Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-07-19

IN the disastrous battle where the brave
Cluster lost bis lite.
Reno, who had the largest force, was
expected to make the charge at the
head of the village, Custer taking the
flying savages in the flank or doubling
them back Reno accordingly crossed
the Little Horn and charged down the
valley about mile and half, fol-
loving shat seemed to be the flying In
dians
Certainly they were In dead run,
but al! at tuce turned and charged The
advancing soldiers. Reno halted his
command and engaged the Indians
The FIRE was terrific, and reminded
those present at that engagement Of the
Wilderness. Reno says be never heard
firing more terrific. Iu q moment his
commsnd was completely surrounded
with the bowling devils on every side,
firing at short range. Charley Rey-
nolds, the we'll known scout, afterward
killed, exclaimed: "We are gone up !
there is no hope for us.''
Evidently Reno was Of the same
opinion. He ordered the nen to mount,
and leading the way they cut for the
ford. Porter's attention was attracted
by a dying man belonging to Captain
French's company, who was shot
Through the heart. The cavalry was
flying, pursued on every hand by the
Indians. Porter sprang to his horse,
and throwing his arms around its neck
he goaded it forward, passing and being
passed by Indians in their chase for
scalps. Passing and beiug passed by
aering cavslrymen, they reached the
ford with little loss.
Poor M'Intosh, mounted on horse
which bad been wounded, was overtaken
pulled from his horse aud plugged With
pistol shots while lying at The feet Of
his murderers. In this state of confu
sion the three companies reached the
ford, q narrow pass, into which men
and horses we're crammed and hemmed.
with the Indians firing into them at
short range from the front, flank and
rear. v hile IN the river Lieut. Hodg-
son was wounded and bis horse killed.
He received another shot just as he
reached the bank, and tumbled back
into the river, dead.
The ford being passed, wild scram-
bic commenced to reach the bluff be-
yond. The side of the bluff was so
steep that men we're compelled to cling
to the Decks Of their animals to prevent
sliding from their backs. Col. Smith
declares the incline to be the stecpest
he ever saw ascended by horse or mule.
Though the Indians were yelling on
every hand, firing into the retreating
force at short range, they gained the
summit, and, just as they reached it,
eight men shot on the way up, fell
from their horses.
Lieutenant Matthew at once set
about building a barricade for bospi-
tai. Dead animals and dead men were
used for this purpose, as we'll as the
stores from the backs of the pack mules.
Those wh) fell in the retreat were
placed under Dr. Pofter's charge, and
the number rapidly increased. DeWOlf
was killed just as be reached the sum-
nit, and Porter was left alone with no
helr until Girsrd escaped from the
thicket when with bis assistance two
ampUtations were performed.
Fred. Girard, an old correspondent
of the Herald, who in the days of his
youth was a devil in St. Louis news
paper Office, was cut of at the ford,
and lay all night in the thicket, with
the Indians passing sometimes within
ten feet OF him 1t seemed certian he
could not escape
Every moment he expected to be his
last. DerinGo was with him. They
rem aimed quietly until troop of men
came, one of whom was dressed like
Tom Custer. He had q full suit of
buckskln, broad brimmed hat and a
flowing necktie-probably Toms suit
and, being sure it was him, Derindo
called out: "Fcr Gods sake, Tom,
don't leave us heret"
They we're answered in Sioux and with
q volley. Girard shifted his person.
Derindo escaped TO the river, and, drop
ing into it, found new hiding place
and reached camp in an hour or two
after Girard. During the night fol-
lowing Derindo was pursued into the
ihicket, but lot of beavers at work
there jumped into the river about this
time. and their splashing diverted at
tentIon from him and saved bis life.
Curly, tie Crow scout, would not
trust himself to speak for three Gays
after the fight, except when be told
his story at the steamboat, but would
sit around detected and apparently in
deep thought, bumming Crow tune
and throwing up his right hand dis
played two fingers and said:
ave got two ponies heap Sionx ;
much heap Sioux white man all dead ;
we got TWO ponies"
Humming a moment he sgein said :
"Whlte man all dead; we got two
ponies"
The wounded who were Brought in
from the battle field, fifteen miles dis
tant, reached the boat at two o'clock on
a night so dark that fires were built,
under Gen. Terry's direction, to light
those carrying the hitter. down hill
sides; and within sixty hours after
leaving that point the wounded we're
comfortably placed IN q hospital at
Fort Abe Lincoln, nine hundred miles
distant. Had the captain remained at
the mouth of Big Horn General Terry
would have been obliged to transport
his wounded forty miles over dry
prairie.
Though the pilot house was barri-
caded with boiler iron and the deck
with wood, while az escort Of one COM