| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| dave |
Posted - June 10 2004 : 10:08:38 AM
I'd just like to apologise in advance about the newbie nature of these questions. I can only defend myself by saying that I live in Australia, where Custer material is not commonly available, and I don't wish to spend a large amount of money (the Aussie$ is considerably weaker the the US$) importing the necessary books from the USA. That said, on to the questions.
In reading a review on Richard Fox's excavations on the battlefield, I found quote that referred to Fox discovering evidence of a skirmish line on Calhoun Hill. The reviewer stated that Fox had found mounds of expended cartridges in a line, approximately 5 yards apart.
Is this true? and if it is true, was Fox able to determine how many soldiers formed the skirmish line. And is there any evidence of skirmish lines from any of the neighbouring hills or ridges, such as Nye-Cartwright?
As a sort of follow up question.
I've read that something like 52 bodies were positively identified after the battle. Were any of Calhouns company identified from parts of the battlefield other than Calhoun hill?
And were there any soldiers from other companies (apart from Keogh's) found on Calhoun Hill?
Basically as you might have worked out by now, I'm just trying to establish whether the archeological evidence suggests 1 company, 2 companies or 5 companies involved in the inital defence of Calhoun Hill.
Anyway, thanks in advance to anyone who wants to reply.
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| joseph wiggs |
Posted - July 30 2004 : 9:49:13 PM
In such a hard cruel world, to be blessed with a bit of fantasy is to be blessed indeed! |
| Anonymous Poster8169 |
Posted - July 29 2004 : 11:04:05 PM
And half of it's fantasy, if your posts are any indication.
R. Larsen
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| joseph wiggs |
Posted - July 29 2004 : 9:33:33 PM
I can't determine which phrase I like best, "Empty bile" or "nonsensical driblets." Both are exceptionally good. Now that I think of it, "nonsensical driblets" has a certain ring to it. Yep, that's the one I choose!Your reference to rank is revealing, I have a real life. |
| Dark Cloud |
Posted - July 19 2004 : 10:20:45 PM
He'll think you're serious, you realize.... |
| Anonymous Poster8169 |
Posted - July 19 2004 : 1:41:42 PM
quote:
Originally posted by joseph wiggs
This secretion of empty bile all comes from a person who has yet to explain, or retract, ANY of his numerous lies. And out of the 250 posts you must have written by now, that runs to a long litany. I doubt you've even authored 5 which show original thought and honesty towards others, and considering your history, granting you that many is generous. I can't see any reason for you being here, other than that you're angling for a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, which must explain why you keep on spamming the Indian Viewpoints board with those nonsensical driblets.
D. C. Largent
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| Dark Cloud |
Posted - July 18 2004 : 10:51:43 PM
It's spelled Larsen, Wiggs. Good eye, careful reading. Again.
Insofar as any words on this forum are considered 'large' by anyone, like yourself, or that anyone (probably you alone) simply doesn't understand them, is an issue reflective upon the reader, not the writer, who uses them correctly and well, by and large. And obviously, to effect.
As I've said, Lorenzo can defend himself, he doesn't need you and is not assisted by your presence. You, on the other hand, need him to hide behind. Won't let you do that. That's because you're the only one who has lied on the forum. You alone.
While it's true that I don't think either of you read or write English as well as you each think, I've told him directly why I'm not spending time on his posts anymore; on the upside, I was one of the few that engaged him on his content at all, rather than just issuing pats on the head for participating. |
| joseph wiggs |
Posted - July 18 2004 : 9:39:19 PM
Dc/Largent,
You are incorrect when you equate your "ranting and raving" as "shredding" me. Your pompous remarks which contain not a "shred" of real information only continue to illustrate your inability to discuss issues in an intelligent manner. I have never, prior to reading your threads, encounterd such LARGE WORDS which mean absolutely nothing. Your remarks to Lorenzo were sickening but, so is much of what you say.
