Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-07-13
Speeches. from Thirst, With Tongues
Hanging from Their Mouths.
Waiting for Custer, Who Never Came
Ambitious 10 Win for Himself tho
Sole Credit of Victory,
He Marched into an Ambuscade, ana Every
One OF Ills Regiment Was Massacred.

Il
of the Little Horn a branch of the
Big Horn. On the evening of the
oath, scouts reported fresh trails, and
on the morning of the 25th dis
covered an Indian village 20 miles
above the mouth of the Little Horn,
about three miles long and half o
mile wide, Is miles away. Custer
rushed his command rapidly through.
They had made long march, in all
70 miles, in the 81 hours preceding
the battle, and when near the village
struck an abandoned tepee. While
the Indians were moving in hot haste,
as if to retreat, Reno, with seven
companies of the 18th caralry was
ordered to the left to attack the vii.
lage at its head, while Custer, with
five companies, went to the right and
commenced a vigorous attack. Reno
felt of them with three companies of
cavalry, and was almost instantly
surrounded, and after an hour or
more of desperate fighting, during
which he lost Lieuts. Hodgson and
Mcintosh, DIR. DeWolf, and IL men,
with several Indian scouts killed, and
many wounded, he cut his way
through the Indians, crossed the
river, and gained bluff 800 feet in
| height, where he entrenched and was
soon Joined by Col. Benton with four
companies. In the meantime the
Indians resumed the attack, which
| had abated in vigor for an hour or so,
making repeated desperate charges,
which were repulsed with great
slaughter to the Indians. They
gained higher bluffs, however, thar
the one occupied by Reno, and as
their arms was longer range and bet
ter than the cavalry, they kept up
gallant fire until nightfall. During
the night Reno strengthened his posi-
ton aud was prepared for the attack
which was received at daylight.
The day wore on. Reno had lost,
in killed and wounded large portion
of his command, forty odd having
been killed before the bluff was
reached, many of them in hand to
hand conflict with the Indians, who
outnumbered them ten to one, and
his men had been without alter 36
hours. The appeals Of the wounded
for water was indeed heart-rending,
while the others were almost ex-
hausted, in many instances their
tongues protruding from their mouths,
and few could speak aloud. They
tried to eat crackers, but could not
moisten them, while the grass blades,
which some ate to give relief, chung
to their parohed lips. In this state
OF affairs they determined to gain
water at all hazards, and Col. Benton
made rally with his company and
routed the main portion OF the In
dams who were guarding the ap.
proach of the river to which the
| soldiers had volunteered to 60 with
camp-kettes and cantees for water
The Indian sharp shooters were
nearly opposite the mouth of the
ravine through which the brave
boys was approached the river, but
the attempt was made and though
one man was killed and seven wound
ed, the water was gained and the
command relieved. When the fight
ing ceased for the night, Reno caused
his animals to be likewise relieved,
and further prepared for the attack,
which he knew would be resumed the
next morning. Officers and men
kept in good heart, but oil wondered
what had become of Custer. There
had been 48 hours of fighting and no
word from their respected comman-
der. Twenty four hours more of
hard fighting and suspense ensued,
when the Indians abandoned their
village in great confusion. Then
Reno knew that succor was near.
Gen. Terry, with Gibbons command,
and his own infantry, had arrived,
and as the comrades in arms met,
strong men wept on the necks OF
each other. After congratulations to
the gallant commander for his sue
cessful defense, inquiries were made
| for Custer, but none could tell where
he was Soon an officer came rush
ing into camp and related that he
had found Custer dead, stripped
naked, but not mutilated, and near
him his two brothers, Col. Tom and
Boston Custer his brother-in law,
Col. Calhoun, and nephew, Col.
Yates Col. Keogh, Capt. Smith,
Lieut.. Crittenden, son of Gen. Crit
tenden Lieut.. Sturgis, son of
Gen. Sturgis Col. Cooke, Liout.
Porter, Lieut.. Harrington, DR.. Lord,
Mark Kellogg, the Bismarck Iri-
bune reporter, the only correspondent
with the EXPEDITION, and 100 men
and scouts. Custer went into the
battle with companies G, l., /, f and
; L, of the 18th cavalry, the staff and
the non-commissioned staff of his reg
iment, and q number of scouts, and
only one Crow scout remains to tell
the tale. All are dead. Custer was
surrounded on every hand by the
Indians, and the men and horses fell
as they fought on the skirmish line
or in the line of battle. Custer was
among the last TO fall, but when his
cheering voice was no longer TO be
heard the Indians made easy work
of the remainder. The bodies of all
were stripped and the most of them
horribly mutilated. Clusters was not
i. mutilated. He was shot through the
body and through the head. The
troops cared for the wounded, buried
: the dead and returned to their base
for supplies and instructions from the
general of the army. Col. Smith,
of Gen. Terry's staff, arrived last
night with dispatches and with
the wounded, 35 in number, aside
from three who died on he uav on