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In Custer's Shadow: Major Marcus Reno
During the Battle of the Little Big Horn, five entire companies of the 7th Cavalry, including their leader, George Armstrong Custer, were lost. For years the shadow of blame for the defeat has been cast upon Custer. What role did his subordinates play in the battle? Did they contribute to the Custer failure, or was he the only one to blame?
In Custer’s Shadow presents the complex life of Major Marcus Reno, Custer’s second-in-command. Employing photographs and maps to help the reader visualize the text, Ronald H. Nichols unravels the controversy surrounding Reno’s role in the battle and questions the scrutiny to which he was subjected in the years following.
In Custer’s Shadow presents the complex life of Major Marcus Reno, Custer’s second-in-command. Employing photographs and maps to help the reader visualize the text, Ronald H. Nichols unravels the controversy surrounding Reno’s role in the battle and questions the scrutiny to which he was subjected in the years following.
432 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2000
19 people want to read
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April 27, 2016
Marcus A. Reno.
The name doesn’t ring a bell? Then I feel confident telling you to skip Ronald Nichols’s In Custer’s Shadow. By all means, though, continue reading this review. It edifies me in a way that I’m only just now beginning to explore with my therapist.
The name does ring a bell? Is it because you’ve been hanging around with me and I steered the conversation in this direction? Then you can also probably pass on this book.
The name does ring a bell? And it’s not because I cornered you at the bar and started talking about the Battle of the Little Big Horn? Now you have a dilemma. This is one of the few biographies on the man. If you have an abiding interest, this is the place to go, for better or worse. If you feel you can go on living your life without knowing all there is to know about this minor historical guest star… You get the point.
As the title to Nichols’s biography implies, Marcus Reno’s afterlife is dependent on that of his onetime commander, the Civil War hero and Indian fighter George Armstrong Custer. The two men will exist, inextricably entwined, for as long as there are students of their most famous battle.
On June 25, 1876, Major Reno was Custer’s second-in-command as the 7th Cavalry approached a massive village of Cheyenne and Lakota Indians camped in a Montana valley. Before the day ended, Custer and five of his companies would be dead in one of the most celebrated battles in America’s battle-filled history. The defeat shocked the United States on the eve of its centennial. Many people eventually came to blame Major Marcus Reno.
It was Reno who lead the initial charge towards the Indian village. Seeing its size, he halted his men and threw out a skirmish line. Almost immediately, Indians began to turn his flank. He moved his men into the woods along the river. Despite having a reasonably strong defensive position, Reno ordered his men to withdraw to a line of bluffs (perhaps he’d been unnerved when the brains of Bloody Knife, an Army scout, spattered his face). A disorganized retreat ensued. Reno remained atop those bluffs for the rest of the battle, hesitant to make any attempt to assist Custer. Charges of disloyalty, drunkenness, and cowardice would dog him the rest of his days.
The Battle of the Little Big Horn is an enduring mystery; it is the mystery – the how and why of Custer’s defeat – that keeps this relatively unimportant battle alive in the imagination. Generations of students have been drawn to the Little Big Horn with the elusive promise that there is some key that would bring everything into sharp focus. Reno’s actions have long been an important area of study.
It is therefore strange that Nichols’s biography is so mundane, so middle-of-the-road, so seemingly uninterested in taking a strong stance on Reno’s performance on the most fraught day of his life.
This is an example of what I call a “just the facts” kind of book. It is a compendium of what is known about a relatively obscure historical figure, who only gained his measure of prominence late in life. In some respects, it is an admirable work of research. Nichols delves into all kinds of obscure sources to unbury long-forgotten tidbits about Reno’s life: his family tree; his grades at West Point; his Civil War record; his marriage, which ended tragically with his wife’s early death.
Despite this, and despite quoting his many of his surviving letters, I never got any kind of sense of the man. I learned, as far as is possible, what he did, where he went, and when. But I never caught a whiff of what made Reno do the things he did. (And he did some weird things. His Army career eventually ended when he was caught looking through a young lady’s window).