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| Dark Cloud |
Posted - July 11 2004 : 08:52:58 AM
Surely NOT you, Frank.
And Wiggs, don't worry about Lorenzo. He can use BabelFish, even if he is a put-on. You, on the other hand, need to explain your fabrications and attributions of them to other people. Also, you might want to corral your tendency to add three adjectives that sound telling rather than make sense. You've been shredded all over this board, and your tantrum in the Indian Viewpoint section is most illustrative. |
| joseph wiggs |
Posted - July 10 2004 : 10:53:46 PM
Lorenzo, I would very much prefer to read your eloquent and sincere comments over the pompous, erroneous, brusque utterings of a select few. We need a lot more of you Lorenzo, and a lot less of them. Dark Cloud's comments against you are unworthy of response. |
| frankboddn |
Posted - July 09 2004 : 01:05:24 AM
Lorenzo, your English is fine. Anyone who is able to speak and understand English is able to understand what you're saying, so you don't need to apologize, especially to darkcloud. I'd be curious how many on this board are bilingual or could take part in a forum board in, say, Italy. NOt many. Surely not I. Keep up the good work. I applaud you. |
| wILD I |
Posted - July 08 2004 : 10:10:38 AM
Hi DC
As above.69 and myself have kicked this about a fair bit and there is not much more to add except one or two points.
Gray has no basis for concluding that Custer viewed any of this info as particularly grave news.
Wheather Custer viewed the info as grave or not is irrelevant because there was no going back. Custer was so committed he would not even put his command in a defensive mode.
I agree with or at least will not dispute your other points.
The problem I have with Gray's book [and many others]is that he suggests Custer went through a series of manoeuvers including feints,dummies,rearguard actions and recons in the presence of an audience of 1500 raging hostiles.
Cheers
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| Anonymous Poster8169 |
Posted - July 08 2004 : 10:00:17 AM
quote:
Originally posted by wILD I
I believe Benteen actually stated that by returning he had in fact disobeyed orders.Is this not correct?
He did years later, and maybe came to convince himself that that was so, but his official post-battle report shows that this was hyperbole at best. "... if in my judgment there was nothing to be seen of Indians, Valleys, &c., in the direction I was going, [my instructions were] to return with the battalion to the trail the command was following. I accordingly did so...."
quote:
I'm not sure where this is coming from, but a lot of stuff happened in those 45 minutes.
I was trying to show that armed with the same information as Cooke Weir became alarmed.
But it's not the same information. What Weir saw at 4:20 is not the same as what Cooke saw at 3:34.
quote:
But there's no evidence Cooke thought these things were "necessary for their survival" at 3:34. And nobody at the time read the message in that spirit.
That "spirit" changes when Weir sees the state of Reno's command.
But that was a long time later. A drastically different situation.
quote:
There is no more that I can add to this discussion 69 at this time so let's agree to disagree on this point.Thanks for your most interesting views,I have enjoyed the exchange and I'll leave the last word to you.
Thanks. I agree this thing has run its course, but I enjoyed it as well and thought it brought up a lot of interesting points.
R. Larsen
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| wILD I |
Posted - July 08 2004 : 09:28:32 AM
Hi 69
his orders were to use his judgment and notify Custer if he found Indians in the LBH valley, and if not, return to the trail. I believe Benteen actually stated that by returning he had in fact disobeyed orders.Is this not correct?
I'm not sure where this is coming from, but a lot of stuff happened in those 45 minutes.
I was trying to show that armed with the same information as Cooke Weir became alarmed.
But there's no evidence Cooke thought these things were "necessary for their survival" at 3:34. And nobody at the time read the message in that spirit.
That "spirit" changes when Weir sees the state of Reno's command.
..........Weir................................Cooke..................
Reads "come quick" message..........Writes "come quick" message
Sees state of Reno's troops.........Sees Reno being attacked
Hears firing........................Comes under fire
Benteen makes no forward move.......Knows Benteen and packs 2hours off
Becomes alarmed..................Every thing going to plan ?????
