Charles Varnum
| Charles Albert Varnum | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
June 21, 1849 Troy, New York |
| Died | February 26, 1936 (aged 86) Letterman Hospital in the Presidio of San Francisco |
| Place of burial | San Francisco National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1872–1908, 1912–1919 |
| Rank |
 Colonel
|
| Unit | Company B, US 7th Cavalry |
| Battles/wars |
Battle of the Little Bighorn Battle of Wounded Knee Drexel Mission Fight Philippine-American War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Charles Albert Varnum (June 21, 1849 – February 26, 1936) was a career United States Army officer. He was most noted as the commander of the scouts for George Armstrong Custer in the Little Bighorn Campaign during the Great Sioux War, as well as receiving the Medal of Honor for his actions in a conflict at Drexel Mission following the Wounded Knee Massacre.
Varnum was born to a prominent military family in Troy, New York. He was the son of Civil War major John Varnum, who relocated to Pensacola, Florida, and became a political and civic figure. Varnum was appointed as a Florida cadet to the United States Military Academy and graduated June 14, 1872. He ranked 17th in a class of 57. Given the brevet rank of second lieutenant, he went to the Dakota Territory of the American West to join Company A of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment. He was involved in a number of expeditions and excursions of the regiment, including the Yellowstone Expedition (1873) and Black Hills Expedition (1874). He and the regiment were stationed at Fort Abraham Lincoln.
With the eruption of the latest round of the Sioux Wars in 1876, Varnum accompanied the 7th Cavalry as it proceeded overland from Fort Lincoln to the Yellowstone River, and then to the mouth of the Rosebud. Varnum was in charge of the scouts, who were civilians, army personnel, Crow Indians, and Arikaree Indians. His duty was to delegate scouting missions and coordinate the resulting reports. During the Little Bighorn expedition, Varnum and the scouts in his unit discovered the location of a huge Indian village with hundreds of lodges. They brought Custer up to a prominent point known as the Crow's Nest to show him the enormousness of the encampment, but Custer could not spot what his scouts were seeing. Ignoring their warning, Custer developed a battle plan and decided to attack. Some of Varnum's Indian scouts departed, while others began chanting their death songs and adorning themselves for battle. Several would die in the subsequent fighting. Varnum accompanied the troops of Marcus Reno and Frederick Benteen and survived the battle.
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