I debated on the next one, but this blog exists to show how things were. An advertisement from the same newspaper:
That's not only racist, it's flat out weird.
Post Toasties were introduced into the market in 1904 as Elijah's Manna, which drew objections from religious groups. The name was changed in 1908. Post discontinued the brand in 2016.
Joseph Pulitzer died at age 64. His will founded the Pulitzer Prize.
It was a Sunday and newspapers were starting to have special Sunday supplements.
Sigüenza fell to the Nationalist after a battle that had commenced on August 7.
Jewish teachers were banned from public schools in Germany.
The news of Wallace Simpson's divorce was not reported in the United Kingdom and the the British Empire, as well as in Germany, Italy, Russia and Greece, in an example of press self censorship.
“Booneville, Owsley County, Kentucky. Pack Horse Librarian returning of the mountain side for a new supply of books to be distributed to rural and isolated sections of the county.“ October 15, 1936.
Today’s action revoking access for journalists from CNN, POLITICO, and MSNOW violates the First Amendment. The implications extend beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future. The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably. That’s why courts have repeatedly held that once the White House provides access to journalists, it cannot deny that access arbitrarily or based on the content of their reporting. The WHCA calls on the administration to immediately restore our colleagues’ access.
Jacqui Heinrich, WHCA President
In a really remarkable event, the broadcast media is boycotting the Trump Administration after it banned some press outlets from covering King Donald.
Donny loves, and feeds on, the attention, and it'll be interesting to see how this pans out. Yesterday the White House blew the coverage on the opening use of the helipad so that nobody could really hear what King Donny had to say.
Today King Donny's admin tried to pass off the press ban as being in the interest of national security, which recently has been his default position on everything. That's why King Donny is building a ballroom, that's why we need a Triumphal Arch.
The bloom may be off the red stinkweed of Trumpism as by and large, the public just isn't buying it at all.
Good for the press to finally find its courage. It's been lacking. This Week expresses addressed the Trump ban.
Dr. John trotted out.
The GOP hauled out the uninspiring Dr. John Barrasso, majority whip, to justify the GOP's malfeasance.
Dr. John is a pretty uninspiring speaker. This was no exception. He attempted to justify the press ban saying that the press had an obligation to report fairly.
That's a really dangerous position for a local politician to take, quite frankly. He didn't sound like he really meant it as he knows that they do report fairly. What he also knows is that they don't report, locally, too deeply, at least they haven't until recently. They're starting too thanks to the online journals which have been a lot more proactive in digging things up than the print media ever was.
Barrasso is turning out to be a worthless Senator for the state. He has four more years to serve. My suspicion is that this will be his last term, if the 74 year old Senator lives through it. I think people are tired of him and he won't want to go down in defeat. He'll retire and move somewhere else, as he was never really from here to start with.
Dr. John was in Iowa where he was campaigning for a Republican candidate there. Wow, the Midwest must really like bland if somebody thinks Dr. John is going to help. Asked about what is going on, the doctor mustered up this reply:
Well, people all around the country are feeling the pain. I’m hearing it in Wyoming with our farmers and ranchers as well. But people vote about what’s going on in their life and their future. And we know we need to do more. We need to get more money into people’s pockets. That’s what Republicans want to do. But let’s talk about what we have done. And that is we’ve prevented a $4 trillion tax increase. We’ve gotten rid of taxes on tips and social security and on overtime. And we know what the Democrats would do if they were able to take over. They would put all those taxes back on for the purpose of paying for health care for illegal immigrants. So they want to put on taxes on waitresses, on nurses who work overtime, firefighters, and on our seniors. I mean, there’s a huge difference between where Republicans want to take this country and where Democrats want to take this country. Those Democrats that are so unpopular in your poll, why? They want to eliminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They want to defund the police. They want to get rid of the military. They want to open the borders. They talk about opening the prisons and putting these prisoners back in our communities. That doesn’t make us safer, it doesn’t make us more prosperous. And that is the difference between common sense and the craziness. And I think that’s what this election is going to be about.
