Ever wonder?

[crazycanuck]

A couple of definitions of a jerk that I found are 1. doesn't care about anything else but his handsome allure and annoying success. 2. An insensitive ignorant cocky person who is inconsiderate and does stupid things. I could start a list of Custers things but I would be typing till midnight. Also, I believe introspective retrodiction when done sensitively to be very insightful in helping us to get closer to what happened in the past and it should be used more than it is. As far as Custer being a jerk I would have to say yep. But we can agree to disagree and that is okay.

[moderator]

Grahams timing has been mentioned. This timing as well as John Gray's are nearly the same, yet there is only one person who ever testified to this timing at the COI. It had been 3 years since the battle at the time the COI had been called, and most if not all could not remember exact times events happened; and no two it seems could agree on the time for any single event. One timing that seems irreconcilable with these timing sets is what the Indians themselves said about the attack and when it began. Most, if not all of the Indians who participated in Reno's attack said that this attack ensued at around noon. If they were right, and I have no reason to expect that they were not, then how does one account for the time discrepancies that still to this day plague this battle?

Try this:

Graham - Reno attacked at 3:15, back it off to 12:15 according to the Indians. Custer had by this time sent for Benteen. Martin said the battle started soon after he left Custer's column, around 3:20 Graham time. Yet, this would have occurred at 12:20 Indian time. Reno arrives on the bluffs at 4:00 - Graham time, 1:00 Indian time, and soon after (about 5-10 min. = 1:05 - 1:10) Benteen arrived at his position.

The firing that was heard from Reno/Benteen's position was described at best as - from none to sporadic with a few claiming a couple of volleys. This was clearly the end of the action they were hearing from Custer's direction. F. Girard said he heard volleys downstream about 5-10 min. prior to Reno's retreat. Reno's retreat was reported to have taken anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. AND there is still that confusion about whether or not they stayed O min. in the timber after retreating the open skirmish line or remained there 10 minutes as some claimed. What is interesting is the averages produced by all of these actions. 7 1/2 min prior to Reno's retreat. 5 min in the timber and 7 1/2 minutes for Reno to retreat. When added together they produce 20 minutes... The same amount of time the Indians said it took them to dispatch Custer and his men.

Weir started for Custer's battlefield about 4:30 - Graham time; 1:30 Indian time, 20 minutes after Benteen's arrival at Reno's position. Lt. Hare had been dispatched back to retrieve the ammo packs and his report stated that it took him a total of about 20 minutes round trip to accomplish his mission. From the Packer's statements, they were right on his heels, so their arrival at Reno's position was nearly co-incidental with Lt. Hare's arrival back at Reno's postion AND Weir's departure from same at 1:30 Indian time. A half an hour later, 5pm - Graham time, 2pm Indian time all of Custer's men had been dispatched as the Indians were shooting at "objects on the ground". The conclusion is that the Indians had dispatched Custer's men prior to this time, and their end was near the time Reno arrived on the Bluffs, and very likely about the time Benteen joined him.

Why then the need to make this battle 3 hours later than the Indian stated times? This question has never been thought of before. But it has significant impact upon who, what, when and where in relation to WHY.