavalry and Custer hired them back and as I pointed out on the Court video, I can prove the 2 mule packers are lying. The other scout wittiness is not saying much and hard to prove he is correct. DeRudio hates Reno and DeRudio is known for tall tells. Major Reno is turned into the scape goat and by 1900 is being called a coward, this is because Libby controls many factions in the army and the money, and Libby is totally wrong about the battle. A hint here Custer is killed very early and is long dead by the time they get the body to last stand hill, and the battle is only 40 minutes more or less, not Libby's 4 hour + battle. It is French that drinks down Reno flask at Last Stand Hill.
@SiobhanFallon7 -- I've seen some comments you've made on other Custer videos. They have been routinely on-point. It's nice to see you have your own channel.
Why thank you!! 🎉 So very glad you found me and I appreciate you commenting! Stay tuned, I am working on a bio about Custer's scout Lonesome Charley Reynolds who died at the Little Bighorn... Let me know if you have any favorites or suggestions about topics you'd like me to cover 🙏
@SiobhanFallon7 I believe Custer could have held out if he had sufficient ammo just as Reno held out on his own hill. I also think the Indians would have backed away from a determined charge to reinforce Custer just like they backed away from Renos retreat from the timber. Again thanks for your research, thought I had read everything. There are still a lot of leadership lessons at this battle and its aftermath that would benefit the Army.
I wondering if impaired hearing had anything to do with this cluster…. These guys surely had hearing issues. Every single account I read is a nightmare of cacophony, dust, thirst, exhaustion, particularly of the horses, severely impeding any successful combat. I was at the site & it is a vast area. They probably should have scribbled all their orders down to be clear. Siobhan, many thanks! Do you have any additional info on “Managing Victory” by Bruce Lydick ? I was unable to locate.
@Sweetjudiblueyes Vanishing Victory by Bruce Liddic is amazing. Email me if you need help tracking it down. Hearing issues is a good point-- Benteen was older, Civil War vet etc, and may have had some hearing loss. But Godfrey was deaf in one ear and heard the battle 🤷🏼♀️
Insert Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man gif 😂😂😂😂 Patton would have actually been better suited for Custer's era I think. He was a throwback in alot of ways, but like Custer prone to stepping on powerful politicians feet, but his ability to fight always saved him. Both were great horsemen too.
@@mikerelva6915 In WW1 Patton was severely wounded and should've died, while leading a charge on a German position. Patton told his troops he was going to lead the charge and asked for volunteers to go with him. IIRC he asked several times before he got a handful to go with him. Believe he got shot in the pelvis or groin area. Its been some time since I read the details but it was an absolute miracle he even got back to aid, much less survived. You can accuse Patton of being a strange ranger but not a shrinking violet.
I'm going to stick to fashion and put 90% of the blame for this massacre on Custer. He didn't seem to care that the village was massive and filled with fighters and that he had not carefully reconnoitered his lines of approach. He prob had no idea of its size and lethality. He split a reasonably large and menacing command into 3 separate units and sent them in 3 separate directions with no ability to communicate or even locate each other. He attempted to cross the river with no knowledge of when or where to cross...which the indians did know and it might be that the only correct decision he did make was to try to fight on and hold the high ground. The indians' counter attack on Reno after part of his command had crossed the river must have been terrifying. It was a massive force of unknown strength. When Bloody Knife was killed while standing next to Reno, reports say that Reno was very rattled. I imagine that the noise and timbre on that ground, with all of the noise of humans, animals and gunfire and no support from across the river got to Reno very quickly. Benteen, it is said, took his time answering the directive from Cook. When he stumbled into frantic Reno with his wounded and demoralized, surviving command perched on that small redoubt without fortification, his normal impulse after that frantic scene would be to try to gain some form of control and order and to access the viability of any options that might be considered. Weir, no doubt a brave man, seized the idea of trying to locate Custer but he found out right quick that he was too late to assist. I believe all of these guys, including Reno, were brave men and I'm going to say, that IMHO Benteen was most intelligent and level headed commander of that event. Benteen's weakness, one that is still widely known by many today, was that he had a hard time with peeps whom he considered to be incompetent and ignorant. All of us possess a scale that we use to measure others but having a knowledge of how to deal with that kind of behavior in others, particularly superiors in structured and hierarchical organizations is a skill that has to be taught, more than one that comes naturally. I cannot imagine just how difficult it was to be a member of a mobile cavalry unit during those years.
