The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-10-06
CUSTER.
An Indian Chiefs Narrative of the Little
Horn Massacre.

An Indian Chiefs Narrative OF the Little
Horn Massacre.
A letter from Standing Rock Indian
Agency to the New York Herald gives
the following interesting incidents relst-
ing to Clusters last battle:
Kill Eagle, of whose surrender at this
station, last Friday, you have already
been informed, has given quite q lengthy
account of the operations OF Sitting Bull
forces the past season.
He claims to have been distant some
forty or fifty miles from the scene of the
Rosebud fight, and relates many of the
details and Incidents which he was able
subsequently, TO gather from the partici-
pants. He places the loss Of the Indians
IN the Rosebud fight at four dead, left
en- the field, and twelve that were brought
to camp. He places the wounded at as
high as 400, and says they had $50
horses killed besides those that were
captured.
He next comes to the fight on the Lit
tie Horn, aud describes the Indian vii
lage, which was six miles long and one
wide, and the Indians swarmed there as
thick as maggots on a carcass, 80 numer-
GUS were they. He then goes on and
speaks of Custer approach and fight, with
it's tragic details, as an unwilling spec
tator rather than participant, who, dur
ing it's progress, remained quietly in his
lodge in the center of the Indian village.
The fight with Reno commenced about
noon, the Indians all rushing TO oppose
his advance, until the approach OF Custer
toward the lower end of the village was
announced, when the widest confusion
prevailed throughout the camp. Lodges
were struck and preparations made for
instant fight. Vast numbers of Indians
left Reno's front and fastened to the as
sistance of their red brethren engaged
with Custer, who was steadily forced
back and surrounded until all were swept
from the field by the repeated charges
of the Indians, as if they had been car
ried into eternity by the irresistible
force of hurricane. BE described the
firing at this point rs simply terrific, and
illustrated its force by clapping his
hands together with great rapidity and
regularity. Then came lull in the
fearful storm of iron hail, and his hands
were still again. The storm beat fast
and furious as the thought of some loved
one nerved the arm of each conLending
trooper. Then the movement of his
hands slackened and gradually grew
more feeble. A few scattering shakes,
like the rain upon window pane, and
then the movement ceased as the last of
Clusters Sand of heroes went down with
the setting sun. 1t was dusk as the sue
cessful combatants returned to camp lit
tered with their dead and wounded. 1t
had not been to them bloodlcss victory.
Fourteen had fallen in front of Reno,
went down with Custer, and
fourteen were dead in camp. Horses
and traverses were laden with their
wounded on every hand, and in count
less numbers. One band alone of Ogal
lalas had twenty seven wounded on ira
verses, and thirty eight thrown across
horses. Kill-Eagle says it seems as If
every one was wounded, and places the
as high as 600. He is very pos
tive, however, that no prisoners were
taken. There were no white men Ill the
fight or on the field. One who ha1 been
with them had gone TO Spotted Tail
Agency. The bugle-calls 30 often SPOKEN
of were sounded by an Indian.
He speaks of Sitting Bull as heavy,
man, with large head and light
hair hanging to his shoulders. He is
not white or half breed. He gives the
names of the leading chiefs present in
the fight, and reports chief, High Elk,
as being killed in front of Reno. He
even goes ON to speak of the approach Of
Gen. Gibbons column and the imme-
diate fight of the Indians, and the SUBJ
sequent fight with Lieut.. Sibley's party,
where chief of the Cheyennes was shot
through the head and instantly killed.