A Terrible Glory by James Donovan

Author:James Donovan [DONOVAN, JAMES]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HIS027110
ISBN: 9780316029117
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: 2008-03-24T04:00:00+00:00

WHEN BENTEEN AND his three companies arrived at the peaks a mile to the north, he ordered his men to dismount and deployed them in a skirmish line on the ridges around the area. The Captain climbed to the top of the left hill. On the ridge to the north, the air was full of dust, but now there was only the occasional shot. Benteen took his troop guidon and jammed it down into some stones. If anyone was alive in that direction, they might see it and the horses and make for them.

It quickly became apparent that the only people coming toward them were more of Sitting Bull’s warriors, and they were coming fast. “This is a hell of a place to fight Indians,” said Benteen. “I am going to see Reno and propose that we go back to where we lay before starting out here.”4

With that, he descended the hill and led his troop back toward the Major, who was about half a mile back, in front of the pack train and Moylan and the wounded. Weir followed him, alone, leaving his troop in the care of Edgerly. French, the only senior officer left, remained with his company.

The closest Indians were now about seven hundred yards away and closing fast on the regiment’s forward position. The two companies under Edgerly and French dismounted in a skirmish line around the forward peak. Many of the men, understandably unnerved, began to shoot. The Indians, now armed with two hundred additional Springfields, returned their fire.

When Benteen reached Reno, he suggested that they fall back to their previous position, because Weir’s hill, despite its superior height, was a poor one for defensive purposes. There was little or no cover, since no part of it was completely protected. Reno agreed and began issuing orders to withdraw to their previous position. But perhaps because nobody trusted Reno any longer, no trumpeter blew the recall, and Reno himself did not bother to order a rear guard.

As Benteen neared the position, McDougall rode up to him. After talking with another officer, he had decided that Reno was completely incompetent and drastic action needed to be taken. “Say old man,” he asked Benteen, “what is going to be the outcome of this unless we have a commanding officer here pretty damn soon? You are the senior captain, and we would like to see you take the lead in affairs.” If they were not careful, McDougall added, there would be a second Fort Phil Kearny affair, referring to the Fetterman Massacre.

Benteen only smiled and said nothing. But he followed McDougall’s suggestion, and when they reached their position, he directed his men to set up a defense on one side of the site and then helped form the defense on the other side — Reno’s side.5 From that point on, Benteen quietly and unobtrusively took control of the command from Reno. Henceforth, most of the orders regarding the defense of the hill, whether they came officially from Reno or Benteen, were suggested by Benteen.

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