New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-14
custer and Stanley.


General Stanley nor his friends can be JUS
titled IN throwing stones, because the Gen
| eral himself has certainly been living in a
glass house. In order to get a clear under
standing of the whole matter it is necessary
to observe that detachment of the Yellow
stone expedition, consisting of the engineers
corps of the Northern Pacific railway, with
an escort of six companies of infantry and
| small section of cavalry under the com
mand of Major E. F. Townsend, left Fort
! Abraham Lincoln, opposite Bismarck, on
] the seventeenth of June. The main body,
! under the immediate command of General
! Stanley, did not leave Fort Rice. twenty-fiv
miles below Fort Lincoln, until the TWEEN
tisth, expecting however, to overtake the
! detachment within week or ten days. The
! Seventh Cavalry, under General Custer,
! formed part of Stanley's force, and 1t was
well understood that an unpleasant feeling
., listed between these officers from the start
| ON Tuesday, June "a, the detachment
| was Overtaken by terrific hail storm and
hurricane, which stampeded the animals,
broke up several Of the wagons, and pre-
| vented any tuvther movement until assist
ance could be provided. On the twenty
| fifth Major Townsend sent his small cav.
| airy force of only twenty men in search of
| General Stanley and the needed succor.
At the end of two days Stanley was found
J on the Heart river, twenty miles distant,
| with nearly his whole force on the south
| side of that stream and unable to cross by
reason of high water. The cavalry, how
ever, undeg Custer, were safely on the
north side. Hearing of the accident to
Iownsend's command, Stanley directed
General Custer, with such supplies as had
been moved across the river, to march to
his relief. He arrived at Townsend's camp
on the twenty seventh. Ia the mean
time the engineers, whose transporta-
ton had also been impaired By the
storm. were running their line soma
ten miles in advance of the camp, and
returning to it each day. This was, of
course, Extremely laborious and ineonve
niento Anxious to push along the surveys
with as little delay as possible, Engineer
Rossef went back to Stanley's camp and
requested that General Custer, with his
cavalry, might act as escort to his party
and that thus the work might go on. This
request was granted, whether with or with
out any restrictions as to time OF distance
was unable to learn. At all events, we
advanced on the twenty-ninth some ten or
twelve miles, and again on the thirtieth six
miles, On the first of July we remained
IN camp On the second we advanced
twenty miles. and on the third only two
m leso On July we marched twenty
tive miles. yesting on the Heart
rlvers about eight miles below the
poiHG "c ucsiSut1 10 TGdCUs 1Hl5 was a
blunder, and On the fifth we retraced cur
steps about eight miles. At J p. M. on the
fifth of July, or three weeks from the time
Of our leaving the Missouri, Stanley's col
uinn appeared "a sight, and that night went
into camp on our right. Stanley was much
lrrltated because Custer had advanced so
tar. aud. it is said. denounced him openly.
On the sixth Ut July no movement wa.
made. On the seventh We advanced twelve
miles Nv tias II - Stap1aye D,I,
TO General Custer prohibiting the latter
from using q cooking stove. which had. up
to this time, been employed by his SER
want. He also wrote a message to General
Custer. ;nqu,rinS by what authority he
allowed a certain civilian the use Of
horse belonging to the government. Caster
reIOined that it was by the same authori.
ty that he Stanley allowed tho same
privilege to certain otEef civilian. the
correspondent: of a New York newspaper.
On the receipt OF his note, Stanley ordered
Custer and his senior subordinate, Captain
Hart. to headquarters. II was at guard
mounting. about ?. NJ. I was standing
within fifteen feet OF Stanley at the time.
The Two officers rode up to the open space
on which the guards were being inspected.
dlsmounted and advanced to Stanley's tent
He was standing alone outside in his shirt
sleeves. AS the officers approached him |
noticed that no salute passed except be.
tween Captain Hart and Stanley. The
General then informed Custer that he was
under arrest. and directed CAPTAIN Hart to
take command of the regiment. Statutes
We're exchanged between the captain and
Stanley, and the two cavalrymen retired, the
whole ceremony not occupying more than
halt minute. The next day Custer marched
in the rear of his regiment. The SYM
pathy for him was deep and universal out
side of Stanfey's headquarters, as far as
had any opportunity to observe. But there
was no Disgusting the fact that Custer had
used language that was disrespectful to-
ward his superior officer in his rejoinder to
Stanley's note. The provocation, however,
was great. as It was felt that Stanley's con
duct was unnecessarily irritating in his in
reference with the domestic concerns of !
the cavalryman's headquarters. The kind |
offices of mutUa! friends of the two Gen
erals led 10 something like reconciliation,
and on the ninth Custer was again at the
head OF hi. eolumn, although it was an
thcritat!vely stated the end had 10: vet |
been reached, and would NOT be ust:. after
the getuvn OF the expedition.