The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-09-21
Particulars OF the Death Of General
Custer.

The st. Louis Pioneer Press and Tri.
bane publishes an interview with an old
trapper named Ridgely, who has been a
long time in the Yellowstone country.
and claims to have witnessed the Custer
massacre, being a prisoner in Sitting
Bull camp, and seeing every movement
of the troops. He was taken prisoner
last March, and kept in the camp of the
Indians ever since, until the Custer mas
sacre. He was treated kindly.
He says Sitting Bull organized, not to
fight the whites, but to drive the miners
from the hills. Previous to Clusters at
tack, mounted couriers from Sitting
BULBS camp had for eight days watched
his forces, its division into small detach-
ments being noted with manifestation
of extreme delight. Ambuscades were
Immediately prepared, and, while the
Indians stood ready for attack, many of
them clambered up the side hill over
looking Clusters line of march. The In
dian camp was divided by a bluff, the
point of which ran toward the Rosebud,
and in the direction of an available ford
on the river to the camp. BY this ford
Custer followed their trail down to the
waters edge. There were but twenty-five
teepes visible to Custer, but there were
seventy-fve double teepes behind the
bluff not visible.
Custer attacked the smaller village,
and was met by one thousand five hun
dred or two thousand Indians in regular
order of battle. Every movement was
made with military precision. Ridgely
says he stood on hill, where he had a
complete view of the battle, which was
not over mile and half distant. Gus.
ter began the fight in ravine near the
ford, and fully half of his command
seemed to be unhorsed at the first fire.
Then the soldiers .retreated toward him
in the rear, and were shot down on the
way with astonishing rapidity, the COM
manding officer falling from his horse in
the middle of the engagement, which com.
menced at eleven a. m, and did not last
more than fOrty-five minutes. After the
massacre of Clusters force, the Indians re-
turned to the camp, with six soldiers as
prisoners, and delirious with Joy over
their success. These six were tied to
stakes at a wood-pile in the village, and
were burned to death. While the flames
were burning them to death, the Indian
boys fired red-hot arrowsinto their CULVER
ing flesh, until they died. Sitting Bull
was met after the fight, and he exultipgly
remarked that he had killed many sol
diers, and one General, but didn't know
who he was. The squaws then armed
themselves with knives, visited the bat
tlefeld, and robbed and mutilated the
bodies of the soldiers. While these
soldiers were being burned, the Indians
turned their attention to force, evil
IDENTIFY Reno's, attacking the lower end
of the village. Ridgely says that Gus
ter's command had been slaughtered be-
fore shot was fired by Reno's force, the
latter attacking the lower end of the
camp about two p. m.
The Indians returned in the evening,
and said the men had fought like the
devil, but Ridgely says they didn't make
statement of their losses. They said
the soldiers were driven back twice, and
then they piled up stones, and the attack
was unsuccessful. The prisoners were
kept burning over an hour, but Ridgely
was not permitted to speak with them, so
is unable to state who they were. One
was noticeable from his small size and
gray hair and whiskers. Reno killed
more Indians than Custer, who fell in
the midst of the fight. Two captains,
believed to be Gates and Keough, were
the last to die.
The night after the massacre the In
dians were wild with delight, many get
ting drunk on the whisky stolen from
the whites. The squaws performed the
duty of guards for the prisoners, but be-
coming drowsy, and Ridgely and two
companions escaped, secured ponies, and
began a long journey homeward. The
party ate game and laid in the woods
four days to avoid the Indians. On the
way a horse stumbled, breaking Ridgely's
arm, but the party finally reached Fort
Abercrombie, and thence Ridgely came
here. He describes Sitting Bull as a
half breed of large size, very intelligent,
with peculiar gait.