What I was looking for, in other words, was some sort of psychological insight. I know that in certain circles, those kinds of insights are believed to be off limits to historians. That some people believe that writers should stick strictly to the documentary record. That speculation is a dirty word. I’ve never felt that way. I think it’s wholly appropriate – and certainly fascinating – to interpret a person’s character based on all the things we do know. And if anyone is going to draw that characterization, it should be the biographer, who ostensibly knows more about that person than anyone else.
Nichols does not take this opportunity to get inside Reno’s head, which is too bad, because I think it was probably pretty complicated in there, and it’s clear that Nichols knows a lot about Reno.
The writing in In Custer’s Shadow is fine. When compared to other small press releases about the Little Big Horn, it is actually better than average. (And when compared to some of the self-published stuff I’ve read on Custer, it reads like a Pulitzer Prize winner). But “fine” only gets you so far. When it comes to the actual battle, the central event of Reno’s life, I found Nichols’s execution to be rather pedestrian. There are much better, much more vivid accounts to be found in titles by Nathaniel Philbrick or James Donovan.
You might not know it, but there are actually people here on earth who are really impassioned by Reno’s actions at the Little Big Horn. The Reno Wars can get pretty fierce on certain message boards, with defenders and detractors slinging primary sources at each other. Strangely, In Custer’s Shadow exudes little of that energy. Nichols is clearly a Reno defender. He explains away Reno’s miscues, disbelieves the many accusations of drunkenness, and relies heavily on the Reno Court of Inquiry without ever acknowledging that it was a total whitewash. Even so, Nichols’s defense is rather tepid. As a reader, and a Custer nut, I wanted some gut-level emotion either for or against. This book never gave it to me. It seemed okay with being rather middling.
At the end of the day, though, there just aren’t a lot of books devoted solely to this man. For that alone, I give Nichols credit. Even though it doesn’t shine through in his writing, Nichols is clearly a fervent student of the Little Big Horn, and has devoted considerable time to gathering materials which he shares in this book. As a literary work, I don’t have much to say on this book’s behalf. As a fellow Custer student, I have nothing but respect for Nichols efforts.
As I alluded above, most people, even those with a passing familiarity with the battle, probably don’t recognize Reno’s name. That’s not surprising. He is not a world-historical figure. He isn’t even the understudy to a world-historical figure. He is not what was once called a “great man.” On the vast football field of history, he is a third string quarterback. On a junior college football team. In the Yukon.
Of course, this is a bit too dismissive. Reno isn’t a household name. He won’t ever be taught in schools. He wasn’t a world-mover or earth-shaker. But in many respects, he lived an exemplary life. A life of sacrifice and loss and hard action. He fought in the Civil War, the Indian Wars, and played a crucial, controversial role in an immortal battle. However we judge him, for good or ill, he deserves his small little corner of history.
The name doesn’t ring a bell? Then I feel confident telling you to skip Ronald Nichols’s In Custer’s Shadow. By all means, though, continue reading this review. It edifies me in a way that I’m only just now beginning to explore with my therapist.
The name does ring a bell? Is it because you’ve been hanging around with me and I steered the conversation in this direction? Then you can also probably pass on this book.
The name does ring a bell? And it’s not because I cornered you at the bar and started talking about the Battle of the Little Big Horn? Now you have a dilemma. This is one of the few biographies on the man. If you have an abiding interest, this is the place to go, for better or worse. If you feel you can go on living your life without knowing all there is to know about this minor historical guest star… You get the point.
As the title to Nichols’s biography implies, Marcus Reno’s afterlife is dependent on that of his onetime commander, the Civil War hero and Indian fighter George Armstrong Custer. The two men will exist, inextricably entwined, for as long as there are students of their most famous battle.
On June 25, 1876, Major Reno was Custer’s second-in-command as the 7th Cavalry approached a massive village of Cheyenne and Lakota Indians camped in a Montana valley. Before the day ended, Custer and five of his companies would be dead in one of the most celebrated battles in America’s battle-filled history. The defeat shocked the United States on the eve of its centennial. Many people eventually came to blame Major Marcus Reno.