There is no more that I can add to this discussion 69 at this time so let's agree to disagree on this point.Thanks for your most interesting views,I have enjoyed the exchange and I'll leave the last word to you.
Best Regards
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| Anonymous Poster8169 |
Posted - July 07 2004 : 5:56:54 PM
quote:
Originally posted by wILD I
Hi 69
How could Cooke "know" Benteen was on a diverging course when he wrote this note?
Because 3 seperate messengers were sent after him, directing him onto yet another valley and because no recall message was sent to him.
But Benteen wasn't on a diverging course, and Cooke's directions to Martin were to follow the main trail with his message to Benteen. Nothing mentioned about galloping off it into the Great American Desert in quest of the meandering captain. No recall message was ever going to be sent to Benteen, because redundant: his orders were to use his judgment and notify Custer if he found Indians in the LBH valley, and if not, return to the trail.
quote:
When Benteen arrives at Reno hill at 4.20, 40 minutes after Cookes message ,Weir becomes very agitated and wants to rush forward to Custers assistance.Now what did Weir know at 4.20 that Cooke did not know at 3.34?Why did a "favourable" situation at 3.34 become so alarming at 4.20?
I'm not sure where this is coming from, but a lot of stuff happened in those 45 minutes.
quote:
If Cooke thought that the reinforcements and ammo were necessary for their survival then although the situation 3.34 was not as yet desperate the message itself was desperate.
But there's no evidence Cooke thought these things were "necessary for their survival" at 3:34. And nobody at the time read the message in that spirit. The situation wasn't desperate, the message doesn't read desperate, yet you'd have us believe that Cooke felt desperate .... but kept it to himself? Stoic man, he.
quote:
Cooke knows where Benteen's orders should take him and therefore the actions of HQ group should be based on the fact that Benteen and packs are at least 2 hours away.
If Martin's directions have anything to say about it, Cooke thought Benteen should have been back on the main trail by then.
quote:
Halted,outnumbered,driven into the timber ,ammo low and no sign of support. You are trying to tell me that this was not seen as serious?
Who knows if it was? And how could they know if the ammo was low? Many of the Indians themselves were surprised when Reno's men abandoned the timber, meaning their predicament didn't look as serious to some. And their feelings were echoed by some of Reno's own men, as well as by Custer's surviving messengers.
quote:
The rate of fire depends on the eagerness of the Indians to attack and that day they were more than eager to attack.
Reno's casualties were slight at that point, so how eager are we talking about. And I'd be fascinated to learn the real world rate of fire in Indian fighting. I don't know the answer, and it seems nobody else here does, which seems like quite a gap in our collective knowledge. An annoying gap.
quote:
I don't know, that's why I'm asking.
A hundred rounds will last a nervious frightened trooper about as long as it takes him to piss his pants.
That doesn't answer my question. That is one long piss, though.
quote:
So having misjudged the ammo /reinforcement/enemy numbers they now misjudge the time element.
Wouldn't be a surprise. A lot of misjudgments happen to forces that get annihilated. Looking at the results, I doubt the C & C boys were much on top of things.
quote:
You will recall that we are discussing Cooke here and not Custer because Cooke is a professional soldier who unlike Custer has no private agenda and would have seen how dangerious a situation Custer was leading them into.At 3.34 according to you they have misjudged everything or else its Custer's agenda they are following.
I don't know what you think Custer's "private agenda" was, but yes, I do think they probably made mistakes. And one of them may have been underestimating the gravity of Reno's predicament. As for Cooke, he could just as easily be called a mercenary and a murderer as he could a professional soldier, and with reason. I see no basis for such an elevated faith in Cooke's competence; Custer was a proven combat leader, and had led brigades -- not companies, not platoons, BRIGADES -- to victory, multiple times. What had Cooke ever done?
quote:
Forget Martin, he didn't even notice his horse had benn shot---I mean the hostiles were now close enough to shoot the messenger???????
