Page 511

Qa Did the firing, or any other circumstance on t1he day or night of the
25th
    or the 26th, or that night, flake you believe that General Custer and
his
    conmmand had been destroyed?
A. No, sir,)
Qa  Did any person intimate to you any belief of that kind during the 25th
or
    26th, as far as you recollect?
At. No. sir,,
Q, How did you make up your official report?   Frzm evidence?
A, From the best information I could obtain in the manner official reports
    are generally made. There must have been matters in it of which I had
no
    personal knowledge, though I considered my information perfectly reliable..
Q,. Some of the statements were not made on your personal knowledge?
A. Yes, sir;   and especially in regard to tire;  except the 9 o'clock and
    the 2:30 o'clock on the 26thb  Those I think are nearly accurate.
    In regard to the question of your sobriety, I wsh you to speak fully
now
    with regard to the amount of liquor you had, and the amount you took.
A. I had some whiskey which I obtained at the mouth of the Rosebud,,
Q0  How did you carry it?
A. It was carried in a flask0
Q0. Where did you carry the flask?
A, In the inner breast pocket of t!o, coat,
Q  What kind of coat did you have on?
A. I had on an ordinary uniform sacque as prescribed for officers.
,  How much do you suppose the flack could possibly have contained?
A,, I think between a pint and a quart. Probably nearer a pint than a quart
    I don‡t know.
;  State what amount of liquor you drank on the hill on the 25th, if any,
    and at what time you drank it,
A, I did not drink a drop of whiskey until the firing had ceased <a about
    12 ouclock at night.
Q. State whether you were sober or not on the afternoon and night of the
25th.
A. I was; strictly sober.
Qn%  Entirely so?
A. Entirely so,
Q. When was that flask eraptied?
A, Ori the wrning of the 28th, when we were on the battlefield of Gen.Custer.
    It was a very disagreeable sight, and officers and men were a good deal
    affected, The stench was sickening. Cant0 French came to me and said,
    "Have you got any whiskey?"  I answered thpt I had a little,,
and Ihe said,
    'Thxive me a drink, for I am sick at the stomach," and I dicd so0
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