It was Reno who lead the initial charge towards the Indian village. Seeing its size, he halted his men and threw out a skirmish line. Almost immediately, Indians began to turn his flank. He moved his men into the woods along the river. Despite having a reasonably strong defensive position, Reno ordered his men to withdraw to a line of bluffs (perhaps he’d been unnerved when the brains of Bloody Knife, an Army scout, spattered his face). A disorganized retreat ensued. Reno remained atop those bluffs for the rest of the battle, hesitant to make any attempt to assist Custer. Charges of disloyalty, drunkenness, and cowardice would dog him the rest of his days.
The Battle of the Little Big Horn is an enduring mystery; it is the mystery – the how and why of Custer’s defeat – that keeps this relatively unimportant battle alive in the imagination. Generations of students have been drawn to the Little Big Horn with the elusive promise that there is some key that would bring everything into sharp focus. Reno’s actions have long been an important area of study.
It is therefore strange that Nichols’s biography is so mundane, so middle-of-the-road, so seemingly uninterested in taking a strong stance on Reno’s performance on the most fraught day of his life.
This is an example of what I call a “just the facts” kind of book. It is a compendium of what is known about a relatively obscure historical figure, who only gained his measure of prominence late in life. In some respects, it is an admirable work of research. Nichols delves into all kinds of obscure sources to unbury long-forgotten tidbits about Reno’s life: his family tree; his grades at West Point; his Civil War record; his marriage, which ended tragically with his wife’s early death.
Despite this, and despite quoting his many of his surviving letters, I never got any kind of sense of the man. I learned, as far as is possible, what he did, where he went, and when. But I never caught a whiff of what made Reno do the things he did. (And he did some weird things. His Army career eventually ended when he was caught looking through a young lady’s window).
What I was looking for, in other words, was some sort of psychological insight. I know that in certain circles, those kinds of insights are believed to be off limits to historians. That some people believe that writers should stick strictly to the documentary record. That speculation is a dirty word. I’ve never felt that way. I think it’s wholly appropriate – and certainly fascinating – to interpret a person’s character based on all the things we do know. And if anyone is going to draw that characterization, it should be the biographer, who ostensibly knows more about that person than anyone else.
Nichols does not take this opportunity to get inside Reno’s head, which is too bad, because I think it was probably pretty complicated in there, and it’s clear that Nichols knows a lot about Reno.
The writing in In Custer’s Shadow is fine. When compared to other small press releases about the Little Big Horn, it is actually better than average. (And when compared to some of the self-published stuff I’ve read on Custer, it reads like a Pulitzer Prize winner). But “fine” only gets you so far. When it comes to the actual battle, the central event of Reno’s life, I found Nichols’s execution to be rather pedestrian. There are much better, much more vivid accounts to be found in titles by Nathaniel Philbrick or James Donovan.
You might not know it, but there are actually people here on earth who are really impassioned by Reno’s actions at the Little Big Horn. The Reno Wars can get pretty fierce on certain message boards, with defenders and detractors slinging primary sources at each other. Strangely, In Custer’s Shadow exudes little of that energy. Nichols is clearly a Reno defender. He explains away Reno’s miscues, disbelieves the many accusations of drunkenness, and relies heavily on the Reno Court of Inquiry without ever acknowledging that it was a total whitewash. Even so, Nichols’s defense is rather tepid. As a reader, and a Custer nut, I wanted some gut-level emotion either for or against. This book never gave it to me. It seemed okay with being rather middling.
At the end of the day, though, there just aren’t a lot of books devoted solely to this man. For that alone, I give Nichols credit. Even though it doesn’t shine through in his writing, Nichols is clearly a fervent student of the Little Big Horn, and has devoted considerable time to gathering materials which he shares in this book. As a literary work, I don’t have much to say on this book’s behalf. As a fellow Custer student, I have nothing but respect for Nichols efforts.
As I alluded above, most people, even those with a passing familiarity with the battle, probably don’t recognize Reno’s name. That’s not surprising. He is not a world-historical figure. He isn’t even the understudy to a world-historical figure. He is not what was once called a “great man.” On the vast football field of history, he is a third string quarterback. On a junior college football team. In the Yukon.
Of course, this is a bit too dismissive. Reno isn’t a household name. He won’t ever be taught in schools. He wasn’t a world-mover or earth-shaker. But in many respects, he lived an exemplary life. A life of sacrifice and loss and hard action. He fought in the Civil War, the Indian Wars, and played a crucial, controversial role in an immortal battle. However we judge him, for good or ill, he deserves his small little corner of history.
May 12, 2023
Straight-up, linear history-telling. A good book of reference for Marcus Reno apologists.
Some terrific moments covering the two-day siege of Reno Hill, 25-26 June, 1876.
Some terrific moments covering the two-day siege of Reno Hill, 25-26 June, 1876.
June 14, 2014
It is practically impossible to know anything about the Battle of the Little Bighorn without having an opinion about the performance of Major Marcus A. Reno in that engagement. While Custer occupies the spotlight, Reno remains a significant figure in the operation; however, most people know little to nothing about Reno with the exception of this famous battle.
Ronald H. Nichols' fine biography of Marcus A. Reno fills a void in the history of the frontier U.S. Army and the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and details the life and career of a dedicated U.S. Army officer.
Reno took longer to graduate West Point than most cadets (6 years, mostly due to excessive demerits), but he turned in solid performances in command of troops of the 1st U.S. Dragoons/1st U.S. Cavalry in the Department of the Columbia prior to the Civil War. Reno returned to the East in 1862 and performed creditably in the Peninsula Campaign and the Antietam Campaign of summer and fall 1862. The author details his service in staff positions and his later command of the 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry near the end of the war. Reno served bravely and competently in various battles, as attested by his brevets of major and lieutenant-colonel in the Regular Army and to brevet brigadier general in the volunteers.
Reno's personal life is detailed very well, with significant information provided about his marriages and only son. The death of his first wife while he was in the field commanding the escort for the Northern Boundary Survey in 1874 caused a change in Reno's behavior. He became much more reserved and somewhat of a martinet. It was Reno's misfortune to return to duty in time to participate in the Great Sioux War of 1876, which resulted in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Reno's performance in this battle overshadowed everything else in his life - both before and after, and, despite his exoneration in the Reno Court of Inquiry in 1879, he never entirely overcame the stigma of drunkenness and cowardice heaped upon him by the public in general, and Custer's widow Libbie in particular.
Nichols skillfully sorts out the rumors of Reno's drunkenness, and demonstrates that while he did drink, it never affected his performance in the field. In garrison, however, Reno's penchant for drinking got him into trouble.
He was twice court martialed for conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman, but only the second offense dealt with alcohol; however, both involved alleged advances against women on the post of which he served as commanding officer. The first court martial resulted in dismissal from the army, but the sentence was reduced by the President to suspension of rank and pay for two year. However, the second resulted in dismissal from the army, but the offenses did not fit the punishment inflicted (a fact which most of the officers of the court, the Department Commander Gen. Alfred Terry and Commanding General Sherman believed), and most officers recommended clemency because the harsh sentence was a one-size-fits-all punishment which was mandated by military law. Reno spent the rest of his life, unsuccessfully, attempting to gain reinstatement.
Reno's personal life was difficult. His parents died when he was young, and West Point offered his only chance at a higher education. His first wife tragically died and he was not able to even go to her funeral, due to duties in the field from which his superiors could not release him. His in-laws never forgave him for this. He was an absent father to his son, once again, because of his military service. His second wife left him and attempted to glut herself on Reno's inheritance from his first wife. He had the misfortune to love another woman who did not return his affections, and her father was largely responsible for cashiering him from the army. Added to this the fact that Reno had the "misfortune" of surviving the Battle of the Little Bighorn when so many others had died, and you have a tragic figure!
Nichols wrote a sympathetic biography of Reno, but it is not a whitewash either. The author used a variety of reputable sources and a good deal of primary sources to write a balanced treatment of the officer. Reno was not a remarkable officer, but he was a solid and competent soldier. Nichols argues that Reno is neither a hero nor a coward. Reno has usually been - at worst - blamed for the battle or -at best - only half-heartedly lauded. The former might be fair, but the latter , according to the author, is not.
