New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-11
Custer's Last Battle.

Custer's Last Battle.
The following is the official report of Cen
eral Terry Of Clusters engagement with the
Indians, received at tao headquarters OF
General Sheridan, July 8:
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF DAKOTA, /
Camp on Little Big Horn River June u, 1870. }
To the Adult ant General of the Military Division
OF the Missouri, al Chicago:
1t is my painful duty to report that day
before yesterday. the twenty-tifth instant,
a great disaster overlook General Custer
and his command. At twelve o'clock on
the twenty. second, he started with his
whole regiment, and a strong detachment
of scouts and gusrds from the mouth Of the
Rosebud. Proceeding up that river about
twenty miles ne struck q very heavy Indian
trail, which had previously been discovered.
and pursuing it, found that it led, as it was
supposed that it would lead, to the Little
Big Horn river. Here he found a village of
almost unexampled extent, and at once
attacked it with that portion of mis- force
which was immediately at hand. Major
Reno, with the companies A, G and NJ of
the regiment, was sent into the valley OF
the stream at the point where the trail
struck it. General Custer. with five COM
panies, c, E. F, and L, attempted to enter
It. About three miles lower down Reno
forded the river, charged down its left
bank, dismounted and fought on foot, until
finally, completely overwhelmed by NUN
beers, ne was compelled to mount, recross
the river, and seek Q refuge on the aign
bluffs which overlooked its right bank.
just as he recrossed Captain Ben,een. who.
with three companies, D. II and n. was
some two miles to the left of Reno, whsn
the action commenced, but who had been
ordered by General Custer to return. came
to the river and rightly concluding that 1t
was useless for his force 70 attempt to re-
new the fight in the valley. he joined Reno
on the bluffs. Captain McDougal, with his
Company B, was at first some distance IN
the rear with train of pack mules. He
also came up to Reno. Soon this united
force was surrounded by the Indians.
Many of them armed with rifles, occupied
positions which commanded the groand
held by the cavalry, from which there was
no escape. Rifle pits were dug and the
fight was maintained, though with neavy
loss, from halt-past two o'clock OF the
twenty fifth, till six o'clock of the twenty
sixth. when the Indians withdrew from the
valley, taking with them their village. OF
the movements of General Custer and the
five companies under his immediate CON-
mand. scarcely anything is known from
those who witnessed them, for no soldier
or officer who accompanied him has yet
been found alive. His trail from the point
where Reno crossed the stream. passes
along and in the rear of the crest OF the
bluffs on the right bank for nearly or quite
three miles; then it comes down to the bank
of the river, but at once DIVORCES from 1t as
if he had unsuccessfully attempted to cross;
then turns upon itself, almost completes
circle, and closes. 1t is marked By the re-
mains of his officers and men. The bodies
of his horses, some of them dropped along
the path, others heaped where halts appear
to have been made. There is aDun dant
evidence that a gallant resistance was OF
fered by the troops, but they were oeset on
all sides by overpowering numbers. lac
officers known to be Killed are Generai
Custer, Captains keOgh, Yates and Custer
Lieutenants Cook, Smith, Mcintosh Cal
houn, Porter, Hodgson, Sturg:s and Reilly,
OF the cavalry, Lieutenant Crittenden, OF
the Twentieth Infantry; and Acting Assist
ant Surgeon De Wolf. Lieutenant Har'
rington, of the cavalry, and Assistant Sur
geon Lord are missing.
Captain Berteen and Lieutenant Var
num, Of the cavalry, are slightly wounded
Mr. Boston Custer, a brother, and Mr.
Reed, nephew OF General Custer, were
with him. and were killed. No other Off
GERS than hose whom have named are
It is impossible as yet to obtain reliable
list of the enlisted men who were killed
and wounded, but the number of killed, in
GLIDING officers, must reach $50. The mum
Der of wounded is fifty-one. At the mouth
of the Rosebud informed General Custer
that l should take the supply steamer Far
West up the Yellowstone to ferry General
Gibbons column over the river; that
should personally accompany that column,
oil nhoh "
the mouth of the Little Big Horn on the
twenty.sixth instant.
The steamer reached General Gibbons
troops, near the mouth of the Big Horn
early on the morning Of the twenty fourth,
and at four o'clock in the afternoon all his
men and animals were across the Yellow
stone. At five o'clock the column, consist
ing of five companies OF the Seventh In
fantry, four companies of the Second
Cavalry and battery Of the Calling guns
marched out to and across Tulloch's creek.
Starting soon after five o'clock on the morn
ing of the twenty fifth, the infantry made
march of twenty-five, miles over the most
difficult country which have ever seen. In
order that scouts might be sent into the
valley of the Little Big Horn, the cavalry
with the battery was pushed on thirteen or
fourteen miles further, reaching the
camp at midnight. The scouts were sent
out at half-past four on the morning OF the
twenty sixth; they discovered the In
dams, who were at first supposed to
be the Sioux, but when oversaken they
proved to be Crows, who had been with
General Custer. They brought the first
intelligence of the battle, but their story
was not credited; it was supposed that
some fighting. perhaps severe fighting, had
taken place, but it was not believed that
such q disaster could have overtaken 90
large q force as twelve companies or cav
airy. The infantry, which had broken
camp very early, soon came up, and the
whole column entered and moved up the
valley of the Little Big Horn. During the
AFTERNOON efforts were made to send
scouts through to what was supposed to be
General Clusters position, and to obtain in
chose who we've sent ont were driven back
by parties Of Indians, who, in increasing
numbers, were seen hoverirg in Genera