What a very interesting video, thank you very much indeed. My feeling is that Custer probably caused his own defeat by failing to recce the situation properly and, perhap, by dividing his command in the face of the enemy which is never a good idea unless you're a genius like Robert E Lee, and even he might not have got away with it if Hooker hadn't suffered concussion or wahtever at Chancelorsville. As someone from the UK was that the loss of about 270 men caused such a fuss. There was less of a row in the UK over Ishlandwana in 1879 where the losses were much higher.
@Dav1Gv ah, Islawanda was indeed a wild battle. Some folks have asked me to do a video on that but I think it's beyond me at the moment. So many men, so many fights within fights. Speaking of Ribert E. Lee, my most recent video about the West Point Musem dips into his story a wee bit. Next up will be the third in my Irish soldiers of the 7th series. Hope to hear from you again soon, Dav!!
@@SiobhanFallon7 There are several people, Redcoat History (?) among others, who've done Ishlandwana and Rorke's Drift but new views are always welcome. Incidentally I thought afterwards that because we could regard Rorke's Drift as a triumph it may be people were able to play down Ishandlwana so it mattered less than Custer. Military history is a serious hobby for me focussing on WW1 and the ACW. I'm an member of the WFA in South Wales where I live and have visited a lot of the Western Front battlefields (and even led informal tours) and many of the ACW battlefields so anything on either of them will get my interest.
@Dav1Gv oh my! Be gentle on me then please!! 😉 I have a few Civil War-ish videos but I'm not strong in that conflict. I'm better at the people than the tactics.
I'm betting you read General Terry's orders. But have you been to the building General Terry was stationed at? Fort Snelling may still have the building. It was there when I was in 2005-2009.
@@SiobhanFallon7 I don't think so. the building has a porch with brick that was built to look like it was twisted holding up the roof. I think you can do a virtual walk through with google maps.
First Libby was clearly deeply in love with George as for Reno's conduct an officer such as him would today have been removed from command he failed as an officer by leaving many of his men behind in the tree line when he made his famous charge to the rear.
@@SiobhanFallon7 Siobhan I like your videos, but please read all the books out there. Custer has to run back to Libby as she is seeing another officer. Major Reno's command is in the timber line, and he formed them up into 3 columns. with M company somewhat to the rear of the other 2 companies. At the time of leaving the woods very few are left behind, and it is Major Reno that has those in hearing range draw their pistols. The command at this time has Indians to the north of them in the wood, to the south of them in the woods, across the Little Big Horn fighting into their rear and to their front. There are about 500 Indians on horseback riding hard to cut the south rout off, 200 made it to the river before Reno's charge makes it to the river. The command had to shoot their way thought the Indians and the Indians cleared a path to the river and many circled back to hit the rear of the command which is Capt. French's M company. Reno and French both stopped to help and give orders on the way to the river. The command has less than 40 rounds of 45/70 ammo left and the 24 pistol rounds, they cannot hold the timber line vs 1000+ Indians they are already in the fight yet alone the other 500+ coming down to fight.
@marccru Yes, that is what they said afterward. Though they did leave quite a few men behind in the timber (Girard, Lt DeRudio, and soldiers with them, etc), and, over the course of the next 24 hours, they made it back to Reno Benteen Hill without being killed or captured. 🤷🏼♀️
@@SiobhanFallon7 DeRudio refused to leave the woods, he was offered his horse and he stayed in the woods on his on choice. This is why Capt. French thought of DeRudio as a coward later.
If I may suggest this video, which gives Thomas Weir's point of view on Reno's behavior? I have a whole Weir series but this might answer your question the best... and thanks for commenting! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-THY9WrIG8XQ.html
I wonder what prompted the Native Americans to refer to Reno as "Dark Face". Were they referring to his complexion? Or the darkness they percieved in his soul that manifested in his countenance...
Great points. He was supposedly "swarthy" complexioned. But he had also gotten into an argument with an Indian scout over a horse during the summer campaign, so they may have witnessed his anger too.
You said the author met Captain Weir in 1878, but then said he died in December of 1876. On a different note, have you ever encountered proof that the Indians didn't know that they were fighting Custer? Colonel Carrington married Fetterman's young widow after he was widowed.
Did I say 1878? 🤦🏼♀️ I meant 1876. Whittaker met Weir in November 1876, and Weir was dead by December 1876. I mix up dates sometimes when I am speaking (and other things too!). Thanks for your patience. And the Carringtons! Yes! So fascinating! I will do something on them someday. What a story!
