The New York herald., 1876-07-08
Details OF the Indian Massacre.

We print this morning brilliant descrip-
tive letters conveying circumstantial ac-
count of the horrible slaughter on the Little
Big Horn River, so far as the facts were as
certainable by survey of the ground, scat
tered over with mute corpses, on the third
day after the battle. The body of Mr. Kel-
logg the special correspondent OF the
HERALD, lay among them, an additional
proof OF the fidelity with which we are
served by our agents when we send them to
scenes of danger, and of the heroism which
is so abundant in the profession of journal
ism. His cold brain and fingers, stiff in
death, had no palpitating account to furnish
of the CHASTITY scenes he Witnessed before he
fell, and none of the poor dumb corpses
that lay strewed around him could tell the
story of that horrible day. This is the first
time in the last fifteen years, SO
fruitful in exciting battles in both
hemispheres, when we have been un-
able to furnish prompt and vivid de-
scripton of the details of al engagement
furnished by the ready pens Of eye-wltnesses
who watched the varying features Of its
progress All we know of this narrowing
massacre is learned by an inspection of the
dead General Custer and his brave five
companies advanced to the attack, wero
yelled in the smoke of murderous muskets,
and none escaped to tell the tale.
This appalling tragedy is rendered, if pos
sible, more tragic by the gradual lifting of
the curtain on that scene of horrors. When
General Terry and General Gibbon, in their
approach to the place of the massacre, dis
covered Crow scouts swimming the river and
gave a signal to attract them, they had no sus-
picion of the fearful news which those dusky
savages had to communicate. When they
had told their story it was received with in
credulity. General Terry doubted if there
had been battle but, if there had been
one, he utterly disbelieved that its conse-
! quences could have been so fatal We
desire our readers to note this incredulity,
as we shall find occasion to recur to it.
Terry and Gibbon continued to advance,
and soon discovered evidence that the scouts
had not misinformed them respecting the
fact Of battle. They marched over ground
dotted with corpses, but even then they had
no adequate conception Of the horrible
reality, although their minds were filled
with dark forebodings In this state of
anxious suspense messenger, who had run
himself out of breath, came to them from
Reno's intrenched position, where he had
preserved the remnant of his part of the
command. But even then they had but q
dim perception of what had happened, for
Reno himself was in utter ignorance Of the
fate of Custer and his five companies. He
had parted from them, knowing that they
were to make an attack but he had had no
tidings from them since. BY the time he
had joined and consulted Reno General
Terry must have prepared his mind for
the worst; but even with this gradual un-
folding of the tragedy the visit to the
scene Of the massacre must have filled him
with horror and anguish. The mutilated
and disfgured corpses which lay around
him, with the still sky bending over deep
solitude where, three days before, the crack
and flashing of rifles and the internal yells
of infuriate, eXulting savages had rendered
the wilderness vocal with horrors, must have
made an impression never to be forgotten.
The mysterious silence which reigned over
those mutilated dead must have been more
eloquent than any words because ..mid such
surroundings conjecture, aided l ini. -
tion must have drawn more dreadful pic
tnre of the battle than the tongues Of the
dead could have given had they been able to
speak All that we are ever likely to know
of the immediate circumstances of the battle
is mere inference from the position and ap-
pearance of the corpses. dark pail of
mystery hangs over the scene and will hang
| forever.
We will now recur to the incredulity,
already noted, of General Terry when he
first heard the news, and to the similar
incredulity of General Sheridan, who was
interviewed by one of our correspondents
in Philadelphia on the same day the news
was received. General Sheridan, who is
keen Judge Of such matters quite dis
credited the account, and felt sure that if
there had been mishap it must have been
magnified and exaggerated beyond all
bounds Of truth. We wish to fix particular
attention on this strenuous disbelief of
Generals Terry and Sheridan, because it has
an important bearing on the question of
blame and responsibility. A strong dis
position is manifested on the part of General
Grants military subordinates and favorites
to make poor Custer scapegoat and to
| charge this disaster to the "rashness" of
that dashing soldier. We will not stop to
inquire whether this stigma on the heroic
dead is generous we confne ourselves to the
question whether it is just 1t is fortunate
for his memory that the strong expressions
Of incredulity which we have noticed have
been made so public. They are a complete
protection to the reputation of the vigorous