RCOI What it is and what it isn't

[Beth]

The RCOI is often cited as a source for information but it seems obvious that not all everyone understand what it is.  RCOI stands for Reno Court of Inquiry.  The entire proceedings are available through the Library of Congress here  There are also editions available either as ebook.

The Inquiry was called by Reno to clear his name over charges that were being made over his possible drunkenness and cowardliness at Little Big Horn.  It was held from January 12 through February 11, 1879  at the Palmer House in Chicago. 

[azranger]

Yes and it was never a review of the whole incident. Those actions should have taken place immediately after the battle.

Regards

Steve

[yanmacca]

Sorry Beth I didn't know you posted this up, I can delete my post if you wish, even though its from a different site than yours.

[quincannon]

This misunderstanding is in how we of a modern day look at it I believe.

Some, incorrectly give it the weight of a criminal, or at least civil trial, I suppose because of the word court. It was not.

Some, again incorrectly give it the weight of what would be today, a grand jury investigation, or in the military an Article 32, UCMJ. It was not that either, exactly.

Some would suggest that it was a review of the battle, and it was not that either, but rather simply an inquiry into one's man's actions during that battle.

A complete after action review and report was not done on this battle in the aftermath, as that was completely impossible due to the inability of some of the key players to write clearly and legibly from the grave.

The RCOI was the period version of the Brown Board, where because of attempts at character assignation, Reno felt compelled to try and clear his name. That is all it was. Nothing more.

[Beth]

I agree. I think people just don't understand it was an Inquiry solely concerning Reno, which is why certain people were not called as witnesses. Also I believe there is too much emphasis at least in the case of Benteen's testimony to try to make it a 'got cha' moment in history. (it will come into the discussion of Harper's book)

[yanmacca]

I wonder if the army wanted to forget the whole sorry mess, in a similar way to the British government forgetting what happened in Zulu land.

[Beth]

Oct 5, 2016 12:44:36 GMT yanmacca said:

Sorry Beth I didn't know you posted this up, I can delete my post if you wish, even though its from a different site than yours.

 I have to look to see where you put it.  It might be best to leave it and put a link to this thread. I found it a quandary trying to decide where it best fit.

[dave]

QC is correct about the misunderstanding of what a COI is to modern Americans. We are so accustom to everything being done fast and being a tell all that we can not understand the Victorian era of never being direct but always an alluring sort of statement or result. Just like the ole 1930's movies where the couple were getting into a hot and heavy session and then it faded to black and having them eating breakfast. 
Regards
Dave

[Beth]

Oct 5, 2016 20:31:38 GMT dave said:

QC is correct about the misunderstanding of what a COI is to modern Americans. We are so accustom to everything being done fast and being a tell all that we can not understand the Victorian era of never being direct but always an alluring sort of statement or result. Just like the ole 1930's movies where the couple were getting into a hot and heavy session and then it faded to black and having them eating breakfast. 
Regards
Dave

The fade to black in a movie is because of the Hays Code.  Ironically I think a lot of Benteen's short and sarcastic answers might have something to do with military code-written or unwritten.  I would be willing to bet by the time of the Inquiry a lot of people just wanted to let sleeping dogs lie.  They had no reason then to believe that interest was just at its infancy.

[quincannon]

The RCOI was to shut Reno up. Sweep this disaster under the rug. Pretend it never happened. LBH when, what, who, no that could not happen.

The ONE BIG THING the Army does not want, NEVER wants is to hang out dirty laundry on the line, when that line inevitably is in Congress' back yard. Not in George Washington's day, Not in Sherman's day, and not TODAY.

What Dave posted sounds like my life, hot and heavy (sadly memories), fade to black, eat breakfast.

[Beth]

It might have worked too if certain people hadn't started immediately saying it was a kangaroo court. Libbie must have been one of those type of women who just have the ability to make men feel they need to protect her. You will notice no one ever rallied around the other widows even Maggie Calhoun. There is possibly no one who lost more than Maggie Calhoun--3 brothers and a husband.

[dave]

Libbie is what many would call a "high maintenance chick" who knew how to play the damsel in distress. The Victorian era encouraged the image of the hapless woman who needed a man to direct and protect her. I am reminded of how Colonel Gracie acted during the last minutes of the Titanic as he went to each of the ladies in his circle offering them his protection and assistance to the life boats. Of course, he was assisting only ladies in First Class which was the accepted behavior of the time. Gracie was doing this during the Edwardian era but it was typical of the Victorian which had ended only a decade before.

Libbie played off GAC's fame and reputation to the day she died never neglecting his image and fighting to protect it always. She was an implacable opponent as poor Reno knew to the day he did. I honestly believe she even cowed Benteen who had no desire to tangle with her and the carefully crafted picture she created of George.
Regards
Dave

[quincannon]

For the Love of Christ don't get me started on her or any of the other Mrs. Generals and Colonels that are legion in the armed services until this very evening, and we sure as hell are not either Victorian or Edwardian. I despise them down to the ground.

I have often mentioned my good friend and sometime partner in our church activities Jack, a recently retired LTG, and salt of the earth. I should say that his wife Kathy is of equal caliber. The day Joan was operated on Kathy showed up in pre-op, about 6 in the morning, bringing coffee for me in a thermos, and sat with me nearly all the morning in the waiting room. She lives on the complete opposite end of the city, and was probably crawling out of bed at 4AM to be where she was a 6. Not a hint of anything but down to earth human being about her.

Contrast that with another woman, we go to church with, who is the daughter of Army royalty, and herself married to a retired CAPT, USN a naval aviator, and very respected member of the corporate community here in CS. In a word she thinks here poo poo smells like Chanel #5. She wears both her father's stars and her husband's eagles like they were her own.

Yes Libbie is alive and well, but thank the Good Lord above that there are more Kathys, than that other Shit For Brains dipwad.

[Beth]

I suspect there are a lot more Kathys than Libbies in the world. You know the one person I would love to know more about in the universe of LBH is Benteen's wife.

I always read Benteen's testimony at RCOI of a man who did not want to be thee and was tired of having to tell his story yet another time so he gave answers especially from people he may have considered idiots and that his answers are just dripping with sarcasm. Am I the only one who feels that way or am I making the cardinal sin and putting to much of what I want it to be into what I read?

[colt45]

Benteen's testimony is in the form of someone who is experienced in giving testimony at a trial when being questioned by the opposing attorney. In that, as a witness, you answer the question truthfully, giving no more or less information than was asked for. You never volunteer additional information. You make the attorney ask for everything, and you don't expound on your answer. The best answer you can give as a witness is "yes" or "no". Reason for this is by volunteering information not asked for you open yourself up for further questioning that might go somewhere you didn't want it to go.