Post by keogh on Jun 12, 2013 21:37:57 GMT -5
Hereare the participant accounts dealing with Reno's crossing the Little Big Horn River at Ford A:
1) Dr. Porter (RCOI): it took Reno 5 - 10 minutes to cross Ford A and form up.
ANALYSIS
I would suggest that a correct interpretation of Dr. Porter's account would be that it took Reno's battalion between 5 - 10 minutes to water and cross the river and then an additional 5 - 10 minutes to form his command up on the other side of the river.
2) Sgt. Culbertson (RCOI): It took Reno 5 - 8 minutes to cross the Little Big Horn River.
ANALYSIS
This time estimate supports that of Dr. Porter's above.
3) Lt. Varnum (RCOI): Reno crosses Ford A in 10 - 15 minutes after leaving Custer, but admits to some delay in crossing.
ANALYSIS
Varnum suggests that there was some delay, probably due to the watering of the horses, while crossing at Ford A, which Varnum put at some time between 10 to 15 minutes.
4) Lt. Wallace (RCOI): It was probably 20 minutes after 2 when we crossed the creek first.
ANALYSIS
As usual, Wallace's watch time estimate of a 2:20 p.m. crossing of the divide not supported by any other participant accounts. As Wallace indicated earlier that Reno received his attack orders at 2:15 p.m., he claims that Reno covered the 1.2 miles to Ford A in only 5 minutes, indicating an all out full run at about 25 mph, which is simply ridiculous. Of course, Wallace also contradicted himself in his own testimony when he previously estimated that it took Reno about 15 minutes to cover the distance to the river crossing after leaving Custer.
5) Lt. Hare (Camp Int., Custer in 76): The scouts got to Ford A 1/2 mile ahead of Reno and watered their horses. Then Reno came up and stopped there, taking plenty of time to water. He says it is not true that Reno did not give his men time to water. He ays Reno remained at the river for 10 - 15 minutes. While Reno was watering, Hare went down the valley with the scouts about a mile, when some of the Rees took off after a herd of Sioux ponies and ran them off.
ANALYSIS
Lt. Hare agrees with Varnum's estimate of a 10 - 15 minute crossing at Ford A with Reno taking plenty of time to water his horses. During this time, Hare accompanies his scouts down into the valley for about a mile whereupon a group of Ree scouts took off after a herd of Sioux ponies. The early firing heard by Martin and others likely came from these Ree scouts capturing the Sioux ponies in the valley while Reno's command was still at Ford A.
6) Young Hawk and Strikes Two -- Ree scouts (Camp Int., Camp & Custer at the Little Bighorn): says the Rees captured the Sioux ponies quite a while before Reno's battle started.
ANALYSIS
This statement by two of the Ree scouts supports the recollection of Lt. Hare that the Ree's pursued and captured a herd of Sioux ponies while Reno's battalion was still in the vicinity of Ford A, and "quite a while before Reno's battle started."
7) Sgt. Kanipe (Camp Int., Custer in 76): says that Reno forded the river at Ford A about noon.
ANALYSIS
All of Kanipe's time estimates referenced local sun time, thus Kanipe indicates that Reno forded the river about 1 p.m. HQ watch time.
8) Pvt. Davern (RCOI): Reno crossed the river at Ford A at 1 p.m.
ANALYSIS
Pvt. Davern gives us the correct HQ watch time of 1 p.m. and supports Kanipe's similar sun time recollection of this event.
9) Lt. Godfrey (Godfrey's Narrative): Reno's battalion moved at a trot to the river, where he delayed about 10 - 15 minutes watering the horses . . . . Both . . . Keogh and . . . Cook were at this crossing for a short time. Reno now sent to Custer that he had everything in front of him and that the enemy was strong.
ANALYSIS
Lt. Godfrey -- who was not present for this event, but had extensive contact with those who were -- agrees with both Varnum and Hare that the watering and crossing at Ford A took between 10 to 15 minutes. This was also the likely location where Reno sent back his first messenger to Custer (Pvt. McIllargy of I Co.).
10) Pvt. Taylor (With Custer on the Little Big Horn): The horses having been watered, we rode out of the river and through the underbrush and then out a few yards onto the prairie, where we dismounted and tightened our saddle girths....
ANALYSIS
Pvt. Taylor does not give us a time estimate for Reno's crossing at Ford A, but he does support other participant claims that the horses were watered there. There does seem to be evidence -- via Pvt. Morris' account -- however, that M Troop, the first to arrive at the ford, may not have stopped to water their horses.
11) Sgt. Harrison (1905 interview by the Arkansas Gazette): Custer soon saw that he had caught up with a large body of the warriors, and about noon the fight between them began.
