Posted on 06/22/2008 4:13:09 AM PDT by johnny7
With all do respect... no way. In fact, your scenario may have led to the destruction of the entire regiment.
If Custer had supported Reno from behind... and sent Benteen to help the Arikara's drive off the pony herd... your “standoff” theory would be very possible. Almost a given.
Still, knowing Custer's personality... “Custer's luck”... and his desire for a “big victory”... having Terry “rescue” him from the timber was tantamount to defeat. After the hostile's success at the Rosebud... this battle could only end in one way.
Nice site. bump
I have no problem with this.
your scenario may have led to the destruction of the entire regiment.
Not necessarily. Custer would have had to retreat from Custer Ridge, that's a given as it's pretty much indefensible ground. But with the three additional troops of Benteen's battalion he'd stand a far better chance of holding his own; at least for awhile.
As for Reno, he could have held on longer than he did. Members of his command said so afterward, although not all were in agreement. What I'm saying is, while Custer's decision to divide his command was bad judgment when not knowing the layout of the village or the area, it was Reno's and Benteen's actions that day that really sealed Custer's destruction. Had they acted more forthrightly, it's conceivable the issue could have become a standoff.
Again, this is all speculation. But I have a hard time with total command defeat had Custer been able to rally his entire command.
Danke.
Custer had long reverted to Lt. Col.
Lt. Col. was his brevet status...
For Native Americans, the 25th is “Victory Day” they see the battle as the day they outfought and defeated the cavalry and the hated (but respected) George Armstrong Custer.
“Had Reno not evacuated the valley...”
Janet Reno?
No, Mike Reno from Loverboy. ;-)
Custer held the rank of Lt. Colonel in the post war Army. His brevet status was Major General. Custer was second in command of the 7th Cavalry. Regimental Commander at the time of the Little Big Horn was Col. Samuel D. Sturgis. Custer was field commander of the Regiment.
Sturgis replaced Col. Andrew Johnson Smith (also a brevet Maj. General) as Regiment commander in 1869.
I thought brevet status was AFTER the civil war... hence the phrase, “A brevet or a coffin!”
A brevet rank was/is an “entitled” rank, often issued for valor or meritorious service. They were also issued to officers to fill higher ranks until authorizations were available. Thus, a major may hold the brevet rank of colonel, either through honor or regimental necessity, but not receive the pay of that rank. Brevets were common before, during and after the Civil War.
By “entitled” I mean it was more honorary than anything. The officer may wear the insignia of that rank, but the pay and often the responsibility wasn’t there. Because of his brevet of major general (awarded during the Civil War), Custer was often referred to as “General” when his actual service rank was Lieutenant Colonel.
Brevets were common during the Civil War. In fact an officer may hold more than one, based on his service with volunteer and regular Army units. Things could get real confusing real fast.
The big bugaboo was date of rank. A captain would be senior over another captain of the same regiment because his date of rank occurred first. Even promotions issued the same day in the same general order may be ranked upon who’s name was listed ahead of another. Big arguments ensued over this throughout the 19th Century.
I stand corrected...
Wyatt Earp, of course, was a Republican.
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.
WOW! He was awarded the rank of Colonel of volunteers, but then became a Captain in the regular Army. And later he received two brevets of different rank for meritorious service in two separate battles. The rank of Colonel of Volunteers would mean nothing in the regular Army, but his two brevets could make it confusing on how to address him.
As for Reno, he received a brevet of Brigadier General toward the end of the Civil War. Of course, he held the rank of Major in the post war Army.
Yep. The doin's in Tombstone were as much political posturing as anything. Earp vs. Behan = Republican vs. Democrat which extended to the town political structure vs. the "Cow-boys".
The 1880 elections in Pima County had Wyatt Earp backing Bob Paul (R) for County Sheriff over Charlie Shibell (D) who was the incumbent, even though Earp was Shibell's Tombstone deputy. The vote was close (mostly because of evident voter fraud in outlying areas) but Shibell won. Paul contested and later won his appeal to become Sheriff.
Meanwhile, a new county, Cochise, was being carved out of Eastern portions of Pima County. Democrats in the State Legislature were able to get John Behan awarded the position of Cochise County Sheriff (from Republican appointed Governor John Fremont). Earp had been close to Behan and thought Behan would award him the position of Undersheriff. But Behan awarded that plum to friend Harry Woods, an Earp antagonist. This was the beginning of the Earp/Behan feud (not to mention the issue of Josephine Marcus).
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