@@SiobhanFallon7 Sorry. I just notice certain historical details. ☺️😟😔 (meant to show a guy blushing/not smiling. Couldn't find it.) I meant no shame! And apparently, I pay attention really well, if no one else noticed. :( I hope that means I did an okay job editing my own book (which has nothing to do with this topic.) I love your presentation, and usually I point out grammar errors. Yeah, I am That guy. I heard none with this. Thank you.
yes but how much of his interview was playing for the crowd this is far from unique that someone might say something in an interview that they thought would make people happy. If we look at later campaigns we can more easily see this, many of the statements made by German Generals when being interviewed by US forces after the war were deliberately tailored to please the US interviewers, In the contemporary records of the German forces there is not a single mention of Patton being a feared or respected commander but post-war several German Generals especially Halder had a reputation of playing to the crowd.
@jonsouth1545 Good point. You always have to look at interviews with a critical eye, I agree. Journalists could be unscrupulous, memory is faulty, and people tend to put forth an interview that makes them look good. But when other testimony support those claims, I think you can tentatively trust it.
@SiobhanFallon7 yes - also Reno accused Girard of stealing is why Reno dismissed Girard- Girard fired back to the press after the RCOI that Reno had told Girard he was paid too high and that Reno could hire 3 scouts for what Girard was paid - Girard said nothing was said or logged into records of stealing of any nature - After Custer returned from Washington and put back in charge he reinstated Girard-
@SiobhanFallon7 Thank you for your presentation-- here are some points --- a Fact that Custer marched his men 78 miles in 24 hours and went directly into Battle is not a decision of a wise leader graduate of WestPoint- and to send Reno into Battle with only 100 bullets per soldier and 50 of those were on a horse pouch that could not be easily got to - horses dont cooperate - Custer has no immediate idea of where the packtrain is at. Custer sent Benteen left oblique on a wild goose chase batting rough terrain on exhausted horses. Many of the horses in Custer outfit balked and simply refused to go because of exhaustion- Several Scout said their horses refused to go. Scouts reported several soldiers were off their horses and kicking their horse in the belly to try get them moving. Not to mention the men themselve were in no condition to fight being completely exhausted as well with only a few naps in last 30 hours. Soldiers called General Custer "Iron Ass" --- Boston returned to the packtrain for a different horse most likely because the horse he was on was spent. Custer brought several horses along for himself to rotate on. No doubt Custer had great moments in the Civil War - LBH was a complete blunder on Custer Part. In the Newspaper archives for months before LBH story's were ran relating Sitting Bull threat ' I have 8000 warriors and if the army comes near me we will fight' So everyone in that era knew that Sitting Bull had a force of warriors and would fight. Once Custer showed his presence to the Indians it became a mass running battle. The army came in firing on the villiage and alot of the Indians remembered what happened at Sand Creek. Hostilities were high and it was over quick with most things happening in unison as 1000s of warriors swarming the entire Custer area on fresh horses- Calhoun fell some soldiers made it to Keogh but all the while Keogh was under assault - the stragglers from Keogh/Calhoun ran to Last Stand Hill and Last stand hill was as well under assault all the while and the last ran to Deep Ravine and it was over and it was quick. -- As for Reno and Benteen- Sitting Bull said "We have killed some soldiers let the others go" so Reno Benteen were harassed until camp was moved - the Indians may not have even known Terry was close by - Sitting Bull never got the memo..
What condition were they in? How did it differ from other long campaigns any US soldiers were involved in, or even campaigns the 7th CAV had been involved in in the past? You can compare it to the Washita, the Yellowstone, or the Black Hills perhaps? This was no starvation march like the one General Crook would order later.
Fortunately for us we know today that any attemp to go to Custer's aide would have ended in a much more profound disaster. In My Life on the Plains Custer was quite clear in his derogatory comments about the troops of the 7th. Writing about many of their lack of horsemanship and marksmanship skills. They were certainly nowhere near as skilled as his Michigan 3rd Cavalry command were during the Civil War. And who is ultimately responsible for this? How about the Indians! They had a lot to do with it!
Libby nobly & fiercely defended her husband to her last day. If she could have spend some time with him after the battle, she would have been the first to tell George that he really screwed up. Reno didn't abandon Custer. It was Custer who left Reno high and dry as he went galivanting to the north end of the village to round up the women and children. By the time Custer realized the actual size of the village, it was too late. Custer was cut off from the more capable companies of the regiment (Benteen) and forced north into the teeth of the finest light cavalry in the world, the Cheyenne (Comanche a close second to the Cheyenne). There probably wasn't a noble 'last stand.' Instead, Custer more than likely attempted an 'end around' to rejoin Benteen & Reno to the South but were redirected by the Cheyenne to last stand hill were they were systematically annihilated.
