The Note To Benteen

[dave]

On another board a discussion has arisen regarding the syntax of Cooke's note to Benteen. Be quick vs Come on and the interpretation of the note.
I would enjoy reading everyone's thoughts and ideas on this subject as I believe that new members would appreciate the information.
Regards
Dave

[yanmacca]

Dave you have really opened up a can or worms believe me, but it is a fair question.

I think it was written to show that Custer had changed his idea on how this battle was now unfolding, it could have been penned by Cook as the column left the area of 3411 and entered cedar coulee and I think that some how Cook in his Ernest, written it out once he knew that Martini was no good at delivering a verbal message in English.

Yan.

[Beth]

I think you are right Yan, though I think that Cooke sort of condensed what Custer said. If Custer had said the exact words in the note, I suspect that Martini could have delivered the message, after all he had been in the US a couple of years by 1876(I checked wiki suggest he came to the US 1873).

I think of how messages get relayed around the house at home. I may give one kid instructions to give the Kid 2 about what chores I want done, but kid one will just deliver the message to kid 2 as "Mom wants you"

As for the wording. You can not read a message from over 100 years and imply modern meaning. Words and their usage change. Imagine how a note from the 60's "man, get your groove on, and let's get this party rolling" would read 100 years from now? It's not that Cooke used slang, but the nuisance of words change.

[quincannon]

Benteen, come on. Big Village. Be quick. Bring packs. PS Bring packs. W. W. Cooke

Most of you already know what I think of this message in terms of a military communication, so I will spare you.

Slice and dice for posterity. Remember when doing so that Albert James Myer will haunt your every waking thought.

[Admin1]

I've combined the Benteen note threads here unfortunately, I can not reorder them.

[quincannon]

Clear, and preferably brief verbal or written instructions and orders are the hallmark of military communications.

The note to Benteen was brief, but completely lacking in clarity of purpose.

Benteen - The addressee.

Come on - Stop what you are doing and come forward. Come to where? Come to Custer? Come to Reno? Come someplace else?

Big Village - Bigger than what? Bigger than what we were expecting? Bigger than normal?

Be quick - Quick means fast. OK quick is universally understood.

Bring packs - Completely at loggerheads with be quick.

PS: Bring packs - Adding emphasis to the pack issue, but it can be implied by the post script that the packs are of such importance that the speed in "be quick" becomes relative.

Related Post Script: Using the words Big Village is I believe a tell that Custer had seen the situation from round about 3411, perhaps even Sharpshooter Ridge, where he could only see a large portion of the village, but enough to determine it was more than an ordinary size. Had he gone on to Weir Point, where others have him first viewing the valley action, he would also have seen that the village size far exceeded his most liberal estimates.

It should also be noted that many a commander has been undone by poor or sloppy staff work. Custer did not write this message, Cooke did. Cooke was speaking for the commander, so whether Custer wrote it or not does not matter. Cooke's job was to speak for the commander, completely conveying Custer's thoughts and intentions. One of the sought after attributes of a good commander is to carefully pick the staff that works for him. A commander cannot do it all, he must have competent trustworthy people around him. They must also be people with the moral courage to speak truth to power, even if they know their expressed opinion may not sit well with those they serve.

[deadwoodgultch]

Cooke was a great shot and could run fast.

[quincannon]

Obviously not good enough, and certainly not fast enough.

Missed you the last few days Thomas. Chris was just asking about you on the phone today.

[Beth]

TMI

[mac]

TMI ??
The note eh?
Come on. Big Village. Be quick. Bring Packs.
Be Quick can not apply to the Big Village obviously and it is non sensical for Custer to expect him to come on quickly while bringing the packs. So what is he to be quick about?
He is to be quick to end his scout and get to the packs is my view. Custer has seen the situation in the valley and realised he has his packs slowly coming towards a big village with only Reno in between.
Let's face it if Custer wanted Benteen quickly the note would say Come on quickly. The double mention of the packs is a give away that they are of high importance in this order.
Come on Big village is stop scouting and come on now because they are all here in one bunch.
Cheers

[yanmacca]

I have always found the words “bring packs” intriguing, as the train was not a combat unit, B company was but the trooper packers were probably expected to act in a defensive role only.

So he must mean the ammunition packs, I am not sure if the train had around a dozen mules employed in this important role, so if Benteen’s three companies merged with MacDougal’s B company plus around 12 ammo mules and dozen packers, would give you a combined strength of around 172 all ranks.

Yan.

[mac]

My thought is if he wanted just the ammo then that would be in the note as it is just one more word.
Interesting thing is Custer, when he sends the message, is clearly happy to keep the packs moving up despite having begun his attack on the village.
Cheers

[royalwelsh]

Mac,

I agree. The more I think about it, the more I believe that GAC wanted Benteen to escort McDougall/Mathey and redirect them away from Reno's valley fight and up the eastern bluffs. Not to merely cut out some ammo mules. And from there GAC would attack the hostile village. Horrendously worded written orders from Cooke, with an obvious conflict at its heart - bring packs v come quick.

RW

[colt45]

I would agree that the "come on, big village" part of the note indicates to terminate the scout and return to the main trail quickly, as in "be quick". "Bring packs" indicates the desire for the pack train to proceed as well, not hole up some distance from the action. The problem is in the lack of specific information. Benteen doesn't know where to actually come to, nor does he know if Custer wants all the packs or just the ammo. In fairness, it is possible at the last officer's call that Custer told everyone that the ammo packs were to move along with the combat units once contact was established and the non-essential packs would lag behind. But this we will never know. All we have is the note. If we assume Custer meant just the ammo packs, and that Benteen would have known that, then Benteen has to break off his scout, return to the main trail, either catch up to or wait for the pack train, pull out the ammo packs, and then proceed ... where?

Compounding the situation is the fact the note didn't tell Benteen that Reno was in the valley and that Custer had swung around the right end via the bluffs, so when Benteen reaches the point where the trails divide, what does he do? Only by seeing Reno in the valley and in the middle of his movement up the bluffs, along with the Indian scouts indicating to come up the bluffs, does Benteen have any idea where he should go.

[yanmacca]

I always thought he meant the ammo packs because Cedar Coulee is supposed to be a horrible place to traverse, so I imagine taking a full pack train through this place would be a slow and arduous job.

I suppose they could have cut a different route, but they were going over unfamiliar ground in a combat zone with a huge enemy encampment nearby, so it would make sense to follow the trail left by Custer, and this I would expect would take them via Cedar.

Yan.