The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1873-09-27
cUSTER And STANLEY,


cUsTfR And STANLEY.
1As Iass seaeaal = - 1susvsssss II.
. Deota1sa. "%@. 9&I
foa The Chicago Post ..r
General Cuslar, like III other msn, nm.
doabtedly has his faults, but in this case
neither Stanley OF his friends can be jasti.
6ed In throwing stones, because the General
himself certainly has besn living In gass
house. In order to get clear understands
ing Of this whole matter 1t ID necessary 10
observe that detachment of the Yellow.
stone expedition, consisting Of the enGinsers
o"rps of the Nosihers Pacific Railway,
with IN escort Of six companies Of infantry
and . small section Of cavalry under com.
msnd of Major E. F. Townsend, left Fort
Abraham Liucoln, opposite Bismarck, On
the 18th Of June. The main body, under
the command Of General Stanley, did not
leave Fort Rice. twenty-five miles below
Fort Lincoln, until the 90th, expecting.
however, to overtake the detachment with.
In week OF ten dsya The Seventh cavalry
under Gen. Cusssr, formed apart Of STAN
leyS force, and It VA we'll understood that
IN unpleasant feeling existed between these
officers from the start. t.-
On Tuesday, June e4th, the detachment
Was ovcrtakeu by terrific hail storm and
hurricane, which stampeded the animals,
broke up several Of the wagons, and pre-
vented any further movement until assist.
suce oould be provided. On the 25th,
Major Townsend sent his small cavalry
force Of only twenty men In search Of Gen.
Stanley and the needed succor. At the
end Of two days Stanley vas found 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, however un>
der Custar, were safely on the north side.
Hearing Of the accident to TownsendS
command, Stanley directed General Custar,
with such supplies - had been moved
ACROSS the river, to march to his relief.
He arrived At Townsend's camp on the 9Th.
In the meantime the engineers whose trans.
portation had also been impaired by the
storm, were running their line some ten
miles In advance OF the camp, and returning
to it each day. This was, Of course, ex>
trsmely laborious and inoonvenient. Anxious
to push along the surveys with - little de-.
by - possible, engineer Rosser went back
10 General Stanley's camp and requested
that General Custar, with his cavalry, might
oct - escort to bic party, and that thus the
work might 20 on. This request was
granted, whether with or without any re.
strictions - to time or distance I was una.
bic to learn. At oil events, We advanced
on the soth some ten or twelve miles, and
on the 30th six mileA On the lst Of July
We renamed In camp. On the second We
advanced twenty miles, and Oh the third
only two miles. On July 4th We marched
twenty-five miles, resting on the Heart
river, about eight miles below the point We
destined to reach. This was blunder, and
on the 5th We rctraced our steps about eight
miles. At 7p. M, on July 9Th, or three
weeks from the time Of our leaving the
Missouri river, stsnley's column appeared
In sight, and that night went into camp on
our right. Stanley was much irritated be-
cause Custar had advanced 70 far, and It il
said, denounced him openly. On the 9th
Of July no movement vas made. On the
7th We advanced twelve miles. On that day
Stanley sent IN order to General Custar
prohibiting the latter from using cooking
stove which had, up 70 this time been cm.
ploycd by his servant. He also wrote .
message to General Custar, inquiring by
what authority he allowed certain civilian
the use Of horse belonging 10 the Gov
eminent Custar replied that It was by the
same authority that he Stanley allowed
the same privilege 70 certain other civilian,
the correspondent Of New York newspa.
per. On the receipt OF this note, Stanley
ordered Custar and his senior subordinate,
Captain Hart, 10 headquarters. It was At
guard mounting, about O'Clock p. a. !
Was standing within fifteen feet Of Stanley
st the time. The two officers rode up to
the open space o. which the guards were
being inspected. djsmounted and advanced
to Stanley's tent. He wss standing alone
outside in his shirt sleeves. A. the Oficsrs
approached noticed that no salute passed
excep, between Captain Hart and Stanley.
The General then IL formed Custar that he
was in arrest, and directed Captain Hart "a
take command of The regiment 6alutes
were again exchanged between the Captain
and Stanley, and the two cavslrymen re-
tired, the whole Ceremony not occupying
more than half . minute. The next day
CustaS marched in the rear Of his regiment,
The sympathy for him was deep and uni
vessal outside Of SANKEY'S headquarters,
= far . ! had any opportunity 10 observe.
But there y . no d,sguisinG the fact thai
Custar had used language that Was disre'
spectful toward bis superior officer in bill
EeJoindsr 10 Sankey's note The provocs
tion, however was great, aud It wasfelt thai
etsnleyI conduct Wa unnecessarily iITits'
ting In bic interference with the domes,i.
concerns Of the cavalrymanS hesdquastefs
The kind offices OF mutual friends of tn
two Generals led TO something like recon
ciliatiou, and % Tie oh Csstar was agail
q the bead Of bic column, although Il VA
suthoritivsly stated that The end had no
Jet been reached, md would not be unit
sitter The Eeturn Of The expedition. e,a
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OeoegA &sV yIal1aoob 3s0aoso.
Dooeoo Letter b ChieaGo Tti6aae.