The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-31
GRIT BY FIRE AND DEATH.
DE RUDIO's THRILLING Story OF
MS NARROW ESCAPE.
Surrounded by Sevases aud by FIames-Thir-
ty.six Hours of Mortal Perii-The Narrn-
tive Of a Survivor OF the Custer Massncre.

From ne NJ T. Herald. july 80.
When we were half way over the creek
l noticed a euidon on the side we had left, aud
returned to take IL. 1t entangled Itself In the
branches and slipped out of NY hand. dis
mounted to pick 1t up. As was about TO mount
my horse was struck with a bullet. and. become
inc frightened, ran into the Indians, leaving me
dismouuted In the company OF about ~ sioux
not more MY Ssrus u,ssan,, oe9 ,Se
thicket near by, where found Mr. GrOuard, the
interpreter, balf-bIeed Indian, ana Private
| O'NeIll OF Company G., Seventh Cavalry. he
! first Two had their horses. but O'Nel, like my
self. was dismounted. told the owners Of the
| horses that the presence Of the animals would
betray us. suggesting at the same time that they
be stampeded; Tney declined to act on the sug-
| gestion, and left them and crawled through
| the thick underwood into the deep dry bottom of
the creek, where could not he easily discovered.
| | had not been in this hiding place more than
| ten minutes when | heard several pistol shots
fired N my Immediate vicinity, aud shortly
| thereafter the voices OF several "squaws.' l
raised my head with great caution to see what
| they were at, and found them at the revolving
work OF scdlplng soldier who was perhaps not
\ yet dead. Two OF them were cutting away,
while two othors performed sort OF war dance
around the BODY aud its mutilators. heard a
| cracking noise near me Tue indians PAD ".
nited a IRE. Tho wood being very dry, the IRE
made rapid heedway, and was forced from my
| hiding place. ! crawled out OF the creek bot
| tom NJ had approached. and as was about to
ascend the bank, was rejOined by the party
had LETT snort white before. They, like myself,
were afraid OF the IRE; but fortunately for us
the wind subsidized and little rain fell. Sufficient
| to arrest the flames aud revive our hopes that
| We might be ahle to remain there tin night.
| IL was now o'clock Il. M-six moro hours to
| wait-and wo could hear and often see Indians
near US. Finally the time came when, under tho
| proteC ion " night, we were able to come out
of our hiding place and take the direction " the
| ford, two miles to tue south, through an open
| plan. Mr.. Grouard and the scout mounted
their horses, aud the soldier aud myself TOOK
| hold each one Of a horse . tail and followed the
| horses.
In our transit through tho open plain we
| parsed many Indians returning to their village,
and could hear but not see them, as the night
was very dark. We reached the wood near
| what We took to be the ford we had passed in
| the morning, but were mistaken and had to
| hunt for the crossing. Once we forded the
stream, but II was at a bend, and we had to ford
| u again. When we Iecrossed the river we ran
| fun into band OF eight saVages. The two
| mounted men ran for their lives; the soldier
| and myself jumped into the bushes near us.
The saVages evidently thought from the DreCipi-
tate retreat OF the two mounted men ihat all of
| us had decamped, and began TO talk among
| themselves. In "a Few minutes they continued
their course. aud soon went out OF hearing. We
| then saw that the furds were all well guarded by
| the savaEes. and that 1t would be very dangerous
to attempt to cross any par OF the river. Hoping
| Tor the probable return OF our command III the
| morning, or that the Indians would leave, we
sought n hiding place III tue thick underwood
and briers near the river, and then awaited our
In the dim dawn Of day we heard an immense
tramping as Of a large cavalry command, and
the spl sniug Of water, as OF troops crossing the
! river. | imagined II was our command, as |
could distinctly hear the sound OF the horses
shoes striking the stones, and cautiously step
ping TO the edge of the bushes 10 look out mot
more than three yards from the bank, thought
! recognized sVme gray horses mounted by men
IN milit ~ blOuses, and some IN white hats. |
saw one man Win ouesski9 Jacket, trousers
niLeJ him IA Capt. Tom Custer. with this con-
vctiou ! -tepped out on the bank aud called,
" Tom, don't lsave us here The distance was
only a. few yards, and INV call was answered nv
an internal yell ana a discharge OF 100 or 400
shots. / then saw tuat the savases were clad IA
clothes and mounted gu horses which they mai
csptnTed IRON our men. Myself and he soldier
Jumped into the bushes the bullets moving
down he branches at every volleSl ana crawl
ed on to get out OF range la doug 50 we
moved the too branches OF the undergrowth,
and the Indians on the top of the blun fred
where they saw ne comnution,and nus covered
us with their rifles. We now decided to cross a
clearing ~ about twenty yards and gain another
wood, Out before doing this l took the Dtecau-
ton to look out. The prospect was terribly dis
couraging, Tor on our immediate right, not more
than ATTY Yards distant, l saw four or i've In
ulshs sslIopihe 'omaru US. Yea. os me we're
two cottonwood stumps, nearly touching each
other. and behind this slender barricade We
vOlver, ready to do for a few Of the savages be-
fore thew could Kill us. We determined not to
IRE until they came So near thit we could not
mi-s them, and there We waited. They hdd not
seen rs, and when the foremost man was lust
abreast OF me, aud ABOUT ten yards distant,
fred
| At my nre the savages.turned a right-lbout,
and were making Oh. but Private O'Neiil fred
his caroline NJ the second say lge, VINO at that
moment was refining his pony 10 turn him back.