We can't forget Martin. He was there, and he was the man the desperate Cooke, you'd have us believe, with everything falling apart around him, chose to send on this mission of critical importance, with the whole battle hinging on the results.
And his picked man ..... dead eye Gio Martini, the bugle boy.
quote:
He had been appointed as orderly for that day.I imagine that there were many troopers who's command of English was not the greatest.
Cheers
And many whose command was. Sharrow, native speaker. Mask, native speaker. Voss, in country since the 1860s. Dose too. All these men were there in HQ to send, and if need be Cooke could have picked someone else outside the detail, like Kanipe. Again, if you're feeling that things are going to shi-t and you desperately need Benteen to understand this and respond in kind, you're committing suicide picking a guy like Martin. Send Sharrow. Hell, send that boy Reed. At least he can talk.
R. Larsen
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| Dark Cloud |
Posted - July 07 2004 : 11:46:13 AM
Gray has no basis for concluding that Custer viewed any of this info as particularly grave news. His view of Custer at this point I believe stems from his great resentment to how Custer had been portrayed and defamed through the sixties and seventies. I share the anger, but Gray's prejudices become pronounced and his conclusions forced.
This in no way negates the effort and result of his time charts, which remain the tyrannosaur in all this. Till you can break that down, we're left with those charts. Recent authors simply ignore it.
Gray's insistence that Benteen claimed his scout was over fifteen miles longer and away than the other troops is wrong. Benteen, in one of his early written efforts, says that the mileage from where he left Custer to begin his scout to where he saw Custer again on LSH was about fifteen miles. (I'm not by my references; this is from memory) That's pretty much correct. Benteen refers to his scout as fifteen miles, plus or minus, and his detractors see this as a lie: that Benteen is claiming that mileage from leaving the command to where he rejoined Custer's trail, using it as an excuse. Benteen never actually said that, did he?
It's sort of like the theory that two minutes after the lead in Yates' column at MTC started heading north that the crappy shots in the 7th's other three companies were unleashed to hit Indians crossing over MTC a mile or more away.
There are many mutual exclusives here. If MTC was lightly defended, where did all these warriors come from in seven minutes? Since the alleged volleys came AFTER the Indians crossed over and hopefully came closer than one mile to the trembling carbines of the 7th, sorta looks like they were coming over in force and at speed to encourage the 7th to go to the next ridge north and shoot and then further yet to the 'reunion' and final arrangement of bodies. Since Gray has them on Luce for only two minutes, the nine volleys - if true - probably occured in those two minutes.
Gray's scenario of Yates' group partially on foot coming to the reunion point and Custer clearing the left side of deep coulee of Sioux - obviously more and different than the ones shot at from Luce - before joining Yates is another stretch for me. It makes the continued 'attack' north even LESS comprehensible.
Such a quick response to Custer's "feint" of a size demanding volley fire would suggest that the Sioux with Reno were superfluous to the fight with Custer, and just came to pile on a doomed and retreating entity. |
| wILD I |
Posted - July 07 2004 : 05:21:57 AM
Hi 69
How could Cooke "know" Benteen was on a diverging course when he wrote this note?
Because 3 seperate messengers were sent after him, directing him onto yet another valley and because no recall message was sent to him.
So although Benteen had in fact rejoined the main trail, if he was to obey Cooke order and bring the packs it would have taken him at least 2 hours to reach Custer.
So here we have an urgent message sent to a unit,whereabouts unknown,arrival time unknown.Now to go along with your theory we must assume that the arrival of reinforcements and ammo were not seen as critical.Also that Reno's situation was not critical because not a round of ammo or a man had been directed to him in spite of Custer's assurance that he would be supported.
