Good Film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8C0tMwz7P4&t=28s
He brings out some good points, Most People dont realise the whole thing was over in Twenty Minutes. That Hits Hard.
I’ve read a half dozen books on the Subject and have a couple of Books here, one with Eye Wittness testimony from both sides of the Battle.
Custer in ‘76. Walter Camps notes on the Custer Fight. by Kenneth Hammer is my Favorite.
Even though I am a historian, I do not recall knowing this. I have never read a book on the battle, but I must have read an article or two somewhere along the way. Maybe I encountered the 20-mintue figure, and it just flittered out of my brain over the years. As you said, it hits hard that they were wiped out so quickly.
Does make me wonder where the time estimate originated. Perhaps someone in the Reno or Benteen detachments timed the sound of gunshots on a pocket watch?
Guess I will have to fire up that internet thingy and got back up to speed.
Or pull out my copy of Son of the Morning Star, which resides on my bookshelf unread. Like a lot of academics, I have dozens of unread books waiting in the queue. I’ll need another 40 years to even come close to catching up.
I remember reading that there were small ridges that were seperating them at one point and I believe it was Benteen heard the first shots, figured out what was happening, but there was nothing he could do from his situation and position at that time. I believe Benteen fell back with a party mostly on Horseback but there were some running who were set afoot.
Of course either Benteen or Reno would have looked at his watch at the time for noting in his report.
Edit to add;
Actually Benteen recieved a message from Custer ordering him to “Come Fast.” right before Reno and Benteen met up as they were falling back.Some reports say that message came in at 4 pm.
I remember reading about Reno retreating from a masssive Village that was “Massive” but actually only about 30% of the Native Americans were in that exact location.
Retreating and crossing the creek they really began a fight with many casualties on both sides. They had kicked a Hornets Nest and they were fighting for their lives..
Benteen did a good job of organizing a defense and getting dug in after Reno’s disorganized hasty retreat.
Realistically nothing to be done for Custer at that point who was about 3 miles away, even very fast horses aren’t making cross country in time to save Custer and his men. They would get there just in time to get schwacked themselves.
The natives assaulted Benteen’s dug in position and were repelled, he did exactly what he should have in the situation.
And his job was to bring up the field trains, they were only issued 124 rounds a piece. Reno’s Men were running low because of the fight they had to get there, Benteens Guy’s were likely needing a lot of ammo also.
I believe a Captin Weir actually tried to get there but was turned around in ten minutes by the Natives rate of fire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KaIL6K-UkI
The Custer Benteen Fued.
Which opens a can of Worms to Only to later be beaten by “Who Killed JFK?”
I’ve done some studying and research since I last Posted.
I’ve come to the conclusion that Custer Benteen and Reno were very different personalities that in any condiion in which Custer split his forces and let Reno and Benteen have an independnt unsupervised Command of Troops, Custer wasn’t going to like the results.
Reno was a drunk and semi fell apart as Benteen organized the Defences Reno sat on a Box and drank whiskey. He later semi redeemed himself, but his alcoholism was a decided weakness. He was later to be found to be a bit of an obnoxious drunk who like to peek in ladies windows. Only his presence at the Little Big Horn stopped him from being discharged for drunkeness..
Benteen had hated Custer since the Civil War and such made such offensive comments about Custer that one of his hated filled latters ended up in the Paper anonomously, Benteen admitted to it in Custer own face.
These Guys should never have been working together and should have been replaced before going in to Action.