The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-07-12
THE INDIAN WAR3
RENo's MAGNIFICENT F1GHf-w.r.
OR DEATH-THE REscpE.

BISMARCK, July 7.-Custer Ia,
Rosebud on the 23d of June with 10
companies Of the 7th Cavalry, On
the oath fresh trail was reported
On the morning Of the 25th, an IN
dian village, three miles long. and
half mile wide, was reported ffteen
miles off. Gen. Custer pushed for i #
They made seventy.eight miles n
twenty-four hours preceding the bat.
tie. When near the village the In.
dams appeared to be moving in hot
haste, as if retreating. Reno with
seven companies, was ordered to at
tack the right, and Gen. Custer, with
five companies, vigorously attacked
the left of the camp.
Reno felt them with three GONNA
MES, and was Immediately surround.
ed, and after an hours fighting, los.
ing Lieuts. Hodgson and Mcintosh
and twelve men, and several Indian
scouts killed and many wounded. cnt
his way out and gained bluff 900
feet high, where he entrenched, and
where he was. soon joined by Col.
Benton with four companies.
Here the Indians made repeated
assaults, but were repulsed With
great slaughter. The Indians finally
gained higher ground than Reno, and
with longer range guns that the cav.
airy had, kept up CALLING fire till
night. The Indians renewed the
attack at daylight. Up to that time
Reno had lost forty odd killed.
Before reaching the bluff many
hand to hand conflicts occurred, tho
Indians outnumbering the troops ten
to one. The men were without va.
ter thirty six hours, when they de.
termined to reach water at all hazards.
Col. Benton made a sally and routed
the main body guarding the approach
to water. The water was gained
with one killed and seven wounded:
the fighting then ceased for the night
during which Reno prepared to re-.
sist further attacks. They had now
been forty eight hours fighting, with
no word from Custer. There was
twenty-f four hours more of suspense
and the fighting ended, when the In.
dians abandoned their villagein great
haste. Gen. Berry, with Gibbon.
commanding his own infantry, had
arrived, and as the commanders met
the men wept on each Others necks.
Inquiries were then made for Gus.
ter, but none could tell where he Was.
Soon an officer came rushing into
camp and related that he had found
Custer dead and stripped naked, but
not mutilated, and near him his two
brothers, Col. Tom and Boston Gus
ter, his brother law, Col. Calhoun,
and his nephew, Col. Yates, Col.
Keogh, Capt. Smith, Lieut.. Critten.
den, Lieut.. Sturgis, Col. Cooke, Lieut.
Porter, Lieut.. Harrington, Dr.. Lold,
Mack Kellogg, the Bismarck Tribune
correspondent, and one hundred and
ninety men and scouts. Custer went
into battle with companies G, L, ], +
and E of the 7th cavalry, and the
staff and commissioned staff Of
his regiment, and a number of scouts;
only one Crow scout remains to tell
the tale -all are dead.
Gen. Custer was surrounded on
every side by the Indians, and the
horses fell as they fought on the skir-
mish line or in the line of battle.
Gen. Custer was among the last who
fell, but when his cheering voice was
no longer heard the Indians made
easy work of the remainder
The bodies of all the newspaper
correspondents, were stripped, and
most of them horribly mutilated--
Gen. Custer 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 ofthe Army.
Col. Smith arrived at Bismarck
, last night with IS of the wounded
? The. Indians lost heavily in the bat
tie. ssThe Grow scout survived by hi.
ding in ravine. He believes the
, Indians lost more than the whites.
The village numbered 1900 lodges,
l and it is thought there were 1000
warriors.
Gen. Custer was directed by Gen.
Terry to find and feel of the Indians
but not to fight unless Terry arrived
with infantry and with Gibbons col
: umn. Gen. Gibbons cavalry follow
t ed the Indians for about ten miles,
q and ascertained that they had moved
, to the south and west by several
trails. A good deal of property had
t been thrown away by them to tighten
e their march, and was found scattered
for many miles over the prairies.-
Many Of their dead were also discoy-
cred, secreted in ravines long dis
lance from the battle field. Among
them were Arrapahoes and Cheyennes
; as well as Sioux.
: THUS far we have a fine batch