What happened next in my research may be the one of the most surprising. Where exactly all this is going, would be if completed,
right back to John Martin and his infamous ride, something not likely to happen here due to my own dew list's and general expectations certain family members have on my time - commonly known as time constraints.
So was Maguire and his map somehow complicite in the quagmire of information that has been perverted to mean something other than what it really was? For now I'll let the reader choose his or her own course on this and instead provide information for consideration.
Where was Reno's skirmish line? One would suppose Maguire should have sewn that one up a long time ago, if not with his map, at the very least with his testified mileages, after all wouldn't those have been a sure fire thing? One would tend to think so, but according to his testimony, and his map, he only scored 1 out of 3 in accuracy according to that SL's placement. The only correct one for him was his estimate and his map placement of that skirmish line being as he stated and as he accurately depicted it scalewise 1 and 8/10ths mile from ford "B". You might say wow
, but there was something other than a big wow going on here because he said it was only 9/10th's of a mile back to retreat ford and from there, and an additional 1/3rd of a mile back to Reno's hill. The total being as he stated it 1 and 2/10's miles. Is this one another wow? Nope, not even close to the 2 miles it measures on mapquest. He's fully 8/10's of a mile off. And when it comes to how far ford A was from that skirmish line, he once again mauls a small pooch bigtime. He stated it was 1 6/10ths of a mile back to ford A from that SL when Mapquest says its fully 2 and 1/4 miles back to it from the same SL. One might not suspect it, or for that matter ever look at it, but once again the difference is 8/10ths of a mile, and this one, those 3 - 8/10ths of a mile, some stated - other's not, wasn't mere coincidence.
Sure, there are those today who just blindly see his mileage from ford B to the SL and say, yuuup that's were it t'were. Then just go along with the other herd elephants grazing on swamp grass not realizing the product of their success is as smelly as it is loud. And I begin with that paragon of virtue DeRudio:
269 RCOI DeRudio
A. He (Reno) stood in his position that he ought to be in, and directed the men to direct their fire properly and steadily, etc. Pretty soon Lieut. Wallace, as we were sitting together, called my attention to the Indians coming in on the other side of the woods. I started right down a little path with 5 or 6 men on the right of the line, to go and see.
That woods makes a kind of horse-shoe shape. There was a regular bench or bank, and then another woods that continued nearly to the river where Major Reno crossed over. The skirmish line was formed at right angles to the woods. They halted a little farther down, and advanced about 75 or 100 yards. There was a clearing inside in which there were some tepee poles and some meat drying. I came across that and saw some Indians through the woods.
Q. Was that looking down stream or up stream?
A, Down stream. We were facing the village. I stood there probably 10 minutes with my men. We were facing the Indians coming through the woods up stream. Probably 10 minutes after we were there, the trumpeter of my company brought up my horse and said "Lieut. here is your horse". I said "I don't want my horse." I was then standing on the bank of the creek. The man said: "They are going out", and the men I had with me immediately mounted their horses. I tried to check them, but they would not listen to me but pushed on through. I stopped at the creek trying to keep the men steady as the last man passed me. I noticed the guidon of the company on the bank of the creek, and I told him to go get it before he went out. The man said it was too hot there for him, and continued on his way. I thought it was not very hot, and went and got the guidon myself. It was not more than 40 feet which I had to go back. I crawled up to the top of the bank and grabbed the guidon, and there were 20 or 30 Indians coming, not more than 40 or 50 yards from me, scattering as they saw the head of my horse over the bank. They fired a volley at me. The bullets came whistling about me and I dropped down.
Q. By that time had the command all got out as far as you know?
A. Yes sir, those that were with me. The woods were thick and dense and I could not see the men very far.
Wallace 29
Where our skirmish line rested there was a bank probably 8 feet high where the stream made a loop, running in and out again.
Girard, 83
Q. How about the surface of the country there? (skirmish line/timber)
A. There the underbrush was very thick. I led my horse through that on the north side of this timber. The stream passes right underneath and runs right out onto the praire, going west about two hundred yards from the brow of the hill where this skirmish line was, and there is a perpendicular bank there of about twenty-five feet, and it runs out about two hundred yards, making a bend.