And
Well, we’re always looking for ways to put more money in people’s pockets. And I hear it in Wyoming all the time at the grocery store, at the gas station, people are paying more. And we need to do more. And that’s why we need more American energy production, we need to get rid of regulations, we need to do more with permitting. That’s legislation we’re working on now. The president and the Republicans are focused on all of those things at the time that Democrats have gone so far to the left that they don’t want to do those sorts of things. And I’ll tell you, once this war in Iran is over, diesel prices are going to go down and stay down under President Trump. But they would stay up forever under the Democrats and specifically diesel in Wyoming, I was in Meeteetse, Wyoming last week, talking to ranchers and farmers there, diesel’s over $6 a gallon now. But in California, it’s over $8 a gallon. And the difference is the rules, the regulations, all the climate issues in California. If the Democrats took over, prices would go up to those levels which are over $2 higher in California than they are in Wyoming right now.
So, inflation is going up and fuel prices are killing us, but the Democrats are bad because Dr. John says so.
Not very inspiring.
Not only that, but Barrasso has joined the GOP liars club. Raise taxes so we could give healthcare to illegal immigrants. Bullshit. Taxes do need to be raised, but because we aren't paying for the government.
It's almost as if Dr. John had a list of things he had to say, so he made sure he said them all as quickly as possible.
And diesel being $6.00/gal in Wyoming isn't made better by it being $8.00/gal in California. Oh, we feel so good about that here.
Beef
A popular Trump line right now is that you don't mind paying more for fuel as you don't want Iran to have a nuke.
M'eh.
Secretary Rollins took a similar tone on the price of beef.
Instead of eating less beef as the price continued to rise, Americans began to eat more beef. And even though the price of a pound of ground beef was $6.50, most Americans say, 'I'm good with that. I want this protein for my family.' So they continue to buy.
Um, sure.
When, by the way, did everyone start calling meat "protein". Knock it off.
Huge
The video footage of the helipad unveiling reveals it to be huge.
I didn't really have an appreciation of its size until I saw the video.
I really don't know what to make of the helipad. In some ways it makes sense and it was well done. I also think that the President doesn't need a giant Sikorsky helicopter and that all the prior Marine Corps 1 helicopters were gigantically overblown as well. One of the smaller business helicopters would be plenty large enough, quite frankly.
They wouldn't have all the countermeasures, I know. Well, too freaking bad. The President is supposed to be the chief executive of limited powers, not an emperor. Flying around in an armored helicopter just gives that much more of a delusion of the opposite.
Speaking of monumental works, I had an exchange, on Twitter, with a MAGA over the ballroom. It was interesting, as her mind was so completely closed and she was utterly incapable of realizing it.
Besotted
She was convinced that anyone opposed to the ballroom had to be a "liberal" who "hated" Trump. I'm opposed to it. I hate what Trump is doing to the country, but I don't hate a living soul. We are required in Christianity to exhibit agape towards our enemies, and frankly Trump is the enemy of decency in a lot of ways. We should pray for his well-being and salvation.
In the exchange I gave my reasons for opposing the ballroom. Well, some of them, not all of them. The list would be large.
The principal reasons I detest the ballroom, I'll note, is because of the illegality of its construction and the illegality of the destruction of the wing where it is located. I'm not a fan of the wings of the White House in general. I think the whole thing ought to be restored to some prior appearance.
I also think the bunkers that were put in and those being built ought to go. As with the helicopter, building a bunker is something that shouldn't be done unless it's done for every single American.
I didn't go into it but I also detest the overblown size and the intended interior embellishments are in horrifically bad taste.
The latter, of course, can and will be removed, if the monstrosity stands.
Anyhow, while I have very wide ranging views, I'm generally very conservative. Indeed, Trump and the MAGAs are not conservatives at all. At this point, they're populist of the fascist variety.
Her argument, lifted from Trump, was that the ballroom would benefit future Presidents. I asked how, and she couldn't provide how. Even though I don't believe it will benefit a living soul, and that it will rightfully be blown to the ground by a future administration, I could make up reasons to support that argument.
Most revealing, however, is that her basic worldview, which came through very clearly, is that if you claim to be an American you have an absolute duty to love Donald Trump. If you don't, you are a traitor.
