If it looks like a rock, maybe it's a rock ...

[dogtag]

Strikes me you'd need a vivid imagination to
conclude that this rock is an axe and not just
a rock. The world is covered in rocks some of
which look like things that aren't rocks, but
when you examine them closely you realize
they're just rocks.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...on-estate.html

[sid]

I'm inclined to agree with you. When I was a kid I belonged to the Boy Scouts. One day another Scout and I were walking though Fairmount Park when he spotted a stone axe head. It was definitely shaped like an axe head an nowhere as primitive as the one in the news article. Anyway, we then took it to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and had a specialist in Indian artifacts examine it. He said it was authentic and very old. After that he said, "I'm sure you boys would like to donate this to the museum and we both heartily said Yes." We were totally naive back then as to it's rarity and value and it obviously ended up in his private collection.

Indian arrowheads are much more common. I had a friend who was a farmer and he had a fair collection of these. He told me that when he was plowing he would turn one up about every couple of months. Nowadays most of these are fakes.

Last thing. There is a genuine stone Indian axe on exhibit at the Philadelphia GAR Museum. It was donated to the museum by General George A. Custer.

[dogtag]

Lt Col. George A. Custer

[Vern Humphrey]

Lt Col. George A. Custer

Custer was a Brevet Major General

In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct, but without receiving the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. An officer so promoted was referred to as being brevetted (for example, "he was brevetted major general").

Under Army regulations in his day, he was entitled to be addressed by his brevet rank, and to wear the insignia. But he was only entitled to the pay of the slot he was filling. After the Civil war he was offered a permanent commission as a Captain, then later was offered a Lieutenant-colonel's commission with the 7th Cavalry. During the Campaign of 1868, there was so much quarreling between state troops and federal troops, he was given overall command -- under Army regs when Volunteers and Regulars served together, Brevet rank counted. But that is the only time after the Civil War he actually served in a Major General's position.

It is therefore proper to refer to him either as a Major General or a Lieutenant Colonel during his time with the 7th Cavalry.

[Bill D]

Brevet Major General George A. Custer. It was consider proper to address someone by their brevet rank.

[dogtag]

The guy was a pompous idiot.

[Vern Humphrey]

Let me put it this way -- he did not measure up to the professional standards of an officer in today's Army.

[Bill D]

He may well have been pompous but he was hardly an idiot. His tactics had served him well up until the LBH debacle where circumstances caused a vastly superior force to resolve to stand and fight. Something they had failed to do in previous engagements.

[Vern Humphrey]

He may well have been pompous but he was hardly an idiot. His tactics had served him well up until the LBH debacle where circumstances caused a vastly superior force to resolve to stand and fight. Something they had failed to do in previous engagements.

Actually not. He had good luck at the Battle of the Waxxxxa, but lost his men's coats (in the depths of winter) by leaving them stacked and unguarded, and he abandoned Major Joel Elliot and his men -- they were all killed.

At the Little Big Horn, with 12 companies of cavalry, he never managed to get more than three into action at one time within supporting distance of each other. On the other hand, a concentration of troops accidentally happened on Reno's Ridge, when Benteen, looking for Custer, stumbled upon them and added his own three companies to Reno's three. Later MacDougal arrived with his Company B and the pack train -- which had another 84 privates and sergeants. This force defended itself quite handily -- there were relatively few casualties after Benteen joined with Reno.

[dogtag]

Custer reminds me of Sir Henry Simmerson of Sharp'd Rifles

[Bill D]

One could (and have) argue this endlessly but the outcome would still be inconclusive. “What if’s “ abound in this engagement. What if the third (southern) column had not turned back after getting their collective butts kicked a couple of days prior to the LBH engagement. What If Reno had not faced uncommon resolve from the Indians during his initial engagement. What if both Reno and Benteen had been officers who supported their commander rather than being content to see him go down to defeat while remaining at a relatively safe distance.

The entire frontier army of the 1870’s was substandard. They were forced to “make do” with substandard and obsolete equipment and supplies. Also, the recruiting standards were abysmal and moral was at record lows. It’s a wonder that Custer made as good a showing as he did with what he was furnished. I still don’t believe he was an idiot.

[dogtag]

Maybe not an idiot - how about a pompous jackass ?

[Bill D]

Maybe.

[Vern Humphrey]

One could (and have) argue this endlessly but the outcome would still be inconclusive. “What if’s “ abound in this engagement. What if the third (southern) column had not turned back after getting their collective butts kicked a couple of days prior to the LBH engagement. What If Reno had not faced uncommon resolve from the Indians during his initial engagement. What if both Reno and Benteen had been officers who supported their commander rather than being content to see him go down to defeat while remaining at a relatively safe distance.

That's not fair. While there was animosity in the 7th Cavalry, you can't charge Benteen with failing to do his best. Benteen, for example, when he received the "Bring Pacs" order made the decision to hurry on, and not wait for the pack train (trusting Sergeant Kanipe and Captain MacDougal to bring it on.)

He joined with Reno's battalion because:

1. He didn't have mental telepathy -- he saw soldiers in action and didn't know if Custer was with them or not.

2. He was duty-bound to go to the assistance of US troops in action, absent a real reason not to.

3. Once there, he was decisively engaged -- he couldn't break off the action.

When the Hunkpapa withdrew, the officers held a council to decide what they should do. The general consensus was that Custer had abandoned them (as he abandoned Major Joel Elliot at the battle the word checker won't let me spell out.) Nevertheless, they set out to find Custer. They had not gone far when they saw the Sioux coming back -- in greater numbers than before -- and made the only tactically sound decision they could make -- return to defensible terrain and fight it out.

[Bill D]

At the time Benteen joined Reno’s battalion, Reno had just suffered a major butt whipping. He was in no condition either mentally or militarily to do much more than hunker down and defend Reno Hill. Benteen hated Custer and saw no reason to leave the relative security of Reno’s position to assist his commander.
This has all been hashed out in previous posts on this forum and I don’t intend to rehash it with you. We can either agree to disagree or you can declare yourself the winner - your call and I don’t care which. I’m done with the subject.