The prlNate's eye was trde and his carntne
| trusty. e Sue Indian dropped his rem, threw up
hs paws and dropped de ID. The gentleman /
gree.cd rode snort distance and then ala like
wise he resi- % tho y irty RODE on, turned the
corner OF tue wood and Disappeared. During
all this time Tie IRE from the oiuus continued.
From oar position We could s'e the Indians on
the bluffs, their horses picKcted under cover Of
the MI, anu a Inc Of snarprhooters. all king
fiat on TIER -tomachs. We could hear the bai-
tie going on above us On the hills, the continued
rattle u the mLsketry. The cheering Of our oOm-
mand ana the shouting OF tue savaRes.
oar hopes revived Mhen we heard the famili ar
cheer OF cur comrades, but dependency fol-
lowed fast, for our wood was on ire. lie sharp
cracking OF the burning timber approached
nearer and nearer with ful rapidity, ana we
had 10 shift our POSITION. We crawed almost to
the edge ~ the wood, and discovered IRE ON
both sidrs. We moved GROUND until We found "A
thick cluster Of what they call burberry trees,
under which We crept.
The grass on the edge 81 this place was very
green. and - u had been raining little before,
ana there was no Wind, when the hre ~
preached our hiding place II ran very slowly,
! ana was enabled 10 smother IL with my gaunt-
. let gloves. Tue Are consumed all the under
wood around ~. and was almost expended bv
this time. We could sea savdge- going back
ward sud forward. and one standing on picket
not more than seventy or eighty wards from W.
evidently nut there % watch the Progress 81 the
lire. At about O'Clock 4. VI. TINS picket fred
four pie ol shots in the air at regular intervals
: which luterurrted a. signal. soon aftetward
! we heard savtge .crying out making the same
saw ~ or more sayages leave the nlnfs ana ford
. the river evidently abandoning the srnund
! About one hour later tue same double signal'
were repeated. ana many mounted Indians gal
' Hoped away. soon the remainder OF those VI
{ the bluns also retired.
h Daring he thiuy-slx hours that we were II
j suspense We had neither water nor food. At II
q O'clock +. VI. We dropped ourselves into tn,
. river-the water reaching our wlists-cros-ed IL
twice, carefully crawled up the bluG, aud finally
reached tho broken high country, took our al
rectiun and slowly and cautiously proceeded
southwad. After marching two miles ascend
cd "A very high hili aud saw IRE, probably tive
n miles from IA. OF course we N Ide two conIeC
: lures on this fret might be an lnuan fire
q 1t might be from our command. The only WAY
J. to ascertain was to approach IL cautiously aut
e trust to chance. Accordingly we took tho III
" rection Of the nre and alter proceeding mill
q or more again stopped on q high hill, md list
= ened. We could Lear voices, hut not distinctll
d enouIh 10 tell whether they we're ol me savage
q or OF our command. We proceeded "A listl
. further aud heard the bray OF a mule, and sOoi
q after the distinct voice Of "a sentry chalIenEin
= with the familiar words, Halt! Who zoe
r thcref' The challenge Was not adore sed to us
% a. we were 200 far III 10 be seen by the picket
n and II VS. too dark, but this gave US courage 4
10 continue our course. We were about 2OO yard
d from the fire. aud resolved to call out the pics
~ ct and tell him VINO | was. told my cOmptu
l. to be ready to follow after me- and, after ha
Ia well surveyed the ground cried out Picket
e. mt fire II l. Lieut.. Da Kudto and pTiVat
IA O'NeIl." We received an answer In a loud ched
IL from all the members Of the ticket aud froI
y Lieut.. Narnum.
u From Cincinnati TO the Centennial Exhib
C. tion by Wafer.
10 nm