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WAITING ON RENO HILL

sources quoted in text

The witnesses make clear that after reaching Reno Hill, Major Reno wasn't under fire anymore. The warriors left him almost immediately, because they were watching the arrival of Captain Benteen and, close to him, the pack train (later, Benteen clamed that the packtrain was miles away from him, a lie confirmed by witnesses and Indian warriors).

Lieutenant Godfrey: "The Indians left Reno no more than 10 minutes after our arrival."

Sergeant Davern: "All the warriors left Reno when I arrived on the hill."

Lieutenant McClernand, of Terry's column asked Reno's survivors about the matter: "Reno had no opposition around him right after he arrived on Reno Hill."

Edgerly : "There were some Indians around the hill, but they weren't many. They were taking care of their wounded. I was too far away to see if they were warriors or old men and women."

Reno hadn't any threat around hill, while the Custer was engaging the Indians just in a ten-minutes gallop of his position. Major Reno spent 15 minutes near the river, looking for Hodgson's body, without being threatened by anyone.

Sioux warchief Red Horse was so worried about not engaging Reno that he stated: "I was worried that the other soldiers we had fought (Reno) would attack us in the rear. But they didn't do it. I thought they were lacking ammunition."

At that time, Major Reno and Captain Benteen had around 400 men, with the pack train and 24'000 rounds of ammunition. They didn't move until Captain Weir, angered by their behavior, left the hill without order. Reno screamed at him, but Benteen eventually followed Weir 30 minutes after his departure.

Arriving on a hill named Weir Point, Benteen took a look on Custer's position, then ordered (according to Private George Glenn) to fall back. Contrary to the myth, the only Indian force Benteen was facing was Low Dog's small band of warriors.

As Lieutenant Edgerly stated (RCOI): "The Indians didn't repulse us. The order was to fall back and we fell back."
Lieutenant Godfrey: "There wasn't a fight at all."

Reno and Benteen fell back on Reno Hill without any Indian threat, while Custer took a stand on his hill.

Sioux chief Sitting Bull stated : "The soldiers were looking on the hills in the East, and in every direction. They were looking for the other soldiers on the hills, hoping that these soldiers would come and help them."

While Custer is waiting for support and in the middle of a fierce battle, Captain Weir is asking Reno (black mustache and red scarf) and Benteen to go help Custer. They both refuse.

TESTIMONIES

Private Peter Thompson, Company C, 7^th cavalry, after Little Bighorn, Medal of Honor for bravery at the Little Bighorn

As I stood looking at [Major Reno] I could not help wondering if he knew what his duty was. Here he was with about four hundred men surrounded by hordes of savages. If ever soldiers needed a good example it was here. Did he show such an example ? Did he show how a true soldier should act under difficulties? And die if needs be in the defense of his country ? No ! Instead of this he kept himself in a hole where there was no danger of being struck and no doubt he would have pulled the hole in after him if he could [have].”

source: Robert Nightengale, Little Big Horn, FarWest Publishing, 1996, p.164

Lieutenant Edward Godfrey, Company K, 7^th cavalry, after Little Bighorn

"Reno was already in the fight and his (Custer's) own battalion was separated from the attack by a distance of two and a half to three miles. He had no reason to think that Reno would not push his attack vigorously. A commander seldom goes into battle counting on the failure of his lieutenant; if he did, he would provide that such a failure should not turn into disaster.

"During a long time after the junction of Reno and Benteen (on Reno Hill) we heard firing down the river in the direction of Custer's command. We were satisfied that Custer was fighting the Indians somewhere, and the conviction was expressed that "our command ought to be doing something or Custer would be after Reno with a sharp stick."
We heard two distinct volleys which excited some surprise, and, if I mistake not, brought out the remark from some one that "Custer was giving it to them for all he is worth."

"Frankly, I do not believe Custer's command would have been rescued under Reno's leadership. At no time during the battle was his conduct such as to inspire confidence.
His faltering advances down the valley, his halting, his falling back to the defensive position in the woods in the old river bed before his command had suffered a single casualty in the ranks; his disorganized, panic retreat to the bluffs with practically no resistance, his conduct up to and during the siege, and until the arrival of General Terry was not such as to inspire confidence or even respect, except for his authority; and there was a time during the night of the 25th, when his authority, under certain conditions, was to be ignored.

We thought he ought to go, his attention was called to the firing on the Custer field; it was suggested that he go; he was waiting for the ammunition packs to replenish the ammunition; then he waited for the delayed pack train."

"(The Indians) all seemed to go down the river not more than 10 minutes after our arrival.”

source: Century Magazine, January 1892 (in William Graham, The Custer Myth, 1953, pages 129-145)

“I thought General Custer was below us and we could join him that we had no water and a few wounded; that we would have our casualties and burdens increased on the morrow.”

source: Captain Michael J. Koury, Diaries of Little Bighorn, page 11

Major Marcus Reno, commandant de bataillon Major Marcus Reno’s official report, 1876:

“We heard firing downriver and knew it could only be Custer.”

source: Nichols, Reno Court of Inquiry, page 642

Lieutenant Winfield Edgerly, compagnie D Lieutenant Winfield Edgerly:

“Shortly after I got to the hill, almost immediately, I heard firing and remarked heavy firing, by volleys, down the creek. Captain Weir came to me and said that General Custer was engaged and we ought to go down. I said I thought so too. (…) Captain Weir went away, walking up and down rather anxiously.”

source: Nichols, Reno Court of Inquiry, page 444

Lieutenant Luther Hare, chef des éclaireurs Lieutenant Luther Hare:

