The Reno Court of Inquiry: Abstract of the Official Record of Proceedings (The Custer Library) (Hardcover)

~ William A. Graham (Author), Brian C. Pohanka (Author) "THE Court convened at the Palmer House, Chicago, 13 January 1879, Colonel John H. King of the 9th Infantry, the senior officer, sitting as President..." (more)
Key Phrases: division into battalions, gray horse troop, middle ford, Little Big Horn, Major Reno, Bloody Knife (more...)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books (February 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811714160
• ISBN-13: 978-0811714167
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #613,753 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Benteen, Reno, Varnum Come Alive: Great for Custer Pros, January 6, 2000

By	Daniel Hurley (Chesapeake, VA.) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

A surprisingly good read. W. A. Graham's well edited book of testimony is fascinating. The inquiry report was supressed for many years until Graham came along. The Reno and Benteen passages are quite revealing of the men themselves. Reno reveals what he really thinks of Custer and Benteen's sarcasm concerning Custer's order for him on that day is so apparent one wishes he was challenged more on the stand. Benteen's reasons for his delay are quite astonishing. Those well familiar with the LBH will appreciate some of the between the lines testimony of the officers. Varnum (chief of scouts) and civilians describe the retreat from the valley as a rout and but the other officers are reluctant to critizise. Graham's editing and Pohanka's introduction enrich the book by providing more background information.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reno Inquiry, December 23, 2001

By A Customer

I bought this book about the famous inquiry of Major Reno who was accused of cowardice at the battle of Little Bighorn. It was fine. However, anybody who would be interested in this book might as well go all the way and get Ron Nichols' version of the Inquiry. That's why I gave the Graham abstract a 4. Nichols has taken the unpublished manuscript (from the National Archives?) and copied it down word-for-word so you get the whole enchilada, not Graham's edited version. I couldn't find Nichols book on Amazon.com but it's out there somewhere. I got my copy from the Custer Battlefield Historical and Museum Association. Perhaps someone at Amazon.com will read this review and make Mr. Nichols' heftier compilation available.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource, May 14, 2004

By	Randy Keehn (Williston, ND United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This was the first book of the Custer Library that I read and I found it very interesting. It contains an abstract of the Court of Inquiry that was requested by Major Reno in 1879. The first part of the book is a helpful preface to the inquiry. The rest is mostly testimony from the inquiry itself. At time the testimony gets a bit belabored but it is still fascinating to read the testimony of eyewitnesses to the Reno theater of battle. Major Reno comes across as a tragic perhaps even pathetic victim of history. He is exonerated but, by then, popular belief had already condemned his anyway. This book is a crucial resource for the serious (and casual) students of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.