Reno's behavior

Private John Burkman's account of
RENO'S BEHAVIOR ON RENO HILL

source: Old Neutriment, Glendolin Damon Wagner, Ruth Hill Publishers, Boston, MA, 1934 pages 166-171 

"Long towards night o' the fust day -- the twentyfifth -- the smoke cleared some in the valley and most of the Indians begun dwindlin' away, goin' back to thar village fur a spell o' restin' and mournin' fur their dead, leavin' jist enough warriors around to keep us up thar on the hill. None o' us had eat since leavin' camp with Custer early that day. We chewed on hardtack and raw bacon but the vittals was like hay scratchin' down our dry throats, without any water. All of us was purty much petered out. A lot o' the men jist dropped in their tracks and went to sleep, too tired to keer what happened next. I was one of them detailed to do night guard. I had to guard Reno's tent. He had a keg in thar and he was drinkin' considerable. I couldn't see in but I could hear. Oncst, as I was marchin' past, I heerd him say to another officer that was with him, `Wall,' he says, `I wonder whar the Murat of the American army is by this time!'

Marcus Reno