Post by joewiggs on Oct 12, 2013 17:23:38 GMT -5
Eagerly, I believe, made his statement for a very practical purpose. The exact location of the village was unknown to all. Terry assumed on information received and, information not received, that a possibility existed that the village may been in the environs of Tullock Creek. What I found to be peculiar about the entire incident is that Terry was relatively sure about his hunch.
Now the question arises! Who will possess the correct information. The party hundreds of miles away or the party actually on the scene.
Eagerly was there. He participated in the battle. He was an intelligent officer admired by all he met. He achieved the rank of general at a time in our history when that was a difficult thing to do. He said that it was useless to scout Tullocks when a plain, recent track of hundreds and hundreds of Indians, ponies, dogs, and teepee's being dragged went in another direction.
This trail could not have been anything else but the village on the move.
You say that Custer was in directed disobedience of orders by not heading to Tullocks although no Indian signs were going in that direction. Had he done so and the Indians escaped as a result what then does he report to the commander.
"Well Sir, I realized that all Indian sighs led into a different direction but your order told me to go there so I went."
Custer's would not have occurred when it did and where it did. Terry and Gibbon may have blundered into the village and probably wiped out and Custer would have been Court marshaled.
We must try to remember that Terry and others believed Custer to be an astute Indian fighter who could get the job done. Despite his negatives, a bit rash and impulses, they all believed in him. Terry's letter of instruction was loaded with implied discretion. At the time Terry wrote this instructions he believed that the Indians had moved to Tullocks. Custer proved that theory to be incorrect and, rightly, followed the "hot" trail.
So you are correct, he disobeyed an order. He would have been crazy not to do so with the fresh evidence he discovered. Custer could have and should have sent a message back to Terry with his new evidence. Why didn't he? I can think of a couple. 1. Who would you send and how many? Too little and these men may have run into trouble, too many and the command, itself, may have suffered.
2. What would you say, "General, I don't know where the Indians are but I do know where they ain't."
That's how Reno got his butt in a sling on his scout. Remember?
Now the question arises! Who will possess the correct information. The party hundreds of miles away or the party actually on the scene.
Eagerly was there. He participated in the battle. He was an intelligent officer admired by all he met. He achieved the rank of general at a time in our history when that was a difficult thing to do. He said that it was useless to scout Tullocks when a plain, recent track of hundreds and hundreds of Indians, ponies, dogs, and teepee's being dragged went in another direction.
This trail could not have been anything else but the village on the move.
You say that Custer was in directed disobedience of orders by not heading to Tullocks although no Indian signs were going in that direction. Had he done so and the Indians escaped as a result what then does he report to the commander.
"Well Sir, I realized that all Indian sighs led into a different direction but your order told me to go there so I went."
Custer's would not have occurred when it did and where it did. Terry and Gibbon may have blundered into the village and probably wiped out and Custer would have been Court marshaled.
We must try to remember that Terry and others believed Custer to be an astute Indian fighter who could get the job done. Despite his negatives, a bit rash and impulses, they all believed in him. Terry's letter of instruction was loaded with implied discretion. At the time Terry wrote this instructions he believed that the Indians had moved to Tullocks. Custer proved that theory to be incorrect and, rightly, followed the "hot" trail.
So you are correct, he disobeyed an order. He would have been crazy not to do so with the fresh evidence he discovered. Custer could have and should have sent a message back to Terry with his new evidence. Why didn't he? I can think of a couple. 1. Who would you send and how many? Too little and these men may have run into trouble, too many and the command, itself, may have suffered.
2. What would you say, "General, I don't know where the Indians are but I do know where they ain't."
That's how Reno got his butt in a sling on his scout. Remember?