ANALYSIS
Sgt. Harrison's reference for the start of the fight as being "about noon" would reference local sun time. HQ watch time would place the start of the fight at about 1 p.m., thus supporting both Kanipe and Davern's estimates placing Reno in the LBH valley at about 1 p.m.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
Two of our participant accounts (Sgt. Kanipe and Pvt. Davern) agree that Reno crossed the river at about 1 p.m. HQ watch time, which fits very well into our previous timeline analysis that Reno arrived at Ford A about 12:55 p.m. This time estimate is supported by Sgt. Harrison's start of the battle occuring about 12 pm (suntime or 1 pm watch time). Lt. Wallace's time, as usual, are not supported by any other and can be safely dismissed. Two of our participants (Dr. Porter and Sgt. Culbertson) estimate Reno's crossing to have taken between 5 to 10 minutes whereas three accounts (Lt. Varnum, Hare and Godfrey) claim a slightly longer time of 10 to 15 minutes. All told, this would span a range of between 5 to 15 minutes. To try to gain a bit more accuracy, I would suggest that the shorter times given likely indicated the time that this individual -- and the company he was traveling with -- took to water and cross the river, whereas the longer times likely indicated the total time for the battalion to water and cross the river. Thus, I favor the slightly longer time time estimates of Varnum, Hare and Godfrey for Reno's crossing at Ford A.
At the time Reno is crossing Ford A, the Custer column, having finished watering their horses at the Eschelman fords, is rapidly approaching the vicinity of Ford A itself, being about a half mile or so behind Reno. This was why both Col. Cooke and Keogh were able to accompany Reno down to Ford A. Custer was about a half mile behind, and, I believe, intent upon following Reno across the river at Ford A.
Benteen's battalion at this time had stopped at the first, or eastern morass for his first water break. He would reach this morass, located about 4.5 miles east of Ford A, a few minutes after 1 p.m., as Reno is crossing the Little Big Horn river.
The advance pack train would have arrived at the juncture of Ash/Reno Creek and No Name Creek, 5 miles east of Ford A, by about 1:08 p.m., or about the same time that Reno's battalion has just finished crossing the Little Big Horn River.
CONCLUSION
Reno's battalion crosses the Little Big Horn river at Ford A, after two of his three companies watered their mounts, in about 10 to 15 minutes. The time for this event would be between 1:05 and 1:10 p.m. For our timeline purposes, we will go with a time of 1:08 p.m.
For those not using clock times, this would be: H = 4 hours and 38 minutes.
Benteen has reached the first morass at 1:05 p.m. (H = 4 hours and 35 minutes).
1) Dr. Porter (RCOI): it took Reno 5 - 10 minutes to cross Ford A and form up.
ANALYSIS
I would suggest that a correct interpretation of Dr. Porter's account would be that it took Reno's battalion between 5 - 10 minutes to water and cross the river and then an additional 5 - 10 minutes to form his command up on the other side of the river.
2) Sgt. Culbertson (RCOI): It took Reno 5 - 8 minutes to cross the Little Big Horn River.
ANALYSIS
This time estimate supports that of Dr. Porter's above.
3) Lt. Varnum (RCOI): Reno crosses Ford A in 10 - 15 minutes after leaving Custer, but admits to some delay in crossing.
ANALYSIS
Varnum suggests that there was some delay, probably due to the watering of the horses, while crossing at Ford A, which Varnum put at some time between 10 to 15 minutes.
4) Lt. Wallace (RCOI): It was probably 20 minutes after 2 when we crossed the creek first.
ANALYSIS
As usual, Wallace's watch time estimate of a 2:20 p.m. crossing of the divide not supported by any other participant accounts. As Wallace indicated earlier that Reno received his attack orders at 2:15 p.m., he claims that Reno covered the 1.2 miles to Ford A in only 5 minutes, indicating an all out full run at about 25 mph, which is simply ridiculous. Of course, Wallace also contradicted himself in his own testimony when he previously estimated that it took Reno about 15 minutes to cover the distance to the river crossing after leaving Custer.
5) Lt. Hare (Camp Int., Custer in 76): The scouts got to Ford A 1/2 mile ahead of Reno and watered their horses. Then Reno came up and stopped there, taking plenty of time to water. He says it is not true that Reno did not give his men time to water. He ays Reno remained at the river for 10 - 15 minutes. While Reno was watering, Hare went down the valley with the scouts about a mile, when some of the Rees took off after a herd of Sioux ponies and ran them off.
ANALYSIS
Lt. Hare agrees with Varnum's estimate of a 10 - 15 minute crossing at Ford A with Reno taking plenty of time to water his horses. During this time, Hare accompanies his scouts down into the valley for about a mile whereupon a group of Ree scouts took off after a herd of Sioux ponies. The early firing heard by Martin and others likely came from these Ree scouts capturing the Sioux ponies in the valley while Reno's command was still at Ford A.