If George Custer would have been an army officer during the Vietnam war, he would have been a victim of Fragging. Benteen came close to doing just that after the Washita fight.
@michaelhart6318 You're not very good at twisting a narrative especially based on any type of fact because you're obviously very opinionated. That's not a good way to be when you're evaluating history GARRYOWEN 😂
@@michaelhart6318 Oh my, did Benteen say that post- Washita? I don't remember and would love to read if you have the source handy. I do know that French wrote to Lt William Winer Cooke's mother (Cooke was Custer's adjutant and died with him on Last Stand Hill) that French wished he had shot Major Reno during the retreat from the timber 🤷🏼♀️
You can look at it as not wanting to offend the widow of Custer or you could look at it as the hundreds of men that were killed because of one mans ignorance to his situation and those families deserve the truth to be told no matter who it may affect. Personally, if The blame is truly Custer's, I doubt any of his men would be too happy knowing he's regarded as a hero just because people didn't want to offend his wife and tell the truth.
Did you watch my video? There was plenty of criticism on both sides, and certainly a lot of criticism of Custer. Who exactly are you referring to who spared Libbie's feelings? The same officers who also defended Reno's actions at RCOI? The officers were cautious on the stand about Reno's behavior, and they were cautious about being critical of Custer, too. I would attribute that to their military loyalty or espirit de corps. I find the argument that officers were sparing Libbie's feelings unfounded and a later and too easy excuse. But if you have some documentation on it, other than Hare's comment made decades later, I would really love to read and learn more. Thanks for commenting!!
The Gatling Gun.....was a game changer with Charging Forces WW1.... EXPOSED MEN... charging into RAPID FIRE WEAPON...... YOUR VIEW ON THIS MATTER...? 😊
Major Reno brought a gatling gun on an earlier scout in mid June and it made travel incredibly difficult, killing a mule and badly injuring a soldier when it overturned on the trek. He would have returned and told Custer and Terry about this. And it probably played into Custer's planning, and his knowing he was meant to be the faster more mobile force, thus he left the gatlings with the slower Infantry forces of Gibbon and Terry.
I don't think she had an affair. I think she had a friendship with a man, and that Custer found this very troubling, and he remonstrated her about it. My guess is that man was Thomas Weir, as Custer makes a few snide comments about him in letters to Libbie (I go into this a little bit in my Weir bio Part I especially so you might want to check that out). Libbie had too much to lose to have a full blown affair, and I believe she truly adored Custer. But she was charming and very friendly and probably a bit of a flirt. And Custer was often out and about with actresses and heiresses when he was solo in NYC and DC, so she may have also wanted to make him a little jealous at times.
How many armed and ready men sat on their azzs, disregarded the sound of guns! 300 ? Weir point was a little late. But hey, reno lived, benteen, ditto...the actual account by crow scouts and other tribes were astounded that there was no attempt to back their brothers in arms.
Libbie had died before They Died with Their Boots On came out, but I think she would have loved it!! And Olivia de Havilland looks so much like her. Libbie would have appreciated this film so much. The movie debuted in her hometown of Monroe, Michigan. The theater stlll stands today.
Custer's auto-biography? Do you mean his series of articles that would make up My Life of the Plains, which covered the Washita Campaign of 1868/1869? Huh. I read this very carefully myself. I was impressed by Custer's writing ability (it is harder than people think, and he was actively a Commander at the time). And I found him rather self-deprecating and concerned with both his soldiers and his enemy (detailing familial relationships within the Southern Cheyenne, and also how he often visited the women and children prisoners held at Camp Supply/ outside Fort Hays, etc). What did you see as hubris, Richard?
@SiobhanFallon7 thanks,got the rest of message! Custer was a hero to me as a boy.. watch films with my grandfather..and lead to me driving 14thousand miles around the U.s. Read my life on the plains when at art school.. cold not help feeling his own belief In his ability led to his death and so many brave cavalry men. Still he was and is a legend. No slur on him or the cavalry. Respect to your knowledge and research.
@@Dorian-wf1iv I have reached out to other descendents before in order to learn more about their relatives. I'd love to chat with you if you want to share anything about his life etc. So glad you found my presentations and said hello! my email is siobhan@siobhanfallon.com
