GDG- Custer (and Gettysburg) On the Tube Again

[CWMHTours at aol.com]

Now Jack-  just how are you going to use the  gatlings?  Where would you 
put them?  On Last Stand Ridge it is  extremely rough, broken up, and rolling. 
 Custer's route was along the top  of the ridge and when the Indians 
attacked it was almost on all sides,  particularly from the rear.  It was a 
running battle.  How are you  going to set them up?  How would you keep them with 
Custer's columns as  they raced north?  The columns would have outrun them 
leaving them  behind.  The Indians really weren't that concentrated but 
rather scattered  all around.  You'd be reaiming the things all the time.
 
They might have made a contribution at Reno Hill with Reno and  Benteen but 
nothing significant.  
 
Reno had a moving line in the valley of LBG creek.  How  are you going to 
effectively use them with any practicality?
 
No.  The Gatlings would have been nearly useless and a  major burden.  Even 
if Custer had them at the last few minutes they still  would have all 
gotten slaughtered.  
 
Jack, have you been there?  It is pretty rough  country.
 
I recommend to anyone going on Bing maps for a birds eye view  and you can 
see it.
 
And what is really weird is that you can see all the little  white marker 
stones.  Pretty weird.  
 
"Just  the facts, ma'am." 

Your Most Obediant Servant
Peter  

 
In a message dated 1/19/2012 9:01:37 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
jlawrence at kc.rr.com writes:

Esteemed  GDG Member Contributes:
I think not dividing his command and moving more  cautiously would have 
been more prudent.
As to deployment, I have been to  the site a couple of times.
If you had gatlings, you could deploy two lines  sole to sole and fire them 
over their  heads.
Regards,
Jack

CWMHTours at aol.com wrote:

>Esteemed  GDG Member Contributes:
>I think leaving the Gatlings behind was a smart  move.   Custer's plan was 
>to move fast to catch the  Indians.  The Gatlings were  about as heavy as 
any 
>light  arty.  It would have slowed them a lot as they  were going cross  
>country.  It's pretty rough country out  there.
>  
>Plus the Indian attack unrolled so fast there really wasn't  much  time to 
>find a good site for them.  If you can see panaramic  pictures  you'll see 
>what I mean.  Plus The ridge seems like  a pretty lousy place to  try to 
use any 
>kind of arty effectively  as it was so hilly and broken up.   And with the 
>Indians at  360' where are you going to shoot?  Turn one way  and they 
come in  
>behind you   Turn the other way and they are over   there too.  One of the 
>reason attributed to the quick demise for  the 7th  was that the ridge 
left 
>them pretty exposed on both  sides.  How are you  going to set up a 
Gatling 
>without being  pretty likely to get shot  there?
> 
>"Just  the facts,  ma'am." 
>
>Your Most Obediant Servant
>Peter   
>
> 
>In a message dated 1/18/2012 3:59:36 P.M. Eastern  Standard Time,  
>jlawrence at kc.rr.com  writes:
>
>Esteemed  GDG Member Contributes:
>The  problem with Custer is that, at Little Big horn  he refused the use 
of  :
>
>1) Buffalo Soldiers (could not fight, despite  what he  should have 
learned 
>in 
>th ACW;
>2) Gatling Guns (I  thionk this  decision to leave them behind reminds me 
of 
>  
>Stewart).
>
>Regards,
>
>Jack
>-----  Original Message -----  
>From: "Dennis Lawrence"  <denlaw at gojade.org>
>To: "GDG"   <gettysburg at arthes.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2012  2:09  PM
>Subject: Re: GDG- Custer (and Gettysburg) On the  Tube  Again
>
>
>> Esteemed GDG Member   Contributes:
>>
>>>
>>>I don't think the show  portrayed  Custer as a psychopath.  Nor do I   
view
>>>him as one.   An aggressive, ambitious cavalry  officer, yes.  And  one  
 
>>>pretty
>>>much following standard military  doctrine of the  day.
>>
>>
>>  Hello,
>>
>>   The problem  with Custer  interpretations is looking back, we realize 
he 
>> was on the   wrong side of history. Even though it was the accepted 
>military  
>> and  political policy , having starred in the greatest  debacle of that 
>era,  
>> it is easier to caricature  him  as the out of touch  renegade.
>>
>>   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWGAdzn5_KU
>>
>> Take   Care
>>
>>  Dennis
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>   
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