When Benteen arrives at Reno hill at 4.20, 40 minutes after Cookes message ,Weir becomes very agitated and wants to rush forward to Custers assistance.Now what did Weir know at 4.20 that Cooke did not know at 3.34?Why did a "favourable" situation at 3.34 become so alarming at 4.20?
If Cooke thought that the reinforcements and ammo were necessary for their survival then although the situation 3.34 was not as yet desperate the message itself was desperate.
What evidence do you have that Cooke knew where Benteen was, and that this was out of supporting range? Real evidence, not assertions.
Cooke knows where Benteen's orders should take him and therefore the actions of HQ group should be based on the fact that Benteen and packs are at least 2 hours away.
They knew he was halted and on the defensive.
Doesn't equate to serious trouble.
Halted,outnumbered,driven into the timber ,ammo low and no sign of support. You are trying to tell me that this was not seen as serious?
and a round a minute would give them plenty of time.
The rate of fire depends on the eagerness of the Indians to attack and that day they were more than eager to attack.
I don't know, that's why I'm asking.
A hundred rounds will last a nervious frightened trooper about as long as it takes him to piss his pants.
Just as easily could mean they thought time was indeed on their side.
So having misjudged the ammo /reinforcement/enemy numbers they now misjudge the time element.
You will recall that we are discussing Cooke here and not Custer because Cooke is a professional soldier who unlike Custer has no private agenda and would have seen how dangerious a situation Custer was leading them into.At 3.34 according to you they have misjudged everything or else its Custer's agenda they are following.
For example, provide one source --- one piece of evidence --- that shows what Cooke's feelings were
I can't ,but I'v shown what info he has recieved and outlined the developing situation which he would have been aware of. And if I take the liberty to once again move the time onto when Bouyer arrives with what Gray decribes as grave news ,Custer takes no corrective action, although whatever plan he has is unravelling before his eyes.
Martin, the one man who was there with him and lived to talk about it, saw nothing desperate in Cooke. Or in Custer, for that matter. Forget Martin, he didn't even notice his horse had benn shot---I mean the hostiles were now close enough to shoot the messenger???????
why send Martin,
He had been appointed as orderly for that day.I imagine that there were many troopers who's command of English was not the greatest.
Cheers
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| Anonymous Poster8169 |
Posted - July 06 2004 : 10:29:37 AM
Urban legend. I thought that Logue was the one supposed to have discovered it, though now that I check I see that John Foley was interviewed and made the claim for himself. According to him it read-
"Whoever finds this note give it to Capt. Nolan....
Capt. Nolan, you may have everything belonging to me".
Not even Camp was willing to believe that one.
R. Larsen
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| Dark Cloud |
Posted - July 05 2004 : 8:51:46 PM
I hadn't heard that, and as such I owe you and Crab an apology. I thought you were pulling his leg.
So.....does anyone believe it? What did Nowlan say, and what was the purported message from Cooke? I suspect it to have been something in the nature of an Urban Legend. |
| Anonymous Poster8169 |
Posted - July 05 2004 : 12:13:28 PM
quote:
Originally posted by El Crab
Never heard there was a rumor about a note found in Cooke's hand. Source?
It's in the published Camp material. A trooper from L Company (William Logue) made a name for himself by claiming that he had found a note in Cooke's hand, which was then commandeered by Lt. Nowlan and never after saw the light of day. A lot of enlisted men seem to have believed it, but you know how much that's worth.
R. Larsen
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| Anonymous Poster8169 |
Posted - July 05 2004 : 12:04:27 PM
quote:
Originally posted by wILD I
Hi 69
Where Benteen was: Cooke may or may not have had a good idea.
Cooke knew Benteen had been ordered to go valley hunting.So at the time of writing the message, Cooke knew that Benteen if following orders was on a dirvirging course, taking him further away from the main action.The instructions Benteen got were open ended,limited neither by time nor distance.3 Troops now urgently required were as far as Cooke was concerned vanishing down the yellow brick road.