During World War Two there was a Marine Corps officer who received the Silver Star for heroism. He was later killed in the war. He was also a veteran of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and was an admitted communist.
I have no doubt he loved his country.
For that matter, Sterling Hayden, the famous actor, also was a Marine Corps officer, and a member of the OSS, who was briefly a member of the Communist party.
I have no doubt that he loved his country.
I doubt that Donald Trump loves his.
And I know that those who love Donald Trump so much they see everything he does as correct do not love their countrymen. And if you hate your countrymen because of their political beliefs, you hate your country.
Fairytale balls
One of the interesting things about the "benefitting future Presidents" line is that it fits into the Trump narrative perfectly. Trump sees himself as a sort of monarch and the White House as a palace.
It's just supposed to be a house.
No. 10 Downing Street doesn't have a ballroom. 24 Sussex Drive doesn't have one either. The Hôtel Matignon doesn't have one either. Even the Novo-Ogaryovo Estate doesn't have one, and its quite lavish.
The Kremlin does. So does Buckingham Palace.
Hmm. . . . .
That really shows us a glimpse of Trump's mindset. And contrary to what MAGAs like to imagine, no prior President has ever asked for a dedicated ballroom.
It's all just a weird fantasy and a glimpse into the American inferiority complex. We may have rebelled against a king, but in some ways we never got over being besotted by them. Even to this day we follow what the British royal family is doing as if it matters to us at all.
So here you have it.
Abolitio nominis
Back during Roman times, the Senate could issue a decree of abolitio nominis, although it's pretty unclear to me if they called it that. It was an abolition of a leader's name to the full extent possible.
The Roman Senate well knew that it couldn't really erase an Emperor's name from history, so it was symbolic. But it is worth noting that some very early societies effectively nearly did achieve just that. The purpose was to express maximum public disdain for the disgraced person.
It's easy to think the US never attempted anything like that, but perhaps it slightly has in the case of the removal of Confederate monuments which started some years ago, and then generally stopped under Trump, whose world outlook doves relatively well with a lot of Confederates or at least Dixiecrats, which is what he really is. At the time, I was of mixed view as erasing history bothers me, and that reflected the history of the attempt at reviving Confederate reputations. I find that effort horrific, but I thought having a reminder of it served a purpose. And, also, quite frankly as times change the views of various persons from the past change as well. Thomas Jefferson was a great man, for instance, but it's pretty clear that he was also screwing his late wife's enslaved half sister when she was only 14. He was 44. She was his youngest daughters nanny. The children from the illicit union were born into slaver.
That's warped.
So, suffice it to say, leaders of the past have some warts on them.
But things like rebelling for slavery or ignoring the legalities of things while in office that are open and obvious at the time are another matter. Jefferson was a domestic creep, and there's no defending that, but the weird mores of his culture made that less weird than it would seem now, although there were plenty of rumors at the time and it's hard not to regard the liasons as starting off, at least, as a type of rape. Anyhow, the Confederate monuments came up mostly in the 1910s. It's my view now they ought to all come down. Trump has brought me to that.
Trump is such a horrific person that some sort of decree of abolitio nominis needs to be made when he's gone. The American instinct is always "well, let's all reconcile".
Let's not.
Recognizing mistakes is one thing. Lots of MAGAs who should have known better are now crossing over into sanity as their own wallets are looted by Trump's policies. I don't care what brings them back into some sort of reality, I think they ought to be welcomed back. But diehard MAGAs and people who are going to serve Trump until the last days of his administration, not so much. Karoline Leavitt, for example, can be forgiven, but not readmitted to decent society. Vance and Rubio should be made to retire from politics.
But because Trump has shown such disdain for the law, he should be made an example of. And the first part of that is to declare his second presidency a legal nullity. Given his status as an insurrectionist, there's a legal grounds to do that. Every order, commission, appointment and whatever that depended on his signature should be immediately declared to be null, void, and of no effect by the next President, irrespective of the impact. Every "agreement" entered into should be declared a nullity, including agreements with foreign powers. The ballroom should be blown down, and the triumphal arch as well, but the next administration immediately.