“It was just after Captain Benteen came up with his command. My attention was called to it by (Lieutenant) Godfrey. He asked if I heard that volley. I said yes, I heard two distinct volleys. That was just before I started for the pack train. "

"As soon as the command (Reno) got to the top of the hill, all the Indians left, about 100-150, and went downstream. Those that stayed in the bottom were taking care of the dead and wounded. We were too far away to tell whether they were warriors or old men and women.”

source: Nichols, Reno Court of Inquiry, page 290

Capitaine Myles Moylan, compagnie A

Captain Myles Moylan :

“I simply called (Lieutenant) McDougall’s attention to it and asked what he thought it was. He said he supposed it was General Custer firing at the other end of the village.”

source: Nichols, Reno Court of Inquiry, page 236

Capitaine Thomas McDougall, compagnie B et train de mulets Lieutenant Thomas McDougall :

“It was just two volleys. I told Major Reno about it and he said: “Captain, I just lost your lieutenant, he is lying down there.” (…) The firing was down the Little Bighorn from him and as I was going toward Major Reno, the firing was on my right. (…) I thought it must be General Custer and the Indians.”

source: Nichols, Reno Court of Inquiry, page 420

Lieutenant Charles Varnum, chef des scouts

Lieutenant Charles Varnum :

“About the time, or probably a few minutes after Benteen came up, I heard firing from away down stream and spoke of it to Lieutenant Wallace. (…) I heard the firing and said: “Jesus Christ, Wallace, hear that! And that!” Those were my words.”

“It was not like volley firing but a heavy fire, a sort of crash, crash. (…) It must have pertained to Custer’s command at the other end of the Indian village. (…) I thought he was having a warm time down there, a very hot fire evidently.”

source: Nichols, Reno Court of Inquiry, page 160

Civilian Packer Benjamin Churchill to the RCOI:

“The firing I heard appeared to come from the lower end of the village. Others heard it and spoke of it.”

source: Robert Nightengale, Little Big Horn, FarWest Publishing, page 113

Private Edward Davern, Reno's orderly :

“(While hearing the firing), I said to Captain Weir, “That must be General Custer fighting in the bottom.”

source: Nichols, Reno Court of Inquiry, page 57

Sergeant Ferdinand Culbertson:

“At first it was a couple of volleys, very heavy, afterwards it was lighter and appeared to be more distant. Lieutenant Varnum made the remark that General Custer was hotly engaged."

source: Nichols, Reno Court of Inquiry, page 373

John Burkman, ordonnance de Custer Private John Burkman:

"Long towards night o' the fust day -- the twentyfifth -- the smoke cleared some in the valley and most of the Indians begun dwindlin' away, goin' back to thar village fur a spell o' restin' and mournin' fur their dead, leavin' jist enough warriors around to keep us up thar on the hill. None o' us had eat since leavin' camp with Custer early that day. We chewed on hardtack and raw bacon but the vittals was like hay scratchin' down our dry throats, without any water.

All of us was purty much petered out. A lot o' the men jist dropped in their tracks and went to sleep, too tired to keer what happened next. I was one of them detailed to do night guard. I had to guard Reno's tent.

He had a keg in thar and he was drinkin' considerable. I couldn't see in but I could hear. Once, as I was marchin' past, I heerd him say to another officer that was with him, `Wall,' he says, `I wonder whar the Murat of the American army is by this time!'

source: Old Neutriment, Glendolin Damon Wagner, Ruth Hill Publishers, Boston, MA, 1934 pages 166-171

Chief Sitting Bull, Sioux hunkpapa:

Journalist: “Were not some warriors left in front of these entrenchments on the bluffs, near the right side of the map? (Reno Hill) Did not you think it necessary – did not the warchiefs think it necessary – to keep some of your young men there to fight the troops who had retreated to these entrenchments (Reno’s and Benteen’s men)?”

Sitting Bull: “No.”

Journalist: “Why?”

Sitting Bull: “You have forgotten.”

Journalist: “How?”

Sitting Bull: “You forget that only a few soldiers were left by the Long Hair on those buffs (Reno Hill). He took the main body of his soldiers with him (Custer’s battalion) to make the big fight down here on the left (Medicine Tail Coulee).

Journalist: “So there were no soldiers (warriors) to make a fight left in the entrenchments on the right hand bluff (Reno Hill, Reno’s and Benteen’s position)?”

Sitting Bull: “I have spoken. It is enough. The squaw could deal with them. There were none but squaws and papooses in front of (Reno’s and Benteen’s men) that afternoon.”

Source: “Wild Life on the Plains”, in Cyclorama of General Custer’s Last Battle, compiled by A. J. Donnelle, Promontory Press, 1889, pages 21-23

Lieutenant Edward McClernand, of Terry’s column, arrived on the battlefield on June 27, 1876. He drew maps of the battlefield and wrote several articles on the battle. Here’s what he wrote on Major Reno, who was the senior commander of Reno Hill:

“Some of (Reno’s) officers looking from the edge of the bluffs (from Reno Hill) at the large number of mounted warriors in the bottom below (the valley of the Little Bighorn), observed that the enemy suddenly started down the valley, and that in a few minutes scarcely a(n Indian) horseman was left in sight. Reno’s front was practically cleared of the enemy. It is not sufficient to say that there was no serious doubt about Custer being able to take care of himself. (Custer) had gone downstream with five troops, heavy firing was heard in that direction, it was evident a fight was on (…). (…) Reno with six troops (…) still ignored the well known military axiom to march to the sound of guns.”