How could Cooke "know" Benteen was on a diverging course when he wrote this note? For one, Benteen wasn't, and two, we have no evidence Cooke thought so. Martin's orders were to take the main trail and meet Benteen. No evidence exists from which to claim that "as far as Cooke was concerned" Benteen was off to Oz.
quote:
We frankly don't know, at all. We don't know what information Custer was getting from his own men, flankers, advance squad, etc. Are you suggesting that it is a possibility that Cooke/Custer may have know that Benteen was actually returning from his valley hunt and that the message was only to direct him to Custer?
Of course it's a possibility. You don't recognize that? Benteen's orders were to use his own judgment, send a courier if he met any Indians, if not return to the main trail. They heard nothing from him. They could not know for certain where Benteen was, but they may have thought they had a good idea, hence the message and the injunction to keep to the trail.
quote:
Now If this is what you are saying, you've got to back it up with some sort of evidence.All our discussions here are speculation based on the best evidence we have.Now if you want to refute what I'v posted produce the evidence.
What evidence do you have that Cooke knew where Benteen was, and that this was out of supporting range? Real evidence, not assertions.
quote:
The most critical bits of info on your list, which probably would have induced desperation on their part, are all ex post facto. Not at all.What I have listed is in the correct sequence and there is prima facia evidence that Cooke was aware to these actions at the time of writing the message.
What I was talking about was finding out that Reno had retreated.
quote:
We can't know that they thought Reno was in serious trouble;They knew he was halted and on the defensive.
Doesn't equate to serious trouble.
quote:
They knew he was expecting support.
They're bringing it.
quote:
They knew that at 2 rounds a minute Reno could hold out for 50 minutes.[or if you want longer try to imagine what a rate of one round a minute will achieve]They knew time was running out and they had to attack.
Which they're doing, and a round a minute would give them plenty of time.
quote:
You, for example, state that they knew Reno only had a half-hour's ammunition. I doubt this.
How long do you think 100 rounds will last when under attack by hundreds of hostiles?
I don't know, that's why I'm asking.
quote:
They did continue on to the village after Martin left, which suggests to me that they felt that Reno was good to hold on for at least that long.
It suggests that there was a time element in this and it was not on their side.
Just as easily could mean they thought time was indeed on their side. Something I'm not sure you appreciate is that the things they knew, or may have known, could have led to several conclusions and/or misjudgments. Wishful optimism among them. That, anyway, is what we get from Martin and Kanipe. Both remembered Custer being in quite a rah-rah mood.
quote:
They had other possible sources of information, you know --- their own eyes, flankers, advance guards. All potentially error-prone.
Is it not rather strange that of the 4 messengers who reached Custer none of them carried favourable info, yet you suggest that there may have been other sources of favourable info.Well let's have them.
Sure. Martin: "they're skedaddling." Kanipe: "We got 'em, boys". If they could reach these conclusions from what they saw, others could have also. Is it not strange that the last 2 messengers who left him all thought things were going great?
quote:
If you dig up a lost diary
I'm afraid 69 it is your theory that needs that lost diary otherwise you have no other sources.
I don't think I need one. My argument is that we can't know what Cooke was thinking when he wrote the note, because we don't have the sources, and what we've got doesn't direct us to your conclusion.
For example, provide one source --- one piece of evidence --- that shows what Cooke's feelings were, at any point of the battle. You can't. All you can do is say that Cooke knew this, and knew that, therefore he MUST have been feelin' pretty down. But your own arguments twist you to the floor. Custer, you've said, was not thinking the same way as wise and valiant Cooke. How, if even you think the same information could lead to two different conclusions, is one justified in saying that one man had any particular viewpoint?
That's not the other hole in your theory. Cooke's note, which started all this, includes no hint of desperation. None. Martin, the one man who was there with him and lived to talk about it, saw nothing desperate in Cooke. Or in Custer, for that matter.
