Posted on 06/25/2007 6:45:11 AM PDT by drzz
In Memoriam: Custer's Last Stand, June 25, 1876
Private William Slaper : «Each man had secreted himself behind a slain horse. »
Lieutenant Charles DeRudio: “The horses were laying as if to suggest a barricade.”
Lieutenant Luther Hare: “The evidence on the Custer field indicated very hard fighting.”
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Reno court of Inquiry: “In regard to the severity of the fighting on General Custer’s battlefield, did you see any evidences that there was hard fighting there, or the contrary?
Lieutenant Godfrey: “I think there must have been a very hard fighting.
Reno court of Inquiry: “You think there was a hard struggle?”
Lieutenant Godfrey: Undoubtedly, there was a very hard struggle.”
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Lieutenant Edgerly: “I believe Custer fought very desperately.”
Lieutenant Edward McClernand, of Terry’s column: “Horse remains in a 30-foot diameter circle not badly done, evidently used as breastworks.”
Lieutenant Edward McClernand, of Terry’s column: “(The Custer Hill stand) showed more care taken in deploying and placing men than was shown in any other part of the entire field – including, of course, Reno’s several positions.”
Thunder Hawk’s wife: “It was quite a fight” (on Custer Hill)
Wooden Leg could see “that all the soldiers were killed except for a band that remained hidden behind their dead horses.”
Flying By: “(the stand) was made in the place where Custer would be killed, down at the end of the long ridge.”
Flying Hawk: “Custer made a stand on his hill.”
Gall: Gall neared the end of the ridge where the last soldiers were making a stand. “They were fighting good” he said.
Lights: he could see the soldiers who had fled the Keogh fight joining those making the stand on the hill.
Two Eagles: The most stubborn stand the soldiers made was on Custer Hill. From his position a short way north and west of that point, Two Eagles noticed the hilltop was very level and the soldiers took the spot to continue their defense. (…) “They were killed on top of the ridge” Two Eagles declared.
Red Hawk: The bluecoats were “falling back steadily to Custer Hill where another stand was made”, said Red Hawk. “Here the soldiers made a desperate fight.”
Two Moon: (…) Two Moon turned back to watch the fight. (…) The “grey bunch" was still fighting.
Standing Bear: Moving north along the ridge to where he could see better, Standing Bear noticed dismounted soldiers holding their horses by the bridles. “They were ready for us”, he said, and they began to shoot, “the bullets were just raining”. (…) Bear Horn rode up too close (to the last stand) and was himself shot down.
Iron Hawk: On Last Stand Hill, Iron Hawk saw about twenty men on horseback and about thirty men on foot. “The Indians pressed and crowded right in and around them on Custer Hill” But the soldiers weren’t ready to die. Said Iron Hawk,“We stood there a long time.”
Big Beaver: Big Beaver crawled back down the coulee to put a bit more distance between himself and the deadly soldiers bullets. (…) The Indians were rushing toward the hill where the soldiers were making their desperate fight.
http://www.custerwest.org
“That’s the usual hatred from cautious generals against the ones who fight and win...”
Ummmm, no, that’s the verdict of any clear-thinking, intellectually honest individual who takes the time and makes the effort to obtain the facts, and then makes a reasoned analysis based upon them.
“Patton was one of the best field commander. He was full of energy and it’s not surprising that many of his jealous comrades began to hate him...”
Questionable. As I’ve stated, his Russian and German counterparts were much more realistic in thie view of war, and often far more tactically and strategically adept. As for jealousies, it seems ego is a requirement for the job of General or else no one would want it. Patton was a colorful character and became a celebrity, which someonehow, seems to innoculate one against reasonable criticism (against all logic), but a great field commander? The verdict of history says otherwise.
Thank you VERY MUCH! I appreciate this information. I will be teaching elementary school...and what they’re doing at the college level is putting on a pedestal the Native Americans and criminalizing all things American....that is not to say that there weren’t wrongs committed by individuals, and this govt. (as they even today continue to do), but I’ll not be putting on a pedestal any people/nation just so that I can degrade another (i.e., Americans/America).
I’ve put this into a word doc so that I can refer to it for buying these books...thanks again so much.
Custer's men were mostly armed with single shot 45-70 cartridge carbines (not single shot muzzle loaders like in the Civil War).
Having fired this type of rifle myself, I can see where they would jam easily after repeated fire and you would have to take a knife to try and pry the expended cartridge shell from the breach. Anyone who has fired black powder cartridge rifles (or pistols) knows what I mean as black powder fouls and jams a gun very easily.
Research has shown that many of the Indians had Henry rim fire repeating rifles (predecessor to the Winchester rifle).
WTF are you talking about? - Put down the pipe and back away - far away ...
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