The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-10
THE VICTORIOUS SIOUX.
Report of the Little Big Horn Battle
from Indian SOuTces-An Interesting
Account

Sixth Infantry, commanding the mill
tary station at Standing Rock Agency
under date oath July, reports to Adju
tant Gen. Buggles as follows:
Sir-Irespectfully the following
as having been derived from seven Siou1
Indians Just returned from the hostile
camp, July 2lst, some of whom were
engaged in the battle of June %, witt
the Seventh Cavalry. Their account
| is as follows: The hostiles were cele
brating the greatest of their religion:
festivals, the Sun Dance, when runners
brought Eews of the approaching caval
ry. The dance was suspended, and q
general rush followed, mistaken by
Custer perhaps for retreat, for the horses.
equipments, and arms Major Reno
first attacked the village at the sodth
end and across the Little Big Horn.
Their narrative of
RENO'S OPERATIONS
comedies with the published accou mt
How he was quickly confronted and
surrounded; how he dismounted, raj
lied in the timber, remounted, and cut
his way back over the ford and up the
bluffs with considerable loss, and the
continuation of the fight for some little
time, when runners arrived from the
north end of the village or camp with
the news that the cavalry had attacked
the north end, some 3 or 4 miles distant.
The Indians about Reno had not before
this the slightest intimation of fighting
at any other point. A force large
enough TO prevent Reno from assuming
the offensive was left, and the surplus
available force followed to the other
end of the camp, where, finding the In
dians successfully
DRIVING CUSTER BEFORE THEM
instead of uniting with them, they sep
arated into two parties and moved
around the fianks of his cavalry. They
report that Custer crossed the river, but
only succeeded in reaching the edge of
the Indian camp. After he was driven
to the bluffs, the fight lasted perhaps
an hour. The Indians have no hours of
the day, and the time can only be given
approximately. They report that a
small number of cavalry broke through
the line of Indians in their rear, and es-
capped, but were overtaken within a dis
tance of or miles, and all killed.
infer from this that this body of retreat
ing cavalry was probably led by the
missing officers, and that they tried to
escape only after Custer fell. The last
man that was killed, was killed by two
sons of Santee Indian, Red Top, who
was a leader in the Minnesota massa-
cres of '62 and '63.
After the battle the squaws entered
the field to plunder and mutilate the
dead. General rejoicing was INDUCED
in, and a distribution of arms and am
munition hurriedly made. Then this
attack on Reno was vigorously renewed.
Up to the attack the Indians had lost
comparatively few men, but now they
say their most serious loss took place.
They give no idea of numbers, but say
there were a great many.
sITTING-BULL WAS NEITHER KILLED
nor personally engaged in the fight. He
remained in the Council tent directing
operations. Crazy Horse, with large
band, and Black Moon, were the prin-
cipal leaders OH the 25th of June Kill
Eagle, Chief of the Blackfeet, was at the
head of some twenty lodges from this
Agency. He was prominently engaged
in the battle of June 25, and afterward
upbraided Sitting Bull for not taking an
active personal part in the engage
ment.
Kill Eagle has sent word that he was
forced into the fight, that he desires to
return to the Agency; and that he will
return to the Agency if he is killed for
it. He is reported to be actually on the
way back to 90 to his Father and Agent
and make confession and receive abso-
luton for his defiant crime against the
hand that had gratuitiously fed him for
three years. He is truly a shrewd
chief, who must have discovered that
''He who fights and runs away
May live to fight another day.
The Indians were notall engaged at
any one time. Heavy reserves were
held to repair losses and renew attacks
successfully. The fight continued until
the third day, when runners, kept pur-
posely on the lookout, hurried into
camp and reported a great body of
troops Gen. Terry's c0mmand) ad-
vancing up the river. The lodges having
been previously prepared for a move, a
retreat in asoutherly direction followed,
towards and along Rosebud Mountain.
They marched about 30 miles, went in
to camp, and held q consultation, when
it was determined to send into all the
Agencies reports of their success, and to
call upon them to come out and share
the glories that there were expected to
be in the future.
We may expect an influx of over
bearing and impudent Indians, to urge,
by force perhaps, an accession to Sit
ting-Bull's demands. There is a gen
eral gathering in the hostile camp from
each of the Agencies on the Missouri
River, Red Cloud and Spotted Tail, as
also the Northern Cheyennes and Ar
rapahOes.
They report, for the especial benefit
of their relatives here, that in the three
fights they had with the whites they
have
CAPTURED OVER 400 STAND OF ARMS,
carbines and rifles, revolvers not count
ed; ammunition without end, and some
sugar, coffee, bacon, and hard bread.
They claim to have captured from the
whites this summer over 900 horses and
mules. sUppose this includes opera
tions against soldiers, Crow Indians,
and Black Hills miners. .Areport from
another source says the Indians obtain
ed from Custer's command592 carbines
and revolvers.
INTIMIDATING FRIENDLY INDIANS.
/ have, since writing the above, heard
from the returned hostiles, which they
communicated as secret to their par
ticular friends here, information that
large party of Sioux and Cheyennes
were to leave Rosebud Mountain, or
hostile camp, for this Agency, to intim-
idate and compel the Indians here to
join Sitting-Bull. If these refuse, they
are ordered to "soldier them" (beat
them) and steal their ponies. Very re-
spectfully,
(Signed) J. S. POLAND,
CAPTAIN Sixth Infantry, Brevet Lieu
tenant-Colonel, Commanding.
RASPBERRY AND CURRANT MARINA
LADE.-Take equal quantities of very
i L