Marcus Alfred Reno (1834-1889) was an American Army officer who became known for his role in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. In this battle, called "Custer's Last Stand," Indians killed General George A. Custer and all the men under his immediate command. A bitter controversy began after the battle, and Major Reno was accused of cowardice.
In 1878, two years after the battle, Reno asked that a court of inquiry investigate the charges against him. A court of inquiry, unlike a court-martial, does not actually try a person. Reno was cleared of the charges in 1879. But later that same year, he was court-martialed on several other charges, including drunkenness. The court convicted him, and Reno received a dishonorable discharge in 1880.
In 1967, the Army ruled that Reno's dismissal had been unjust. The Army corrected his record to show he had been honorably discharged. Reno was reburied in the Custer Battlefield National.
Reno was born in Carrollton, Ill. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1857 and served in the cavalry during the Civil War.