6) Young Hawk and Strikes Two -- Ree scouts (Camp Int., Camp & Custer at the Little Bighorn): says the Rees captured the Sioux ponies quite a while before Reno's battle started.
ANALYSIS
This statement by two of the Ree scouts supports the recollection of Lt. Hare that the Ree's pursued and captured a herd of Sioux ponies while Reno's battalion was still in the vicinity of Ford A, and "quite a while before Reno's battle started."
7) Sgt. Kanipe (Camp Int., Custer in 76): says that Reno forded the river at Ford A about noon.
ANALYSIS
All of Kanipe's time estimates referenced local sun time, thus Kanipe indicates that Reno forded the river about 1 p.m. HQ watch time.
8) Pvt. Davern (RCOI): Reno crossed the river at Ford A at 1 p.m.
ANALYSIS
Pvt. Davern gives us the correct HQ watch time of 1 p.m. and supports Kanipe's similar sun time recollection of this event.
9) Lt. Godfrey (Godfrey's Narrative): Reno's battalion moved at a trot to the river, where he delayed about 10 - 15 minutes watering the horses . . . . Both . . . Keogh and . . . Cook were at this crossing for a short time. Reno now sent to Custer that he had everything in front of him and that the enemy was strong.
ANALYSIS
Lt. Godfrey -- who was not present for this event, but had extensive contact with those who were -- agrees with both Varnum and Hare that the watering and crossing at Ford A took between 10 to 15 minutes. This was also the likely location where Reno sent back his first messenger to Custer (Pvt. McIllargy of I Co.).
10) Pvt. Taylor (With Custer on the Little Big Horn): The horses having been watered, we rode out of the river and through the underbrush and then out a few yards onto the prairie, where we dismounted and tightened our saddle girths....
ANALYSIS
Pvt. Taylor does not give us a time estimate for Reno's crossing at Ford A, but he does support other participant claims that the horses were watered there. There does seem to be evidence -- via Pvt. Morris' account -- however, that M Troop, the first to arrive at the ford, may not have stopped to water their horses.
11) Sgt. Harrison (1905 interview by the Arkansas Gazette): Custer soon saw that he had caught up with a large body of the warriors, and about noon the fight between them began.
ANALYSIS
Sgt. Harrison's reference for the start of the fight as being "about noon" would reference local sun time. HQ watch time would place the start of the fight at about 1 p.m., thus supporting both Kanipe and Davern's estimates placing Reno in the LBH valley at about 1 p.m.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
Two of our participant accounts (Sgt. Kanipe and Pvt. Davern) agree that Reno crossed the river at about 1 p.m. HQ watch time, which fits very well into our previous timeline analysis that Reno arrived at Ford A about 12:55 p.m. This time estimate is supported by Sgt. Harrison's start of the battle occuring about 12 pm (suntime or 1 pm watch time). Lt. Wallace's time, as usual, are not supported by any other and can be safely dismissed. Two of our participants (Dr. Porter and Sgt. Culbertson) estimate Reno's crossing to have taken between 5 to 10 minutes whereas three accounts (Lt. Varnum, Hare and Godfrey) claim a slightly longer time of 10 to 15 minutes. All told, this would span a range of between 5 to 15 minutes. To try to gain a bit more accuracy, I would suggest that the shorter times given likely indicated the time that this individual -- and the company he was traveling with -- took to water and cross the river, whereas the longer times likely indicated the total time for the battalion to water and cross the river. Thus, I favor the slightly longer time time estimates of Varnum, Hare and Godfrey for Reno's crossing at Ford A.
At the time Reno is crossing Ford A, the Custer column, having finished watering their horses at the Eschelman fords, is rapidly approaching the vicinity of Ford A itself, being about a half mile or so behind Reno. This was why both Col. Cooke and Keogh were able to accompany Reno down to Ford A. Custer was about a half mile behind, and, I believe, intent upon following Reno across the river at Ford A.
Benteen's battalion at this time had stopped at the first, or eastern morass for his first water break. He would reach this morass, located about 4.5 miles east of Ford A, a few minutes after 1 p.m., as Reno is crossing the Little Big Horn river.
The advance pack train would have arrived at the juncture of Ash/Reno Creek and No Name Creek, 5 miles east of Ford A, by about 1:08 p.m., or about the same time that Reno's battalion has just finished crossing the Little Big Horn River.
CONCLUSION
Reno's battalion crosses the Little Big Horn river at Ford A, after two of his three companies watered their mounts, in about 10 to 15 minutes. The time for this event would be between 1:05 and 1:10 p.m. For our timeline purposes, we will go with a time of 1:08 p.m.
For those not using clock times, this would be: H = 4 hours and 38 minutes.
Benteen has reached the first morass at 1:05 p.m. (H = 4 hours and 35 minutes).