Q. Was that dowm stream, following the stream down, the description you have given of the bank?
A. Yes, sir.
495+ gibbon
I examined the river banks from there down to the point of woods where it was generally understood his charge terminated. My attention was particularly directed to the position where it was said he had his forces dismounted a while, commonly known as the point of timber. I don't know how I can describe it better than by stating, that just below where he crossed the river going to the bluffs, there commences a series of crescent shaped curves on the left bank of the river; and beyond those curves occur what is called the second bench of the valley; the main open valley extending off to the bluffs. These curves are some-what irregular in shape, evidently
formed by the body of water when much larger than it is at present, and these curves extended in crescent shape, generally connecting with each other. This point of timber had enclosed in it, a considerable space of ground which was open. The connecting slope between the Second bench and what I would call the first bench, was covered with timber and thick brush. Some of the timber was of considerable size. The lower end of this crescent shaped slope very nearly reaches t#he present stream, to what is called a cut bank, to where the stream has worked in to what is called the second bench; and there the stream is probably ten or twelve feet lower than the level of the country. Just behind this position the water is very deep, I judge by appearances; and a short distance above that was a ford wrhich I crossed on coming back from a trip down the river. The bend in the river opoosite this, is filled with tangled brush and fallen timber, and directly behind that and close to the bank of the river, there was some more timber, some tolerably good sized trees, in which we found a number of dead horses.
The upper curve I speak of just below the ford where Major Reno crossed, was occupied by my troops when we first reached the ground. The next curve below that was occupied by the 7th Cavalry when they came down on the morning of the 28th from burying the dead, and came to our camp. I think the third one was the point of timber I speak of. It was the 3rd or 4th crescent shaped curve below the ford.
Q. In regard to that lower place you speak of, as opposite where Major Reno had his conuuand, how was it on the other side of the river in regard to bluffs?
A. The bluffs are some distance back from there. There was a wide flat there through which this stream passes in a very crooked way, and the bluffs directly opposite that position were considerably back from the river. I don't know how far. The way I happened to see that position was: General Terry and myself started from my camp to go to the scene of the Custer fight and we crossed opposite the camp and made our way to the foot of the bluffs; and in coming back we got involved in bush wood and were obliged to come back and cross it just above that point of timber. I don't think this map pretends to be correct in the curves of the river, and does not represent the position of those places.
Q. Were those bluffs within range, or did they command the position in the timber at the lower point?
A. No, I think not, Probably they were within very long rifle range. I would not say they commanded it for any practical purpose.
Q. I believe you examined or went to the position Major Reno occupied on the hill?
A, Yes, sir; I went there in about an hour after we arrived there;
Q. Did you notice what had been the location of the hostile village?
A. We passed right through it on the march up. There were buffalo robes, tepee poles and furniture of many kinds lying there, I don't think this map represents the village at all correct. I think most of the tepees were down near the stream or a short distance from it, I saw no signs of tepees up to the left, except two about the middle of the plain, which were filled with dead Indians, I understand.
Q. From what you saw of the village or where it had been, how near was it to the position indicated as Major Reno's position?
A. I can' t answer the question because I made no examination of the nearness of those tepees. There may have been scatterd tepees, I do not know. The main camp was below that deep gulch, judging from appearances.
Q. Describe that crescent shaped portion of timber as to its length and width at the place represented as being the one in which Major Reno had his forces in the bottom; give as careful a description of that place as you can as to the water, the banks of the river, the underbrush and timber.
A. This map is not correct at all in regard to the timber. My decided recollection of that point of timber is that it was just above where the stream cuts into the second bench a considerable way, so as to leave the bank almost as high as the ceiling of this room (10 - 12') above the water. Around this bend there is no timber at all. The extent of this piece of timber I don't know, and can have no definite idea at all with reference to it. I noticed, inside of that piece of timber, there was a considerable open space, probably 50 yards wide, where there were evidences of there having been an old Indian camp. The distance from the front of the curve, that is, the part farthest to the south from the stream, varied of course very much. From the point where we crossed the river to the ford, must have been two or three hundred yards. Then there was another open glade looking toward the prairie to the left and rear of the position. I would not like to give any estimate of the size of that enclosed space on the lower side. I don't think there was any connection with the timber on the upper-side. There was more or less scattered timber up the river. On the opposite side of the river, there was very little of what you would call timber. There was brush-wood and small trees, very thick and tangled in some places, with a good deal of fallen and dead timber amongst it.
Enough for the time being... Any guesses as to the place they were referring to as the place where Reno set up his skirmish line? One thing here, I had to piece quite a few clues together to make a hypothesis. And that's all it was at the time. I had to actually go there to find out because through all of this, and much more testimony, there was one running theme and it concerned topography, and it could only have occurred at one place, the place where they described it to a T.
, but there was something other than a big wow going on here because he said it was only 9/10th's of a mile back to retreat ford and from there, and an additional 1/3rd of a mile back to Reno's hill. The total being as he stated it 1 and 2/10's miles. Is this one another wow? Nope, not even close to the 2 miles it measures on mapquest. He's fully 8/10's of a mile off. And when it comes to how far ford A was from that skirmish line, he once again mauls a small pooch bigtime. He stated it was 1 6/10ths of a mile back to ford A from that SL when Mapquest says its fully 2 and 1/4 miles back to it from the same SL. One might not suspect it, or for that matter ever look at it, but once again the difference is 8/10ths of a mile, and this one, those 3 - 8/10ths of a mile, some stated - other's not, wasn't mere coincidence. 
