The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-07-14

the Little Big Horn, and on morning
of the 10Th found an Indian enc
eampment three miles long on that
river. Without waiting for other
to come mp, he divided
his regiment, placed four compan-
les as reserve, sent Major Reno /
with three companies upon the
trail where it crossed the river, and
took five companies himself aud
made detour of several miles to |
strike across the river higher up |
His plan waP, by a sweeping charge
at both ends of the encanpments,
to go through it aud meet in the cen
ter, and clean out the entire force of
Indians, many or few, in his usual
and dashing style. lie galloped off
with his five companies, and that
was the last of them seen alive.
Major Reno crossed the river, but
found the Indians in such force
that he dismounted his men, and
fought Oh foot, and then being an
able to sustain his position fell back
and re-crossed the river with a loss
of three officers and twelve men
killed and many wounded, and took
up position On a high.bluff, where
he was fortunately Joined by the
reserve companies. Some slight en-
trenchments were thrown up, and
desperate rifis fight waged with
the Indians who swarmed ON every
side, and getting Oh higher bluffs,
and having longer range weapons
than the cavalry lad, kept up a
furious attack. There was no wa
ter, and men and animals suffered
terribly-the wounded making pit
eous appeals for drink. Toward
night the men were unable to speak,
and fought with parched tongues
hanging out of their mouths, and
Col. Benton rallied his company
and by q sudden charge broke
through the Indians guarding the
approach to the river, and got back
with most of his men, and num-
Der of pals and canteens filed with
water. This saved both men and
horses from dying of thirst. Night
came on and darkness stopped the
| fight, and the soldiers worked with
knives and pans to dig rifle pits.
At daylight the attack was renewed
with great fierceness, but about 6
o'clock it ceased and the Indians
disappeared. Col. Reno's men did
not dare, however, to leave their
position. He had lost Is men kill
ed and wounded, and 100 horses,
and it was felt that the only hope
of life was in achievements arriv-
ing. In few hours Gen. Gibbons
troops appeared, and the first in
quiry OF Reno was what had be.
come of Custer. Gibbons force
had come up the Yellowstone by
steamboat, and had marched over q
very rough country to the utmost
of human endurance, arriving just
in time to save the balance of Gus.
ter's regiment. They had approach
ed by way of the fatal spot where
Custer had charged, three or four
miles from where Reno was en-.
trenched, to succor the latter, and
conveyed to Reno and his men the
sad Intelligence of the fate of Gus.
ter and his five companies. AS Gen.
Gibbon approached the Indians
did not try to contest the field with
him, but hurried off, taking all theiI
wounded, and leaving their lm.
mense village mostly standing
The next move was to return to
the field of slaughter and bury the
heroic dead. 1t was evident that
Custer, having gone some three OIL
four miles from Reno, had concIud.
ed that the Indians in front of hin
were retreating, and had charged
and been met by an overwhelming
fire by large force in ambush
and his troops forced back. HI
had evidently rallied them several
times, but was surrounded on al
sides, and the contest must have
been as short as it was bloody
The dead bodies lay in suceessiv,
heaps, all stripped and scalped blu
Custer, whose body for some reason
: was not in any way mutiIsted. I'll
/ lay with the last of his men, in
narrow valley. One body, that o
; 1t. Harrington, was not found, blu
J his friends would prefer 70 hea
that it was, for his escape was ut
: terly impossible. Beside Gen
Custer. his two brothers, Col. Gus
f ter, and Boston Custer, the latter
his clerk, Cols. Cook, Keogh
and Yates, Captains Smitl
, and Mcintosh, Lisutenants .Hodg
son, Calhoun, Reilly, Porter
Sturgis,and Harrington were killed
: The entire killed under Custer ant
: Reno, foots up to IA commissioned
officers, one surgeon, civilians, on,
. of whom was Mr.. Kellogg, CORES.
, pendent of the New York Herald
3 Indian scouts, and 237 non-com
missioned officers and men. Al mel
were badly wounded. Some 4O(
: valuable cavalry horses were killed
This terrible loss has of cours,
; caused great excitement and sor
row throughout the country, anG
President Grant and General
, Sherman and Sheridan have resoIv
ed to throw such force into thu
Indian country as will punish tn,
J Indians severely. Bills to permi
. five regiments of volunteers to bc
enlisted have been passed by the
, House, although Gen. Sheridan
thinks the regular army force ii
!. enough to do the work. Within 6
faw weeka aome heavy msrchino