Had Cooke really thought things were going to shi-t, it then begs the question: why send Martin, the most inexperienced and verbally crippled messenger used that day? It would make a lot more sense to send somebody who spoke English and could make Benteen understand the graveness of the situation. Sharrow, for instance; he had already gone to Benteen with orders about the scout, was one of the regiment's more experienced soldiers, and would be a logical choice to send on this desperate, forlorn hope. Not the thick-witted Italian .... anybody, anybody but him.
R. Larsen
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| Dark Cloud |
Posted - July 05 2004 : 11:48:12 AM
Just to play Captain Bringdown here, the main reason we have concluded there was no fighting to speak of at MTC was the lack of shells found.
Earlier this year, I think BHist pointed out that when the railroad was built, it used to stop for picnics at MTC and the people would search and pillage casings and anything else. That's the sort of actual event over a period of time which sorta degrades the surety there was no fighting there, nor attempt to cross. Of course, this hardly proves the opposite.
Still, it was a crossing into the village, wide enough, shallow enough, and right in front of him. Time was of issue, opportunity at hand. Yet... |
| Anonymous Poster8169 |
Posted - July 05 2004 : 11:00:23 AM
quote:
Originally posted by joseph wiggs
It's clear you haven't been reading the thread. Boston arrived after Cooke had already sent the note off with Martin; he's irrelevant.
R. Larsen
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| wILD I |
Posted - July 05 2004 : 07:00:02 AM
Hi 69
Where Benteen was: Cooke may or may not have had a good idea.
Cooke knew Benteen had been ordered to go valley hunting.So at the time of writing the message, Cooke knew that Benteen if following orders was on a dirvirging course, taking him further away from the main action.The instructions Benteen got were open ended,limited neither by time nor distance.3 Troops now urgently required were as far as Cooke was concerned vanishing down the yellow brick road.
We frankly don't know, at all. We don't know what information Custer was getting from his own men, flankers, advance squad, etc. Are you suggesting that it is a possibility that Cooke/Custer may have know that Benteen was actually returning from his valley hunt and that the message was only to direct him to Custer?That it was a case of no need to panic, Benteen is on his way with the ammo?
Now If this is what you are saying, you've got to back it up with some sort of evidence.All our discussions here are speculation based on the best evidence we have.Now if you want to refute what I'v posted produce the evidence.
The most critical bits of info on your list, which probably would have induced desperation on their part, are all ex post facto. Not at all.What I have listed is in the correct sequence and there is prima facia evidence that Cooke was aware to these actions at the time of writing the message.
We can't know that they thought Reno was in serious trouble;They knew he was halted and on the defensive.They knew he was expecting support.They knew that at 2 rounds a minute Reno could hold out for 50 minutes.[or if you want longer try to imagine what a rate of one round a minute will achieve]They knew time was running out and they had to attack.
You, for example, state that they knew Reno only had a half-hour's ammunition. I doubt this.
How long do you think 100 rounds will last when under attack by hundreds of hostiles?
They did continue on to the village after Martin left, which suggests to me that they felt that Reno was good to hold on for at least that long.
It suggests that there was a time element in this and it was not on their side.
They had other possible sources of information, you know --- their own eyes, flankers, advance guards. All potentially error-prone.
Is it not rather strange that of the 4 messengers who reached Custer none of them carried favourable info, yet you suggest that there may have been other sources of favourable info.Well let's have them.
If you dig up a lost diary
I'm afraid 69 it is your theory that needs that lost diary otherwise you have no other sources.
Regards
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| Dark Cloud |
Posted - July 04 2004 : 11:52:22 PM
Crab,
Crook your little finger. Insert into mouth with nail in right cheek. Pull to the right. It'll come to you. |
| El Crab |
Posted - July 04 2004 : 10:38:23 PM
Never heard there was a rumor about a note found in Cooke's hand. Source? |
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