Yes, it's extreme, but the correction to fascism is extreme.
Real balls
The first inaugural ball was held for George Washington in 1789 in New York. Washington D.C. did not exist yet, of course. It was an unofficial ball which, if we must have these, is how they should be in my view.
The first official one was in 1809 for James Madison. It was held at Longs Hotel. Balls didn't occur at all in 1853, 1913, 1921, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, and 2021. I don't think they should be held at all anymore, but when they are, there are numerous official balls. Clinton had fourteen one year, which is absurd.
Inflation
The GOP is seriously worried about inflation as everyone is seriously worried about it. It's flopping around like a fish on the deck trying to explain high fuel prices to MAGA bases like agriculture and truck transportation.
It's not going to work.
It took hitting their own pocketbooks but all of a sudden truck drivers are mad at Trump. Well, they ought to be, but it's too late. Trump's not able to help.
Farmers and ranchers, who started to be angry a while back, are angry once again for the same reason, and in the case of farmers they're upset about potash, most of which comes from Canada, now being tariffed.
Oops.
King Donny tried to claim that we were going to get potash from Belarus. That claim survived a few hours until the Belarusians said, nope, we don't have any to sell you.
The claim on fuel, of course, is that it'll all go down when the war is over. Given as the war is getting worse, not over, there's not much stock that can be put in that claim. And the potash situation can only be solved by not being an asshole to Canada.
Even there, the diehard MAGAs are convinced that the Canadians have been picking on us for decades. This is just flat out false. The border was basically duty free until Trump came in and tore up the very deal that he'd arrived upon with Canada during his first term.
The entire thing has caused now desperate Republicans to ponder taking extreme measures on topics they don't grasp. There's a move, for example, to ban the exportation of diesel fuel.
The refining of petroleum products doesn't work the way people think it does and the price is very heavily dependent upon the cost of the raw product. The refractions that become diesel and jet fuel are there no matter what. There's pretty good reason to believe that banning the export of diesel fuel doesn't do anything to its price, and might just raise it.
We may, of course, get to find out.
Frankly, at this point, my prediction is fuel prices are never coming down. The wars gone on too long, and too much damage has been done to Middle Eastern infrastructure to change that.
This might have some good side benefits, however. One might be the acceleration of the switch to electric vehicles. I actually overheard somebody whose family is employed in the petroleum industry discussing a desire to get an electric vehicle yesterday. Another may be a switch to rail transportation, which is a much better means of transporting goods in the first place. In agriculture, there are means of relying on petroleum less, and that may start to occur more and more in livestock production at least. A lot of the television farmers and ranchers that are interviewed look like they've never walked a day in their life, they might start to. The end of ATVs and driving everywhere may start to arrive.
Maybe a slight "think this out" trend might start to. Truckers and farmers who voted for Trump are getting exactly what they deserve. Unfortunately, the rest of us have been dragged along with them.
The Philippine House of Representatives voted to approve a resolution calling for a plebiscite on independence for the U.S. Territory. It was vetoed by U.S. Military Governor, Leonard Wood, but the legislature overrode the veto and the measure then went to the final consideration of U.S. President Coolidge, who vetoed the measure the following year.
The US and UK entered into an accord to address alcohol smuggling.
Soviet monster Felix Dzerzhinsky died of a heart attack at age 48.
French General Auguste Dubail of France and British Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson reached an agreement for a joint plan to mobilize 150,000 men in the event that Germany declared war on either nation.
On board the U.S.S. Hartford, Philadelphia, Pa., 16 July 1876. Showing gallantry, Costello rescued from drowning a landsman of that vessel.
Born in 1850, Costello would live until 1887, dying at age 37, maybe. Or he may have remained in the Navy until 1902, have become a Warrant Officer, and died in 1908. I hope it's the latter.
Reno wrote his official report of the recent disaster on the Little Big Horn.
