Saturday, June 10
Captain Frederick Benteen, commander of Company H, personally despised Custer for his actions at the Washita in 1868
Rain continued to fall this morning as Custer prepared to lead his scout from the Dakota Column’s camp. A command conference was held as the rain stopped around 1100hrs, where Terry elected to send only six companies would be assigned the mission, and moreover it would be commanded not by Custer but Major Reno. Likely due to his impatience with Custer’s earlier scouts, Terry had elected to remind Custer who was in command of the column, although both Custer and his much-disliked subordinate, Captain Frederick Benteen, were actually in agreement that the scout was unneeded and posed a risk of revealing their position to the enemy¹.
Reno’s orders were to move along the Powder until the Little Powder River, before crossing over to Pumpkin Creek and from their to the Tongue, before finally following that river to the Yellowstone and rendezvousing with the rest of the command. The scout departed at 1500hrs, with six companies of cavalry and a single Gatling gun supported by the mule train. Custer and the remainder stayed in camp on the Powder, intending to move out the next day for the Yellowstone.
The Montana Column began its march through continued rain and mud, setting out at 1500hrs westward. The path of the march was muddy and rough going, and it was decided that the infantry would remain behind until the following morning.
The Wyoming Column again remained in position, now with the troublsome awareness that they enemy was watching their position, and that there was no possibility that they could acheive suprise in any attack they could mount. General Crook made his plans, intending to relocate the following day.
1. Dakota Column - TERRY/CUSTER - Powder River
2. Wyoming Column - CROOK -Prairie Dog Creek
3. Montana Column - GIBBON - Yellowstone River
4. Sioux Encampment - SITTING BULL - Rosebud Creek
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Donovan, p.163