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Frederick William Benteen | |
|---|---|
 Frederick Benteen circa 1865 | |
| Born | August 24, 1834 Petersburg, Virginia, US |
| Died | June 22, 1898 (aged 63) Atlanta, Georgia, US |
| Place of burial | initially Atlanta, Georgia reinterred in Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |  United States of AmericaUnion |
| Service | United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1888 |
| Rank |  Colonel (Union Army) Major (Regular Army) Brigadier General (Brevet) |
| Commands | 10th Missouri Cavalry 138th U.S. Colored Infantry 'H' Company, 7th U.S. Cavalry |
| Battles / wars | |
Frederick William Benteen (August 24, 1834 – June 22, 1898) was a military officer who first fought during the American Civil War. He was appointed to commanding ranks during the Indian Campaigns and Great Sioux War against the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne. Benteen is best known for being in command of a battalion (Companies D, H,& K) of the 7th U. S. Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in late June, 1876.
After scouting the area of the left flank as ordered, Captain Benteen received a note from his superior officer George Armstrong Custer ordering him to quickly bring up the ammunition packs and join him in Custer's surprise attack on a large Native American encampment. Benteen's failure to promptly comply with Custer's orders is one of the most controversial aspects of the famed battle. The fight resulted in the death of Custer and the complete annihilation of the five companies of cavalrymen which comprised Custer's detachment, but Benteen's relief of Major Marcus Reno's battalion may have saved them from annihilation.
Benteen subsequently served in the U.S. Cavalry another 12 years, being both honored by promotion and disgraced with a conviction for drunkenness by a military tribunal. He retired for health reasons in 1888, and lived a further decade until his death from natural causes at age 63.