HEADQUARTERS SEVENTH UNITED STATES CAVALRY,
Camp on Yellowstone River, July 5, 1876
E. W. Smith,
A. D. C. and A. A. A. Gen.:
The command of the regiment having developed upon me as the senior surviving officer from the battle of the 25th and 26th of June, between the Seventh Cavalry and Sitting Bull's band of hostile Sioux, on the Little Big Horn River, I have the honor to submit the following report of its operations from the time of leaving teh main column unitl the command was united in the vicinity of the Indian village:
The regiment leflt the camp at the mouth of the Rosebud River, after passing in review before the department commander, under command of Bvt. Maj. Gen. G. A. Custer, lieutenant-colonel, on the afternoon of the 22nd day of June, and marched up the Rosebud 12 miles and encamped; 23rd, marched up the Rosebud, passing many old Indian camps, and following a very large pole-trail, but not fresh, making 33 miles; 24th, the march was continued up the Rosebud, the trail and signs freshening with every mile, until we had made 28 miles, and we then encamped and waited for information from the scouts. At 9:25 p.m. Custer called the officers together and informed us that beyond a doubt the village was in the valley of the Little Big Horn, and in order to reach it it was necessary to cross the divide between the Rosebud and the Little Big Horn, and it would be impossible to do so in the day-time without discovering our march to the Indians; that we would prepare to march at 11 p.m. This was done, the line of march turning from the Rosebud to the right up one of its branches which headed near the summit of the divide. About 2 a.m. on the 25th the scouts told him that he could not cross the divide before daylight. We then made coffee and rested for three hours, at the expiration of which time the march was resumed, the divide crossed, and about 8 a.m. the command was in the valley of one of the branches of the Little Big Horn. By this time Indians had been seen and it was certain that we could not suprise them, and it was determined to move at once to the attack. Previous to this, no division of the regiment had been made since the order had been issued on the Yellowstone annuling wing and battalion organizations, but Custer informed me that he would assign commands on the march.
I was ordered by Lieut. W. W. Cooke, adjutant, to assume command of Companies M, A, and G; Captain Benteen of Companies H, D, and K. Custer retained C, E, F, I, and L under his immediate command, and Company B, Captain McDougall, in rear of the pack- train.
I assumed command of the companies assigned to me, and, without any definite orders, moved forward with the rest of the column, and well to its left.
I saw Benteen moving farther to the left, and, as they passed, he told me he had orders to move well to the left, and sweep everything before him. I did not see him again until about 2.30 p.m. The command moved down to the creek toward the Little Big Horn Valley, Custer with five companies on the right bank, myself and three companies on the left bank, and Benteen farther to the left, and out of sight.
As we approached a deserted village, and in which was standing one tepee, about 11 a.m., Custer motioned me to cross to him, which I did, and moved nearer to his column until about 12.30 a.m. [p.m. ?] when Lieutenant Cook, adjutant, came to me and siad the village was only two miles above, and running away; to move forward at as rapid a gait as prudent, and to charge afterward, and that the whole outfit would support me. I think those were his exaxt words. I at once took a fast trot, and moved down about two miles, when I came to a ford of the river. I crossed immediately, and halted about ten minutes or less to gather the battalion, sending word to Custer that I had everything in front of me, and that they were strong. I deployed, and, with the Ree scouts on my left, charged down the valley, driving the Indians with great ease for about two and a half miles. I, however, soon saw that I was being drawn into some trap, as tehy would certainly fight harder, and especially as we were nearing their village, which was still standing; besides, I could not see Custer or any other support, and at the same time the very earth seemed to grow Indians, and they were running toward me in swarms, and from all directions. I saw I must defend myself and give up the attack mounted. This I did. Taking possession of a front of woods, and which furnished, near its edge, a shelter for the horses, dismounted and fought them on foot, making headway through the woods. I soon found myself in the near vicinity of the village, saw that I was fighting odds of at least five to one, and that my only hope was to get out of the woods, where I would soon have been surrounded, and gain some high ground. I accomplished this by mounting and charging the Indians between me and the bluffs on the opposite side of the river. In this charge, First Lieut. Donald McIntosh, Second Lieut. Benjamin H. Hodgson, Seventh Cavalry, and Acting Assistant Surgeon J. M. De Wolf, were killed.
