Sunday, July 2, 1876. Terry reaches the Yellowstone, Crook reaches Cloud Peak, News hits the Press

The Montana Column caught up with the Far West at Pease Bottom.  The wounded were disembarked so that troops and horses could be transported to the northern bank of the Yellowstone.

Gen. Terry wrote two telegrams to Gen. Sheridan.  One blamed Custer for failing to follow his orders, stating:“had Custer followed his directions received at the Rosebud June 22nd, the disaster may not have happened at all! I do not tell you this, to cast any reflection on Custer. For whatever errors he may have committed, he has paid the penalty, and you cannot regret his loss more than I do.” 

The blame game had begun.

Benteen wrote his wife, estimating native combatants at 5,000.

At Ft. Fetterman supplies were loaded to resupply Crook at Goose Creek.  Crook, however, was not at the base of Cloud Peak, hunting.

His party took two Bighorn Sheep and and a nice rustic meal, complete with peaches suspended in alcohol, consumed.

The first news reports of Custer's defeat were published by the The Canton Repository and Helena Herald. 

Last edition:

Saturday, July 1, 1876. Coloradans say yes to an anticipated state constitution.

Labels: 1870s, 1876, Colorado, Frontier Colorado, law

Wednesday, June 28, 1876. Burial detail.

Marcus Reno's detail began burying the dead on Last Stand Hill in shallow graves.

The graves were very shallow, reflecting that cavalry in the field really didn't have equipment suitable for digging graves.  During the battle itself digging in had proven to be difficult.  The extent to which the soldiers were barely covered would be shocking under modern circumstances, but then burying men where they fell would be too.  In the 19th Century, however, there was little other choice.

Last edition:

Tuesday, June 27, 1876. Terry and Gibbon arrive.

Labels: 1870s, 1876, Alfred Terry, Army, Battle of Little Big Horn, cavalry, Frederick Benteen, George A. Custer, Great Sioux War, Indian Wars, Little Big Horn River, Marcus Reno

Tuesday, June 27, 1876. Terry and Gibbon arrive.

Alfred Terry.

Terry's column arrived at the Little Big Horn.  He wrote his report to Gen. Sheridan on Last Stand Hill.

It is my painful duty to report that day before yesterday, the 25th instant, a great disaster overtook General Custer and the troops under his command. At 12 o'clock of the 22nd instant he started with his whole regiment and a strong detachment of scouts and guides from the mouth of the Rosebud; proceeding up that river about twenty miles he struck a very heavy Indian trail, which had previously been discovered, and pursuing it, found that it led, as it was supposed that it would lead, to the Little Big Horn River. Here he found a village of almost unlimited extent, and at once attacked it with that portion of his command which was immediately at hand. Major Reno, with three companies, A, G, and M, of the regiment, was sent into the valley of the stream at the point where the trail struck it. General Custer, with five companies, C, E, F, I, and L, attempted to enter about three miles lower down. Reno, forded the river, charged down its left bank, and fought on foot until finally completely overwhelmed by numbers he was compelled to mount and recross the river and seek a refuge on the high bluffs which overlook its right bank. Just as he recrossed, Captain Benteen, who, with three companies, D, H, and K, was some two (2) miles to the left of Reno when the action commenced, but who had been ordered by General Custer to return, came to the river, and rightly concluding that it was useless for his force to attempt to renew the fight in the valley, he joined Reno on the bluffs. Captain McDougall with his company (B) was at first some distance in the rear with a train of pack mules. He also came up to Reno. Soon this united force was nearly surrounded by Indians, many of whom armed with rifles, occupied positions which commanded the ground held by the cavalry, ground from which there was no escape. Rifle-pits were dug, and the fight was maintained, though with heavy loss, from about half past 2 o'clock of the 25th till 6 o'clock of the 26th, when the Indians withdrew from the valley, taking with them their village. Of the movements of General Custer and the five companies under his immediate command, scarcely anything is known from those who witnessed them; for no officer or soldier who accompanied him has yet been found alive. His trail from the point where Reno crossed the stream, passes along and in the rear of the crest of the bluffs on the right bank for nearly or quite three miles; then it comes down to the bank of the river, but at once diverges from it, as if he had unsuccessfully attempted to cross; then turns upon itself, almost completing a circle, and closes. It is marked by the remains of his officers and men and the bodies of his horses, some of them strewn along the path, others heaped where halts appeared to have been made. There is abundant evidence that a gallant resistance was offered by the troops, but they were beset on all sides by overpowering numbers. The officers known to be killed are General Custer; Captains Keogh, Yates, and Custer, and Lieutenants Cooke, Smith, McIntosh, Calhoun, Porter, Hodgson, Sturgis, and Reilly, of the cavalry. Lieutenant Crittenden, of the Twelfth Infantry, along with Acting Assistant Surgeon D. E. Wolf, Lieutenant Harrington of the Cavalry, and Assistant Surgeon Lord are missing. Captain Benteen and Lieutenant Varnum, of the cavalry are slightly wounded. Mr. B. Custer, a brother, and Mr. Reed, a nephew, of General Custer, were with him and were killed. No other officers than those whom I have named are among the killed, wounded, and missing.

It is impossible yet to obtain a reliable list of the enlisted men killed and wounded, but the number of killed, including officers, must reach two hundred and fifty. The number of wounded is fifty-one. The balance of report will be forwarded immediately.

 Benteen walked the ground of Last Stand Hill.  He later recounted:

I went over the battlefield carefully with a view to determine how the battle was fought. I arrived at the conclusion then, as I have now, that it was a rout, a panic, until the last man was killed ...

