Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Captain Thomas Weir, 7th Cavalry

For whatever reason, I can’t post the video direct. (Computers seem to hate me.)
From my reading of Custer and the Battle of the LBH, I have come to admire the General.
Unfairly, Custer gets blamed for everything, he hated Indians, he was a glory hound who cared nothing for his men, and so forth.
Growing up in the ‘70s, these were my impressions of Custer.
But as with many folks in history, by reading a little, your first impressions are often shattered as you learn more.
Captain Thomas Weir was a friend of Custer, possibly more than that with Libbie.
I’m not gonna comment on that.
But Captain Weir died clearly of what we now know as PTSD shortly after the battle.
One has to wonder what he’d have said to Libbie?
Captain Weir part 1
This lady has done some great stuff on Custer and the LBH. The links to parts 2 and 3 should be obvious.
One other thing. There are several other “Custerphiles” on this board.
It’s these folks who this is aimed at.
If you’re gonna reply that “Custer was an egotistical azzhole” save yourself the trouble.
I put this out purely for the discussion it will generate.
Reon

This should be a riveting discussion……given the boundaries! 😁 memtb

I will put it this way then.
My people rubbed Custer out. Drove him to ground and killed him.
I certainly have no remorse. It was war.

Osky

I respect your ancestry.
Lakota or Cheyenne, they were protecting their homes and families against an armed enemy who had invaded their home land.
Just as any of us would do today.
But through my reading, I have found Captain Weir to be quite an interesting fellow.
I’m sure not trying to open a big can of worms, or start another whizzing contest.
As I said, there are others on this forum that have studied Custer and the LBH.
With all the primary participants deceased, it becomes an interesting subject, and this thread is aimed towards them.
Reon

Custer fafo

Don't forget that some of those same Indians fought a larger force under General Crook just a few days earlier, causing the Army to vacate the field and return to quarters for several weeks. Custer was unaware of this. Crooks force was supposed to be one of the three prongs of that campaign.

Understood 7… from that perspective, the life of Custer and many of those around him all the way back east to Washington was quite the drama show.

Osky

While I am responding to the issue of Captain Weir, here is some interesting accounts to look at vs what Captain Benteen reported...

Yeah, but Crook’s defeat left plenty of survivors.
The battle on Last Stand Hill, none of the cavalry, and understandably, the Indian warriors were reluctant to speak openly.
The closest thing we have to a witness, was Tom Weir, who against orders, attempted to go to the fight.
I just thought this would make an interesting topic, considering the members, would spark a discussion.
Lord knows, by starting things like this, I always learn something.
If nothing else, consider it a quest for knowledge 😀
Reon

As far as the native’s recollections I’m sure there is some truth in it as well as some don’t bite the hand that feeds you as well.
All the natives listed are Sioux and well you know how much you can trust those sun dancing fools to be honest.

Kidding of course.

Osky

This picture is of myself and one of the best known Custer Battlefield interpreters, Steve Adelson. He is easy to find and has a vast understanding and knowledge of the whole battlefield and the individuals and each of their participation in that battle.

This picture is taken atop Weir point as Steve explained the advance of Captain Weir and yes, even Reno and Benteen. From this point, Weir could see to the battle where Custer was engaged and could hear firing from their rifles. They met such heavy resistance, they had to head back to safety at Reno/Benteen defensive position to keep from being over run. A defensive skirmish line was formed on the Southeast base of Weir point to facilitate the retreat back to Reno/Benteen battle site.








As was mentioned by 7mm, Weir was a staunch Custer supporter and new of the orders to bring packs and ammunition to aid Custer's advance, as they didn't carry enough ammunition on each mounted cavalry soldier to sustain that much fighting with the Indians.

It should also be noted that Benteen had been slow in his response to bring that support, as Boston Custer was with Captain McDougall who was in charge of Company B with the pack train, and Boston continued on to catch up with his two brothers before the massacre at last stand hill. This is an indication that Benteen certainly could have come in support of Custer, but didn't.

Reno had already abandoned his fight on the river and was sent across the Little Bighorn River to try and stay alive, with no thought of an organized retreat, to which it was considered a route. This is the crossing, I was there on the anniversary of the battle in June and stood at that exact spot with the river running high and bank full, further causing more chaos as they tried to run up the hill to safety...

One thing for certain about Custer-he was a loser.....and spectacularly so.

Custer should’ve had his ass stomped in the mud July 3 1863

You’re one of the primary candidates I was looking for!😀
In all my reading, I have never read a positive word of Custer from Benteen.
The guide at LBH said that “Benteen hated Custer, and Reno hated both of them.”
The Seventh was divided into factions, and this I believe brought about the massacre of five companies, and the siege against the others.
I believe that had Benteen acted quickly upon the orders, he may have been able to save at least some of Custer’s battalion.
Benteen had a hard on for Custer, and he took it to the grave.
Reon

I probably shouldn’t be opining because I’ve not studied the battle as hard as others but it seems to me although Custer might’ve committed a fatal sin for splitting his command, Reno and particularly Bentsen could’ve done far more to aide him.

What do you base this conclusion on?

Where was Custer April 9, 1865?

Tell me how often he lost during the Civil War?

He still lost after the fact

Real calvery men fought for the south