The daily gazette., 1876-09-11
The Fate Of Custer's Men.

Tho Fate Of Custer's Men.
THE BATTLE DEsCRrBED BYAN EYE WIT.
NRss "A TERKi FIC CONFLlCT-How THE
TROOPS WE'RE ovERPowERRD -PRIs-
oNxRs BURNED AT THE sTAKR-THEIR
BODIES PIERCED WITH RED HOT Ar
Rows-THE WORK OF MUTILATfoN
BY THE sQUAws, &C.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINI. September 8.
The Pioneer Press and Tribune pub.
fishes an interview with an old trapper
named Ridgley, who hat been for a
long time in the Yellowstone country
and claims to have witnessed the
Custer massacre, being prisoner in
Sitting Bulls camp and seeing every
movement of the troops. He We TAXI
en- prisoner last march and kept =
the camp of the Indians ever since un.
til the Custer massacre. He was kind
ly treated while there. He says 81
ting Bull organized not to fight the
whites. but to drive the m ,ers from
the hills. Previous to Clusters attack
mounted couriers from Sitting Bulls
camp had for eight days watched his
forces, its divisions into small detach.
ments being noted with manifestations
of extreme delight. Ambuscades were
Immediately prepared, and while the
Indians stood ready for an attack many
OF them clambered on the side of the
hill overlooking Custer's line of march
The Indian camp was divided by a
bluff, q point of which ran toward the
Rosebud and in the direction of one
of the available fords of the river. To
the camp by this ford Custer followed
this trails down to the waters edge.
There were but twenty teepes visible
to Custer but there were seventy five
double teepes behind the bluff not
visible,
Custer attacked the smaller village
and was Immediately met by 1,500 or
1900 Indians, in regular order of bat
tie. Every movement was made with
military precision. Ridgely says he
stood on the side of the hill, where he
had a complete view of the battle,
which was not more than a mile and a
half distant: Custer began the fight
I'm the ravine, near the ford, and fully
half of his command seemed to be un.
horsed at the first fire. Then the sol.
. rear, and were shot down with aston.
, ishing rapidlty, the commanding Off
Ger falling from his horse in the mid
die of the engagement which COM
}. meneed at II A. M and did not last
more than fifty five minutes. After
y the massacre of Custer's' forces the
Indians returned to camp with six SOL
diers as prisoners, and delirious with
: Joy over their success, These six
% were tied to stakes at a woodpile il
Z the village and were burned to death
t. While the flames were torturing then
ie to death the Indian boys fired red ho
y arrows into their quivering flesh unit
J. they died.
n Sitting Bull was met after the fight
a. and he eXultingly remarked that h
,e had killed many soldiers and on
g damned general, but he did not know
IS who. Squaws then armed themselve
/. with knives, visited the battlefield
.. and robbed and mutilated the bodie
5. of the soldiers. While these soldiers
i were being burned the Indians turnet
+ their attention to force, evidently
i Rene's, attacking the lower end of the
: village,-Ridgely says that Custer
u command had been slaughtered before
d a shot was fred by Keno's force, which
% attacked the lower end of the CAM
+ about 9 o'clock P. M. Yhe Indian
" returned in the evening and said tb
e men had fought like the devil, bL
= Ridgely says they did not make
= statement of their losses. They sale
= the soldiers had been driven bacl
70 twice, and they piled up stones, ant
the attack was unsuccessful.
II The prisoners were kept burning TO
: an hour, but Riagely was not permit
d ted to speak with them, so we are un
y. able to state who they were. On
n was noticeable from his small siz
u and :gray hair and whiskers. Ren,
d killed more Indians than Custer. Tw
4 captains, believed to be Yates ant
h sgh. were the last to die. The nigh
after the massacre the Indians wer
: wild with delight, and many wer
drunk on whisky stolen from tn
s whites.
% They performed the duty of guard
}. for the prisoners, and becoming
d drowsy, Ridgely and two companion
escaped, securing ponies, and begal
t. their long journey homeward. Th'
party ate game and laid in the wood
q four days to avoid the Indians.
s, On the way his horse stumbled
?, breaking Ridgely's arm, but the part,
= finally reached Fort Abercrombie, ant
Is thence Ridgely came here. He de
1t scribes Sitting Bull as hslf>breed O
p large size and very intelligent, with
peculiar gait to his walk.