In the end, I agree with respected historian Brian C. Pohanka, who stated in his introduction of Nichols' book, that "it is hard not to pity Reno.....a man whose life was destroyed in that battle as surely as those who fell to arrow or bullet." (pg. viii-ix).
Those who are interested in the frontier U.S. Army, Custer, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn should read Nichols' book. It is well balanced and a fascinating and fresh perspective on an important but often-overlooked soldier.
Ronald H. Nichols' fine biography of Marcus A. Reno fills a void in the history of the frontier U.S. Army and the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and details the life and career of a dedicated U.S. Army officer.
Reno took longer to graduate West Point than most cadets (6 years, mostly due to excessive demerits), but he turned in solid performances in command of troops of the 1st U.S. Dragoons/1st U.S. Cavalry in the Department of the Columbia prior to the Civil War. Reno returned to the East in 1862 and performed creditably in the Peninsula Campaign and the Antietam Campaign of summer and fall 1862. The author details his service in staff positions and his later command of the 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry near the end of the war. Reno served bravely and competently in various battles, as attested by his brevets of major and lieutenant-colonel in the Regular Army and to brevet brigadier general in the volunteers.
Reno's personal life is detailed very well, with significant information provided about his marriages and only son. The death of his first wife while he was in the field commanding the escort for the Northern Boundary Survey in 1874 caused a change in Reno's behavior. He became much more reserved and somewhat of a martinet. It was Reno's misfortune to return to duty in time to participate in the Great Sioux War of 1876, which resulted in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Reno's performance in this battle overshadowed everything else in his life - both before and after, and, despite his exoneration in the Reno Court of Inquiry in 1879, he never entirely overcame the stigma of drunkenness and cowardice heaped upon him by the public in general, and Custer's widow Libbie in particular.
Nichols skillfully sorts out the rumors of Reno's drunkenness, and demonstrates that while he did drink, it never affected his performance in the field. In garrison, however, Reno's penchant for drinking got him into trouble.
He was twice court martialed for conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman, but only the second offense dealt with alcohol; however, both involved alleged advances against women on the post of which he served as commanding officer. The first court martial resulted in dismissal from the army, but the sentence was reduced by the President to suspension of rank and pay for two year. However, the second resulted in dismissal from the army, but the offenses did not fit the punishment inflicted (a fact which most of the officers of the court, the Department Commander Gen. Alfred Terry and Commanding General Sherman believed), and most officers recommended clemency because the harsh sentence was a one-size-fits-all punishment which was mandated by military law. Reno spent the rest of his life, unsuccessfully, attempting to gain reinstatement.
Reno's personal life was difficult. His parents died when he was young, and West Point offered his only chance at a higher education. His first wife tragically died and he was not able to even go to her funeral, due to duties in the field from which his superiors could not release him. His in-laws never forgave him for this. He was an absent father to his son, once again, because of his military service. His second wife left him and attempted to glut herself on Reno's inheritance from his first wife. He had the misfortune to love another woman who did not return his affections, and her father was largely responsible for cashiering him from the army. Added to this the fact that Reno had the "misfortune" of surviving the Battle of the Little Bighorn when so many others had died, and you have a tragic figure!
Nichols wrote a sympathetic biography of Reno, but it is not a whitewash either. The author used a variety of reputable sources and a good deal of primary sources to write a balanced treatment of the officer. Reno was not a remarkable officer, but he was a solid and competent soldier. Nichols argues that Reno is neither a hero nor a coward. Reno has usually been - at worst - blamed for the battle or -at best - only half-heartedly lauded. The former might be fair, but the latter , according to the author, is not.
In the end, I agree with respected historian Brian C. Pohanka, who stated in his introduction of Nichols' book, that "it is hard not to pity Reno.....a man whose life was destroyed in that battle as surely as those who fell to arrow or bullet." (pg. viii-ix).
Those who are interested in the frontier U.S. Army, Custer, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn should read Nichols' book. It is well balanced and a fascinating and fresh perspective on an important but often-overlooked soldier.
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