That there was no line formed on the battlefield. You can take a handful of corn and scatter it over the floor, and make just such lines, there were none. The only approach to a line was where 5 or 6 horses found at equal distances, like skirmishers. Ahead of those 5 or 6 horses there were 5 or 6 men at about the same distances, showing that the horses were killed and the riders jumped off and were all heading to get where General Custer was. That was the only approach to a line on the field. There were more than 20 killed there to the right. There were 4 or 5 at one place, all within a space of 20 to 30 yards. That was the condition all over the field and in the

I think, in all probability, that the men turned their horses loose without any orders to do so. Many orders might have been given, but few obeyed. I think that they were panic stricken; it was a rout, as I said before.

Last edition:

Monday, June 26, 1876 Day two of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Reno fights to hold his positions and against thirst, Gibbon marches south, Crook camps on Goose Creek.

Labels: 1870s, 1876, Alfred Terry, American Centennial, Battle of Little Big Horn, Frederick Benteen, George Crook, Little Big Horn River, Marcus Reno, U.S. Grant, Yellowstone Expedition

Monday, June 26, 1876 Day two of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Reno fights to hold his positions and against thirst, Gibbon marches south, Crook camps on Goose Creek..

The Battle of the Little Big Horn continued on with Reno and Benteen's command dug in on high ground. The day was marked by sniping fire and thirst.  Obtaining water was becoming critical with some troops volunteering for very dangerous trips down to the Little Big Horn.

Between the two days of the battle, June 25 and June 26, twenty-four men serving under Benteen performed acts of heroism that would result in their receiving the Medal of Honor.  Most of that was associated with retrieving water.  

Every single one was an enlisted man.

They were:

 Otto Voit Pvt. Co. H Bravery in Action

 Benj. C. Criswell Sgt. Co. B Brought up ammunition

 Henry Holden Pvt. Co. D Brought up ammunition

 Thomas Murray Sgt. Co. B Brought up pack train

 Richard P. Hanley Sgt. Co. C Recaptured pack mule

 Chas. Cunningham Pvt. Co. B Continued firing after being wounded

 Henry W. B. Mechlin Bks.* Co. H Sharpshooter for water party

 Charles Windolph Pvt. Co. H Sharpshooter for water party

 George Geiger Sgt. Co. H Sharpshooter for water party

 James Pym Pvt. Co. B Brought water under fire

 Neil Bancroft Pvt. Co. A Brought water to wounded

 Abram B. Brant Pvt. Co. D Brought water to wounded

 Thomas J. Callan Pvt. Co. B Brought water to wounded

 Frederick Deetline Bks.* Co. C Brought water to wounded

 Theodore W. Goldin Pvt. Co. G Brought water to wounded

 David W. Harris Pvt. Co. A Brought water to wounded

 William M. Harris Pvt. Co. D Brought water to wounded

 Rufus D. Hutchinson Sgt. Co. B Brought water to wounded

 Stanislas Roy Sgt. Co. A   Brought water to wounded

 George D. Scott Pvt. Co. D Brought water to wounded

 Thomas W. Stivers Pvt. Co. D Brought water to wounded

 Peter Thompson Pvt. Co. C Brought water to wounded

 Frank Tolan Pvt. Co. D Brought water to wounded

 Charles H. Welch Pvt. Co. D Brought water to wounded

Midday Lakota scouts sighted Terry/Gibbon's command to the north and reported it back to the village, which then began to break camp, that process continuing on into the evening.  As we noted, Terry was now with Gibbon who had marched east from Ft. Ellis down the Yellowstone at the beginning of the campaign while Terry and Custer had marched west from Ft. Abraham Lincoln.

Breaking camp was inevitable in any event as the camp was so large the locality could not sustain it for long.  As bands broke camp, they broke into individual bands and headed south.

Crook was encamped at Little Goose Creek in what is now Sheridan, Wyoming, having pulled off a fair distance to recuperate from the Battle of the Rosebud and to await reinforcements.  A monument in Sheridan Wyoming is located at that spot, but I've not personally seen it.

President Grant issues a proclamation on the Centennial of American independence.

June 26, 1876: Proclamation Celebrating the Hundredth Anniversary of Independence

A Proclamation

The centennial anniversary of the day on which the people of the United States declared their right to a separate and equal station among the powers of the earth seems to demand an exceptional observance.

The founders of the Government, at its birth and in its feebleness, invoked the blessings and the protection of a Divine Providence, and the thirteen colonies and three millions of people have expanded into a nation of strength and numbers commanding the position which then was asserted and for which fervent prayers were then offered.

It seems fitting that on the occurrence of the hundredth anniversary of our existence as a nation a grateful acknowledgment should be made to Almighty God for the protection and the bounties which He has vouchsafed to our beloved country.

I therefore invite the good people of the United States, on the approaching 4th day of July, in addition to the usual observances with which they are accustomed to greet the return of the day, further, in such manner and at such time as in their respective localities and religious associations may be most convenient, to mark its recurrence by some public religious and devout thanksgiving to Almighty God for the blessings which have been bestowed upon us as a nation during the century of our existence, and humbly to invoke a continuance of His favor and of His protection.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this 26th day of June, A. D. 1876, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundredth.

U. S. GRANT.

By the President:

HAMILTON FISH,

Secretary of State.

Last edition:

Sunday, June 25, 1876. The Battle of the the Little Big Horn.

Labels: 1790s, 1791, 1870s, 1876, Army, Battle of Little Big Horn, Battle of the Wabash, Blog Mirror, cavalry, Cheyenne, George A. Custer, Great Sioux War, Indian Wars, Sioux, Sitting Bull (Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake)