A New and Better Custer Book

[Dead I]

I'm about to finish A Terrible Glory, Custer and the Little Bighorn, The Last Great Battle of the American West, by Donovan.  To my way of thinking it's much better than the other new Custer book already mentioned.  I have both and did not like the other one.  I thought it didn't offer anything new and was much too conventional "lets all hate Custer together".

This newer book is full of new info, at least for me, and I've read a lot of books about Custer.  It is harder on Reno than most other works, which I agree with.  It also records his drinking.  As an example in the 22 days after the battle, after they returned to their post, Reno drank...or at least bought 11 gallons of whiskey.  Eleven gallons!  That's a lot of hooch my friends.  Now certainly Weir, Benteen and French drank their share, but nothing that the boozing that Reno treated himself to.

I like a wee dram from time to time, sure; but Reno was drinking about a gallon of whiskey a day!  In addition he was taking hits from a bottle during the battle and finished it.  Was he bombed?  Probably.  Did this effect his performance?  Well, if he was bombed, yes it did.  Custer btw: didn't touch a drop...ever.

[Fox Creek Kid]

And how did you ascertain that Reno was drinking all that whiskey?

[Dead I]

And how did you ascertain that Reno was drinking all that whiskey?

The author of the book has discovered that Reno bought that much whiskey from the suttler's store.  It is a matter of record.  Did Reno drink alone?  I think so.  You will also read that Reno's men didn't like  him much due to his heavy drinking. 

[shrapnel]

There was a scout for the 7th Cavalry by the name of George Herendeen, who haled from Bozeman, Montana territory at the time. He was with Reno when Bloody Knife got shot in the head. Herendeen testified at the Reno/Benteen court martials and stated that Reno at that time had already been drinking, and had access to more before digging in on top of the hill where he and Benteen held the Indians off for another day.  Reno was fortunate that he didn't lose everything at the trial, Herendeen didn't think much of him.

[Dead I]

There was a scout for the 7th Cavalry by the name of George Herendeen, who haled from Bozeman, Montana territory at the time. He was with Reno when Bloody Knife got shot in the head. Herendeen testified at the Reno/Benteen court martials and stated that Reno at that time had already been drinking, and had access to more before digging in on top of the hill where he and Benteen held the Indians off for another day.  Reno was fortunate that he didn't lose everything at the trial, Herendeen didn't think much of him.

I was just castigated by FEATHERS for writing herein that Herendeen had been killed down at the bottom of the bluffs.  I made a mistake.  It was Hodgen who was killed down there.  He was a pal of Reno, who didn't have many friends in the 7th. According to Donovan's Custer book Reno was really toasted that day.  Many survivors commented upon his drinking.  He even shared a nip with Varnum.