The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-08


June 9Th 1876.
To the Adjutant General of the Military Division of
the Missouri. at Chicago, HIS;
1t is my painful duty to report that, day
before yesterday, (the 25th instant), a
great disaster overlook General Caster
and the troops under his command
At i2 o'clock of the 22d ne started with
his whole regiment and strong dctach
ment of scouts mud guards from the mouth
of The Rosebud. Proceeding up that river
about twenty miles he struck a very heavy
Indian trail which he had previously dis
covered, and pursuing it found that it led,
as It was supposed that it would lead, TO
the Little Big Horn river. Here he
found 4 village OF almost uneXampled eX-
tent. and at once attacked it with
that portion of his force which was im-
mediately at hand. Major Reno with three
companies, A. G and NJ Of the regiment,
was sent into the valley OF the stream at
the point where the trail struck it. Gen.
Custer, with five companies, &, +, +, | and
i, attempted to enter it about three miles
, lower down. Reno torded the river, charg
ed down its left bank. dismounted and
fought on foot until finally completely over
whtlmed by numbers he was compelled
; to mount and recross the river and
SCCh IEthSt pt iiiC Ii-l bLtliS
! which overlooked its right bank.
just as he re-crossed Capt. Belton, whc,
, with three companies ID, II aud X, J, was
some two miles to the LETT Of Reno. where
, the action commenced, but who had been
ordered 10y Gen. Custer to return, came
c to the river and rightly concluding that it
5 was useless for his force to attempt to re
new the fight in the valley, be Joined Reno
on the bluffs Capt McDougall with his
company (B, was at first at some distance
in the rear, with train OF pack mui,s. He
also came up to Reno and soon this united
force was nearly surrounded by Indians,
many Of whom arrived with rifles and Occu-
pied positions which commanded the
ground held by the cavalry - ground
from which there was no escape.
, Rifle pits were dug aud the fight was
maintained, though with heavy loss, from
about 2:3O O'Clock Of the 25th till 6
d. o'clock Of the Goth, when the Indians with
drew from the valley taking with them
their village.
>. OF the movements of Gen. Custer and
the five companies under his immediate
al command scarcely anything is known from
81 those who witnessed them for no soldier uT
officer who accompanied him has yet been
found alive. His trail from the point
10 where Reno crossed the stream pass 3
" along and in the rear Of the crest Of the
'E bluffs, en- the right bank, for nearly OF
R. quite three miles, and then it comes down
IN to the bank OF the river, bat at once di
~ verges from II as If he had unsuccessfulIy
a attempted 20 cross, then turns upon Itself
III almost completely circle ana closes
=, Ii is marked by the remains Of his officers
and men and the bodies Of his horses, some
ot them dropped along the path, other,
y heaped where halts appear to have beer
r. made. There Is abundant evidence tha
= a gallant resistance was offered by tho
:, troops, but they were beset on all sides BY
in overp0wering numbers.
The officers known to be killed arc Gen
- Custer; Captains keogh, Gates ant
Custer; Its. Cook, Smith, Mcintosh
Calhoun, Porter, Hodgson, StuTeis aut
Reilly, OF the cavalry; 1t Crittcnden, o
i the Goth infantry: acting Assistant-surgeo
DeWof.
is Lit Harrington, of the cavalry, an,
't- Assistant Surgeon Lord are missing.
- Capt Benton and 1t. Narum Of tn
cavalry are slightly wounded.
Mr., Bristol Custer, brother, and Nj
Reed, nephew OF Gen. Caster were wit
= him and were killed. No other officer
st than those that | have named are amon
f. the killed wounded and missing. It's in
Of possible as yet to obtain reliable list {
nd enlisted men who were killed aud wounded
no Including officers, 1t must reach 250. Til
,rs number Of wounded Is 81.
Is At the mouth Of the Rosebud informe
Gen. Custer that should take the supp
nj steamer for the west, up the Yellow St0n
to ferry Gen. Gibb0nss column over I'll
river; that | should personally accompan
that column, and that it would in all prot
ability each the mouth Ct the Little Bl
Horn on the Goth instant tt
steamer reached Gen Gibbonss troop
near the mouth Of the Big Horn, early
the morning OF the oath, aud at o'c'oC
? IN the evening all his men and auina
were across the Yellow Stone. At
o'clock the column, consisting Of five coB
- pampanies of the Seventh infantry, toU
x of the second cavalry, and battery
three gattling guns marched out aero
Tullock's Creek, starting soon attt
= ; o'clock in the morning. III
Fifth infantry made a march Of
< miles over the most difficult country whit
! [ have ever seen. La order that scou
: might be sent into the valley Of the litt
Big Horn, the cavalry, with the batter.
= was there pushed on thirteen or fourtee
miles further, reaching camp at midaigh
The scouts discovered the Indians, whic
- were at first supposed to be Sioux, b
50 when overtakeu proved to be Crows, WI
], had been with General Custer Tht
brought the first intelligence of battl
Their story was not credited. 1t ";
supposed that some fighting had tak1
place but it was not believed that the di
D aster could haye overtakeu so large for
I as - companies Of cavalry The intant1
i which had broken camp very early sot
J came up ard the whole column entert
and moved up the valley OF the Little b
Horn, Daring the afternoon efforts we
: at made 10 send the scouts through to VIII
. or was supposed to be Gen. Clusters positiC
and to obtain information Of the c0ndltIt
OF affairs, but those who were sent o
) were driven back by parties Of Indian
:, who. in increasing numbers, were se
: lowering in Gen, Gibbons tro
: At twenty minutes before 0 clock in Il
: evening the infantry had marched betwe
: 29 and 80 miles. The men were very We
Z ry. and daylight fading the column "
' therefore halted for the night at poi
! { about ] miles, in straight line, abo
: the stream. This morning the moveme
was resumed, and after march OF 9 mil
. Major Reno was entrencbed.
Two thousand words more of this
port to come. We are obliged to go
press.
- The Chicago Republican Leader Dis
erusted