I succeeded in reaching the top of the bluff, with a loss of three officers and twenty-nine enlisted men killed and seven wounded. Almost at the same time I reached the top, mounted men were seen to be coming toward us, and it proved to be Colonel Benteen's battalion, Companies H, D, and K. We joined forces, and in a short time the pack-train came up. As senior, my command was then A, B, D, G, H, K, and M, about three hundred and eighty men, and the following officers: Captains Benteen, Weir, French and McDougall, First Lieutenants Godfrey, Mathey, and Gibson, and Second Lieutenants Edgerly, Wallace, Varnum, and Hare, and Acting Assistant Surgeon Porter.
First Lieutenant De Rudio was in the dismounted fight in the woods, but, having some trouble with his horse, did not join the command in the charge out, and hiding himself in the woods, joined the command after night-fall on the 26th.
Still hearing nothing of Custer, and, with this re- enforcement, I moved down the river in the direction of the village, keeping on the bluffs.
We had heard firing in that direction and knew it could only be Custer. I moved to the summit of the highest bluff, but seeing and hearing nothing sent Captain Weir with his company to open communication with him. He soon sent word by Lieutenant Hare that he could go no farther, and that the Indians were getting around him. At this time he was keeping up a heavy fire from his skirmish line. I at once turned everything back to the first position I had taken on the bluffs, and which seemed to me the best. I dismounted the men and had the horses and mules of the pack-train driven together in a depression, put the men on the crests of the bluffs, and which seemed to me the best. I dismounted, the men and had the horses and mules of the pack- train driven together in a depression, put the men on the crests of the hills making the depression, and had hardly done so when I was furiously attacked. This was about 6 p.m. We held our ground, with a loss of eighteen enlisted men killed and forty-six wounded, until the attack ceased, about 9 p.m. As I knew by this their overwhelming numbers, and had given up any support from that portion of the regiment with Custer, I had the men dig rifle pits, barricade with dead horses and mules, and boxes of hard bread, the opening of the depression toward the Indians in which the animals were herded, and made every exertion to be ready for what I saw would be a terrific assault the next day. All this might night the men were busy, and the Indians holding a scalp- dance underneath us in the bottom and in our hearing. On the morning of the 26th I felt confident that I could hold my own, and was ready, as far as I could be, when at daylight, about 2.30 a.m., I heard the crack of two rifles. This was the signal for the beginning of a fire that I have never equaled. Every rifle was handled by an expert and skilled marksman, and with a range that exceeded our carbines, and it was simply impossible to show any part of the body before it was struck. We could see, as the day brightened, countless hordes of them pouring up the valley from the village and scampering over the high points toward the places designated for them by their chiefs, and which entirely surrounded our position. They had sufficient numbers to completely encircle us, and men were struck from opposite sides of the lines from where the shots were fired. I think we were fighting all the Sioux Nation, and also all the deparadoes, renegades, half-breeds, and squaw-men between the Missouri and the Arkansas and east of the Rocky Mountains, and they must have numbered at least twenty-five hundred warriors.
The fire did not slacken until about 9.30 a.m., and then we found they were making a last desperate effort and which was directed against the lines held by Companies H and M. In this charge they came close enough to use their bows and arrows, and one man lying dead within our lines was touched with the coup- stick of one of the foremost Indiands. When I say the stick was only ten or twelve feet long, some idea of the desperate and reckless fighting of these people may be understood.
This charge of theirs was gallantly repulsed by the men on that line, lead by Colonel Benteen. They also came close enough to send their arrows into the line held by Companies D and K, but were driven away by a like charge of the line, which I accompanied. We now had many wounded, and the question ofwater was vital, as from 6 p.m. the previous evening until now, 10 a.m., about sixteen hours, we had been without.
