New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-08
which the drOwsy hOrsemen under the neishboring


grateful trees was abruptly disturbed by sight
which came to the quick eye of one Of the pickets.
Six Indians were coming across the plain from the
woods on the river below. The corporal Of the
picket rushed to Gen. Custer.
Indians are galoping this way, SIR
Bring in your horses, bring III your horses"
yelled out the General as he jumped to his feet.
Never was an order obeyed more promptly. Every
man sprang to his picket rope, and the horses were
Immediately brought under cover. line of Skin
misheTs was at once thrown out to receive with
martial courtesy the advancing Indians, whose in
tention when within $50 yards became clearly evil
dent. They had not come to hold peace conference
but to steal our horses and drive out men. They
were evidently the decoy of larger party. Gen.
Custer Immediately sent word back to Capt. Moylan
for all the in the woods to saddle their horses
With his dism0unted skirmish line the General kept
the Indians off until the horses were sadded, the
men in the timber who had saddled coming out and
relieving those on the skirmish line. Gen. Custer
then called for his horse and accompanied by Lieut.
Calhoun and Lieut.. Custer, and his own orderly,
rode out toward the Indians. AS they advanced the
Indians reiterated. Gen. Custer, having thorough
bred horse whose speed he had tested in many
hunt then started in chase, taking his orderly but
telling his officers TO remain where they were.
futile" said the General to his man, Just stay
behind about hundred yards want TO go on
little and see what those Indians are up to. Bnt
keep your eyes on those woods
The General started SO did the Indians. They
had a good start, and Gen. Custer resolved not to
pursue them too far away from his men. After
sharp short race he stopped on the plain. keeping
well away from the suspicious woods. When he
stopped the Indians stopped 1t was evident that
they would not be so audacOus without conscious
ness of strength somewhere. For ways that are
dark and tricks that are vain the heather Sioux
is almost as peculiar as the heather Chinee
This time the trick was indeed vain. They
were fighting with no novice. As soon as
Gen. Custer saw the Indian dodge, which was
to use these men as decOY to draw him
into the woods, he Immediately sent his orderly
back to Capt Moylan to Ordera platoon to dismount
Before the order could get back, 80 mounted ln-
dians drawn up in line of battle came ont of the
woods in fine military style. The 18th Cavalry could
hardly have done it better With painted faces,
heads decorated with ribbons and tlets, they sal
lied out with loud war-whoops. Gen. Custer, put
ting more confidence in the feet of his thorough
bred than the voice of his rifle against 80 In
dams, turned back to his command, calling
out to his brother to throw out dis
mounted line. Lieut.. Custer had anticipated the
order, and was already dismountlDg his men,
They ran forward and took places in the grass.
The Indians opened heavy fire. which was quickly
answered by our men with their Shapes carbines.
In dismounted cavalry fight, every fourth man is
usually detailed to hold the horses but being short
of lighting men, and the reserves being several miles
back with the train Gen. Custer ordered every sixth
man only to hold the horses and the rest to join the
skirmish line. The Indians having three times as
large a force, and seeing the cavalry dismounted,
followed their example and dismounted. From their
advantage of numbers, they were able TO extend
their skrmsh line clear around from river to river,
so as to incose the cavalry In semiclrcle with the
woods and the river at their back. Finding that the
horses we're exposed to fire, Gen. Custer ordered
them TO be led back further into the timber
THREE HOURS FIGHTING
As he fell back with his sBirnish line the Indians
advanced theirs, coming within easy rifle range.
One of their number attracted a great deal of at
tention He carried long staff OF lance with pen
nant at the end During the fire one of the Indians
was wounded. Several others Immediately col
lected around him, the man with the pennant, who
most probably was the medcine-man, being one OF
the number Lieut.. Varnum called out to his
men 10 fire into the party. The men fired, and the
man with the lance fell Previous TO this Bloody
Knife the guide had earned the honor of the " first
blood having dropped man from his saddle at the
second fire. Gen. Custer, with his Remington,
brought down pony. After fighting the Indians
in this way for nearly three hours our ammunition
gave out Gen. Custer sent back for the
ammunition of the men holding horses.
While the fight was going on, the bluffs
on which the train was moving with the main
body of cavalry and infantry, were behind the In
dams. Gen. Custer noticed party of four or five
Indians moving toward the bluffs The train bad
not yet come in sight, having had TO make detour
TO head a ravine. He at loss at first to divine
their purpose. Presently two men were seen to run
ND the bluff holly pursued by the Indians. They
were straggers from the train. He was too far
away to render assistance, could he pursue the
Indians without dividing the command and danger
ously weakening it. The sad work of this small
detachment was not learned until after the train
had arrived.
The strategy and cunning of the Indians were not
confined to extending this skirmish line and making
a diversion to cut off stragglers from the tram.
The cavalry horses were a great temptation. They
laid an ingenious plot to capture them, Having
engaged the attention of Gen. Clusters whole force
in front of the woods, they had sent party down
under the river bank to come into the rear OF the
woods and seize stampede the horses. The first
intimation Gen. Custer got of this scheme was the
sight of a single Indian stealthy advancing in the
rear. A few well directed shots toward him pub
lsbed bis discovery, and checked bis design. He
retired very reluctantly, but somewhat quicker
than he came. The boldness of this single Indian
was at first matter of surprise. 1t was easily
explained after the fight, when an examination
of the river bank showed the footprints OF the
fifty OF more Indians which it had concealed
The Indians, having lost two men, were more eau
ed, thot t1a,- al
not with their heavy rifles drive the cavalry into
=, oolo bod ,aconrsa IN another fayorite Weapon.