From: bronco357@webtv.net   
      
   When trumpeter Martin who was sent by   
   Custer with the famous message   
   "to bring packs"  ran into Major Benteen who had moved from the area he   
   was sent to scout  back to the area where the groups had been   
   separated.Benteen was leading the pack train but still not to the hill   
   top where Reno had taken refuge.   
   Martin failed to tell Benteen of the split up of Custers force OR about   
   seeing the fight Reno was in on the creek, or the fact he was now   
   surrounded on to of Reno Hill.   
   Again this all came out during the court   
   marshal.   
   Benteen & Reno both were expecting Custer to come to there aid during   
   the stand off on Reno Hill.   See Richard S Wheelers book Obituary For   
   Major Reno.   
      
   As for the fight at Medicine Tail Coulee,   
   A Lakota Sioux sad a Santee Sioux shot a white man off a horse with four   
   white feet   
   and took the horse. Was this Custer or Capt French? Both had horses with   
   white feet.   
      
    Reasons For Custers Defeat:   
   1)  He failed to listen to the advice of his scouts both red & white.   
      
   2) The men and horses were exhausted by lack of sleep and water. This   
   due to the forced  march by Custer.   
      
   3) He misjudged the size of the camp.   
    However in fact 2/3 of the actual  Custer command survived.  But this   
   was due to the arrival of Gen Terry during the fight for Reno Hill.   
   However the Indians were in the process of already leaving the area.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)