A skirmish line was formed under Colonel Benteen to protect the descent of volunteers down the hill in front of his position to reach teh water. We succeeded in getting some canteens, although many of the men were hit in doing so. The fury of the attack was now over, and to our astonishment the Indians were seen going in parties toward the village. But two solutions occured to us for this movement; that they were going for something to eat, more ammunition, (as they had been throwing arrows,) or that Custer was coming. We took advantage of this lull to fill all vessels with water, and soon had it by camp- kettles full. But they continued to withdraw, and all firing ceased save occasional shots from sharp-shooters sent to annoy us about the water. About 2 p.m. the grass in the bottom was set on fire and followed up by Indians who encouraged its burning, and it was evident to me it was done for a purpose, and which purpose I discovered later on to be the creation of a dense cloud of smoke behind which they were packing and preparing to move their village. It was between 6 and 7 p.m. that the village came out from behind the dense clouds of smoke and dust. We had a close and good view of them as they filed away in the direction of the Big Horn Mountains, moving in almost perfect military order. The length of the column was full equal to that of a large division of the cavalry corps of the Army of the Potomac as I have seen it in its march.
We now thought of Custer, of whom nothing had been seen and nothing heard since the firing in his direction about 6 p.m. on the eve of the 25th, and we concluded that the Indians had gotten between him and us and driven him toward the boat at the mouth of the Little Big Horn River. The awful fate that did befall him never occurred to any of us as within the limits of possibility.
During the night I changed my position in order to secure an unlimited supply of water, and was prepared for their return, feeling sure they would do som as they were in such numbers; but early in the morning of the 27th, and while we were on the qui vire for Indians, I saw with my glass a dust some distance down the valley. There was no certainty for some time what they were, but finally I satisfied myself they were cavalry, and, if so, could only be Custer, as it was ahead of the time that I understood that General Terry could be expected. Before this time, however, I had written a communication to General Terry, and three volunteers were to try and reach him. (I had no confidence in the Indians with me, and could not get them to do anything.) If this dust were Indians it was possible they would not expect any one to leave. The men started, and were told to go as near as it was safe to determine whether the approaching column was white men, and to return at once in case they found it so, but if they were Indians to push on to General Terry. In a short time, we saw them returning a note from Terry to Custer saying Crow scouts had come to camp saying he had been whipped, but that it was not believed. I think it was about 10.30 a.m. when General Terry rode into my lines, and the fate of Custer and his brave men was soon determined by Captain Benteen proceeding to the battle-ground, and where was recognized the following officers, who were surrounded by the dead bodies of many of their men; Gen G. A. Custer, Col. W. W. Cook, adjutant; Capts. M. W. Keogh, G. W. Yates, and T. W. Custer; First Lieuts. A. E. Smith, James Calhoun; Second Lieuts. W. V. Reily, of the Seventh Cavalry and J. J. Crittenden, of the Twelfth Infantry, temporarily attached to this regiment. The bodies of Lieut. J. E. Porter and Second Lieuts. H. M. Harrington and J. G. Sturgis, Seventh Cavalry, and Asst. Surg. G. W. Lord, U. S. A., were not recognized; but there is every reasonable probability they were killed. It was more certain that the column of five companies with Custer had been killed.
The wounded in my lines were, during the afternoon and evening of the 27th, moved to the camp of General Terry, and at 5 a.m. of the 28th I proceeded with the regiment to th battle-ground of Custer, and buried 204 bodies, including the following-named citizens: Mr. Boston Custer, Mr. Reed (a young nephew of General Custer,) and Mr. Kellog, (a correspondent for the New York Herald.) The following-named citizens and Indians who were with my command were also killed: Charles Reynolds, guide and hunter; Isaiah Dorman, (colored,) interpreter; Bloody Knife, who fell from immediately by my side; Bobtail Bull, and Stab, of the Indian scouts.
After traveling over his trail, it was evident to me that Custer intended to support me by moving farther down the stream and attacking the village in flank; that he found the distance greater to ford than he anticipated; that he did charge, but his march had taken so long, although his trail shows that he had moved rapidly, that they were ready for him; that Companies C and I, and perhaps part of E, crossed to the village or attempted it; at the charge were met by a staggering fire, and that they fell back to find a position from which to defend themselves, but they were followed too closely by the Indians to permit time to form any kind of a line.
