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Captain Benteen's Two Views of the Reno Valley Fight

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Captain Benteen's Two Views of the Reno Valley Fight Captain Benteen’s Two Views of Indians there engaged in demolishing about 13 men as I thought on the skirmish line.”5 the Reno Valley Fight Second view is Benteen’s letter to his wife July 4. By Gerry Schultz “My Darling,” … “When getting on top of hill so that th On the 25 of June, 1876, the U.S. Seventh Cavalry the village could be seen – I saw an immense number crossed the divide of the Wolf Mountains and of Indians on the plain – mounted of course and descended into the valley of the Little Bighorn. The charging down on some dismounted men of Reno’s Army followed a tributary, Ash Creek that flowed to command; the balance of R’s command were the Little Bighorn River. mounted, and flying for dear life to the bluffs on the same side of river that I was.”6 Captain Benteen and his battalion of three Companies H, D, and K, were ordered to the left of General The following is written close to chronological order, Custer, on a valley hunt. Benteen described his forming an event-timeline. Certain events need to orders, “to proceed out into a line of bluffs about 4 or take place in advance, leading up to Captain 1 5 miles away, to pitch into anything I came across.” Benteen’s two views of Major Reno’s valley fight. Captain Benteen’s battalion moved south of Ash creek, separating from General Custer’s and Major Events leading up to Benteen’s RCOI View Reno’s battalions. These events take place to set the stage: General Custer with five companies and Major Reno Major Reno received orders to cross the Little with three companies, continued down Ash Creek to Bighorn and strike the village. Reno moved down the the Little Bighorn River. Reno received orders to valley. About a mile distant from the upper end of the cross the river at and strike the village. Before village, Reno ordered the three companies in a single reaching the river, Custer and his five companies line. Galloping, the troops went together neck and would turn right and ascend the bluffs to the north. neck with the officers riding in order, a little in Captain Benteen, separated from Custer, would advance of their respective companies.7 Company G continue on the valley hunt until he did not see any on the left, Co A in the middle and Co M on the right. Indians, returned to and followed down Ash Creek to Major Reno saw Indians coming out of a ravine. the Little Bighorn. Reaching the river, Benteen Reno stated that he “could not successfully make on viewed the battle underway and then moved north offensive charge. Their numbers had thrown me on and viewed the battle the second time. the defensive.”8 “Halt! Prepare to fight on foot- dismount”9 The following events are based on Captain Benteen’s two views of Major Reno’s fight in the valley. The Reno stopped the gallop and said he “dismounted by first view as viewed from Ford A, is documented in telling the company officers. Lieut. Hodgson gave the the RCOI, (Record of a Court Of Inquiry2 sometimes order to company G, and I gave it to the companies referred to as Reno Court of Inquiry) and the second M and A, I gave the order to dismount and prepare to view is written in a letter that Benteen wrote to his fight on foot, and their horses would be sheltered in Wife, July 4, 1876. Nine days after the battle.3. this point of timber.”10 First view is Benteen’s RCOI view from ford “A” Major Reno ordered the soldiers to form a skirmish line. A skirmish line is a line of soldiers standing, Captain Benteen stated, “At the ford “A”; that was knelling, or lying about five foot apart from each my first sight of the Little Big Horn. There I saw an other. The men were standing at the point of engagement going on and I supposed it was the dismount and the horses were taken into the timber. whole regiment. There were twelve or thirteen men in Co A took their horses into a small glade in the skirmish line that appeared to have been beaten back. opening of the timber while Co M and G go further The line was then parallel with the river and the down to the flat bottom clearing and hold their horses Indians were charging and re-charging through those below. men.”4 In a later statement Benteen said, “I did not hear any firing till I got right at the ford “A”, and The three Company lines wheeled out to full then I saw and heard it both. There were at least 900 formation out over the plains, facing the Indians and the village to the north. This maneuver looks like their tepees – that Major Reno was charging it and this: Imagine a minute hand on a clock pointing at killing everything”15 three. Co G is in the center of the clock or left side of the hand, A is in the middle of the hand, M is on the Reno on the skirmish line stated, “We had been out end of the hand at the three or on the right side of the there about fifteen or twenty minutes under a pretty hand. Then move the minute hand of the clock from hot fire. When word came to me from out the timber three to nine. G is still in the center but is now on the that the Indians were turning our right. I left Lieut. right, A is still in the middle of the hand, and M is on Hodgson, my Adjutant, to bring me word what went the nine but now on the left. The order of the on there, and I went with Company G to the banks of 16 companies reverse from G-A-M pointing to the three the river.” Reno entered the timber for the first time to M-A-G pointing to the nine. This reversing of the as Co G withdrew from the skirmish line. order of the three companies may have been as Lieutenant McIntosh of Co G and Major Reno took simple as Pvt Morris showed on his map. Where Co Co G into the timber and moved north to the river G on the left of the dismounting soldiers, first move past the G and M horse holders who were taking fire west and take the line adjacent to the timber. Co A from across the river. Reno stated, “I went with then moves beside Co G. Then Co M moves behind Company G to the banks of the river. I supposed Co G and Co A out into the open plains to the left of there were forty men in it. When I got there, I had a the skirmish line. Thus reversing the order of the good view of the tepees, and I could see many 11 companies. Co M would have been the last scattering tepees.”17 company to move out to the skirmish line for they had a squad of men reconnoitering the lower timber Captain Moylan of Co A, extended the skirmish line area for the horse holders and had formed a flanking to cover the area vacated by the withdrawing of Co skirmish line.12 G. Moylan and Hodgson are together on the edge of the timber. The skirmish line is deployed. Co M is on the left out towards the bluffs to the west, Co A in the middle, The skirmish line was flanked on the left and rear by and Co G on the right with the end resting on the one hundred plus mounted warriors while two timber. Facing downstream towards the Indian hundred ascended the bluffs to the west and another Village. two hundred were coming in on the front. There were probably five hundred Indians coming Co M turned the left of the skirmish line to face the from the direction of the village as Lieutenant west banks and the flanking warriors. Lt DeRudio Hodgson walked up and down the line encouraging said, “then the fire being on that flank, it turned.”18 the men to keep cool and fire low. Some of the men DeRudio would enter the timber. laid down while others knelt down.13 Back in Ash Creek, Lieutenant Edgerly Co D, stated, Captain Benteen’s Battalion at this time, was in Ash “About a mile of where Reno crossed the river, we Creek. Benteen has received Trumpeter Martini’s saw mounted men in the bottom-we could not see message from Lieutenant Cooke, conveyed from whether they were Indians or white men.”19 Edgerly Custer and the last message received from Custer’s stated, “Perhaps we heard faint firing a mile from battalion. “Benteen Come on, Big village be quick there”.20 bring pack. W.W. Cooke PS bring packs” Benteen’s Captain Moylan Co A on the skirmish line with Co command had three companies of troopers, about one M, responding to the flanking of the warriors, hundred twenty five soldiers.14 Benteen took the dropped to the edge of the timber, upon seeing Reno, advance of the troops. Captain Weir’s Company D “Called to him to come up there and look at the troop took the point, Co H following with Co K as situation of affairs himself, so that he might see how rearguard. The Battalion followed a trail that turned the thing was going.”21 Reno left the timber the first out to be Major Reno’s route to Ford A.
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