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Dark Cloud
Brigadier General
USA
Status: offline |
 Posted - March 22 2005 : 5:14:09 PM
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Other than being 'quite sick' for a few days, according to Bradley, his loyal subordinate, Gibbon seems to have not held anything up. There are no details, so it could have been anything from a cold to aching bones. That he retired - with Terry - to the boat doesn't sound that awful, and in Terry's absence I don't doubt Gibbon's subordinants could handle everything. Virtually all the officers had commanded larger numbers of men in the CW, including Brisbin. Gibbon had been shot up pretty good, and without good hips I don't get how he could ride around the West like he did, anyway. He made the ride up the LBH with everyone, so quick recovery from whatever it was. Doesn't sound that bad to me. And I don't see him handing over command while his own staff could function and carry out his orders.
And, if you assume the command was to be different, Gibbon's actions on the way to the unification could have been different if he knew he was to command it.
In any case, once united, Custer would be under Gibbon's command, so it's not like he could take off on his own, assuming all else the same. I don't think much, if anything, would be different, but no way to know. |
Dark Cloud
copyright RL MacLeod
darkcloud@darkendeavors.com
www.darkendeavors.com
www.boulderlout.com |
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donfisk
Recruit
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - March 27 2005 : 12:15:29 AM
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| Good evening all. I have never quite understood the anger at Reno for following the huge trail vs. continuing his scout. Wasn't the Army looking for a large Indian camp? What was he supposed to do, merely note it and wait until he finished his scout to inform Terry? Send a messenger immediately to Gen. Terry? Did Terry think there could be another, given the size of trail Reno reported? I'd bet Reno would have been ripped a new one, if not court martialed, had he not followed the trail. I know he didn't follow the letter of his orders, but he found the freaking Indians! 32 years in the military, taught me that orders can not and should not always be followed, if circumstances dictate other, more prudent actions. That's why officers make the big bucks. |
Don Fisk |
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El Crab
Brigadier General
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - March 27 2005 : 03:05:56 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by donfisk
Good evening all. I have never quite understood the anger at Reno for following the huge trail vs. continuing his scout. Wasn't the Army looking for a large Indian camp? What was he supposed to do, merely note it and wait until he finished his scout to inform Terry? Send a messenger immediately to Gen. Terry? Did Terry think there could be another, given the size of trail Reno reported? I'd bet Reno would have been ripped a new one, if not court martialed, had he not followed the trail. I know he didn't follow the letter of his orders, but he found the freaking Indians! 32 years in the military, taught me that orders can not and should not always be followed, if circumstances dictate other, more prudent actions. That's why officers make the big bucks.
They were mad because Reno risked revealing the soldiers' presence for very little reward. He went where he was told not to. They already had trails to follow.
It seemed they questioned Reno's logic. Why bother disobeying orders and moving that much closer to the village they sought and do nothing about it? He did bring back valuable information, but he exhausted the men and horses and possibly alerted the Indians of their presence. Custer was probably more upset because he was aggressive, and likely would have attacked if the opportunity presented itself.
And I think its telling that Custer skipped the scout of Tullock's Creek to follow the trail. Only he did so to move into a position to attack, not to just gather a little more info. So it probably peeved Custer that Reno disobeyed orders for so little gain. |
I came. I saw. I took 300 pictures. |
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wILD I
Brigadier General
Ireland
Status: offline |
Posted - March 28 2005 : 3:10:08 PM
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32 years in the military, taught me that orders can not and should not always be followed, if circumstances dictate other, more prudent actions. That's why officers make the big bucks
Great tactic that.Particularly when the commanders of all the other units do the same. |
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joseph wiggs
Brigadier General
Status: offline |
Posted - April 16 2005 : 9:39:42 PM
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Originally posted by wILD I
Correcto-mundo! He was quoted as saying: "Few officers have ever had so fine an opportunity to make a successful and telling strike, and few have ever so completely failed to improve their opportunity."
Sure Joe whatever you say.So instead of attacking he should have struck.
No sir (forgive my belated response)I do not suggest that Reno should have done anything other than what he did, get the hell out of there. There were too many Indians for him and Custer. That quote came from Custer who, subsequently, followed his own advice. The rest is history. |
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WHAT IF...CUSTER HAD COMMANDED THE DAKOTA COLUMN