I think had the regiment gone in as a body, and from the woods from which I fought advanced upon the village, its destruction was certain. But he was fully confident they were running away, or he would not have turned from me. I think (after the great number of Indians that were in the village,) that the following reasons obtain for the misfortune; His rapid marching for two days and one night before the fight; attacking in the day-time at 12 m., and when they were on the qui vire, instead of early morning; and lastly, his unfortunate division of the regiment into three commands.
During my fight with Indians, I had the heartiest support from officers and men, but the conspicuous services of Bvt. Col. F. W. Benteen I desire to call attention to especially, for if ever a soldier deserved recognition by his Government for distinguished services he certainly does. I inclose herewith his report of the operations of his battalion from the time of leaving the regiment until we joined commands on the hill. I also inclose an accuate list of casaulties, as far as it can be made at the present time, separating them into two lists: A, those killed in General Custer's command; B, those killed and wounded in the command I had.
The number of Indians killed can only be approximated until we hear through the agencies. I saw the bodies of eighteen, and Captain Ball, Second Cavalry, who made a scout of thirteen miles over their trail, says that their graves were many along their line of march. It is simply impossible that numbers of them should not be hit in the several charges they made so close to my lines. They made their approaches through the deep gulches that led from the hill-top to the river, and, when the jealous care with which the Indian guards the bodies of killed and wounded is considered, it is not astonishing that their bodies were not found. It is probable that the stores left by them and destroyed the next two days was to make room for many of these on their travois. The harrowing sight of the dead bodies crowning the height on which Custer fell, and which will remain vividly in my memory until death, is too recent for me not to ask the good people of this country whether a policy that sets opposing parties in the field, armed, clothed, and equipped by one and the same Government should not be abolished.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
M. A. RENO,
Major Seventh Cavalry, Commanding Regiment.
The Helena Daily Herald ran an editorial on the disaster.
Wednesday, July 5, 1876
EDITORIAL
The news received last evening of the defeat of Custer and the massacre of his entire command, fell upon the festivities of the day with a gloom that could not be shaken off. There is only toe much reason to believe that the facts given in the extras of last evening are literally true. The parties from whom the facts were received are too well known to leave a reasonable doubt.
BOZEMAN and HELENA, however, were not alone in beating the Bismarck Tribune, for on 5 July 1876, the Commanding Officer, Ft. Rice, near Bismarck, had news of the battle, and at once wired it to the Adjutant at St. Paul. The following extract from letter of Colonel Hugh F. Reed, Ret'd., dated 14 April 1926, tells the story:
"We officers at Fort Rice and the Post Trader made up a purse, and had a pony race on the Fourth of July. * * * The day after the pony race three Sioux Indians arrived at the post. One of them had a bow and half a dozen arrows. I bought them. * * * The Indian from whom I bought the bow and arrows said that he had pulled the arrows from the dead bodies of soldiers that the Indians had killed with Custer. This was our first news of a fight. The Indians said that a big force of Indians had killed Custer and all his soldiers. I then took the three Indians to Lieut. Humbert the post commander, and they repeated their story of the fight. * * * As Adjutant I wrote a message which Humbert signed and sent it by a courier thirty miles to Bismarck, the nearest telegraph office, to the Adjutant General, Dept. of Dakota, St. Paul. This was the first news sent of the fight. There was an old stockade south of the post buildings, and Humbert put his company in one bastion and I put my company in the other bastion, where we stayed all night on watch for an attack. The next day Capt. Grant Marsh with his steamer The Far West arrived at Bismarck. He had on board some wounded soldiers from Reno's battalion.
But why the telegraph operator at Bozeman failed to transmit Terry's report the afternoon of 3 July has never been explained: nor has it ever been explained why the editor of the Bozeman Times did not round up the operator and scoop the news himself. Certainly the opportunity was wide open.
It has been stated that the wires were down and that no message could be sent from Bozeman on that day; but Captain Benham's official report gives the lie to that assertion.
Perhaps the Bozeman telegraph operator had already commenced to celebrate the Glorious Fourth when Benham rode in with Terry's report. In the "good old days" many celebrants of Independence Day absorbed their patriotism from a bottle. Perhaps-but it is idle to speculate. Quien sabe!
