The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-07-14

him. The men sheltered their wounded,
dug rife pits, and prepared for the bat
tie.
THE INDIANS CHARGED ON FOOT
and made a tremendous effort to rout
the soldiers The fight was desperate,
and hand TO hand The Indians finally
retired. The fighting continued at in
tervals, and at night the troops were
surrounded. Atdaylipht on
the 26th the battle was renewed, the In
dians numbering from 1000 to 1000,
and Reno's cammand barely 400. His
men were
WITHOUT WATER THIRTY-SIX HOURS,
and were desperate The horses and the
wounded were perishing of thirst, and
the water only two hundred yards off;
but the ground was full of Indian
sharpshooters on both sides of the river.
Reno determined to get water at all
hazards. One company took camp-ket-
ties and canieens, while another charged
down the hillside and engaged the Indi-
ans, while the water was being taken by
the first company.
FIVE MEN FELL
in this charge. The Indians Withdrew
later, and at night were nearly all gone.
On the next day Gibbons command ar
rived and relieved Reno.
The statement of Geo. Herondon, one
of Clusters scouts. who was with Reno,
but was cut off from the command dur
ing the fight, is published. He says he
believes Custer
THOUGHT THE VILLAGE WAS ABANDON
or about to be. After the fret skirmish
between Reno's command and the Indi-
ans, Herendon heard heavy firing down
the river. which he learned proceeded
from Clusters men. He gives graph"
description of the fight between the In
dians and Reno. A part of the desper-
ate fighting at the ford, however, he did
not see. He thinks some of the troops
have been
CAPTURED ALIVE AND TORTURED.
Hordes of sqnaws and old gray haired
Indians were roaming over the battle
field after the fight. killing and robbinQ
the wounded. Six squaws were killed
by the Rees Indians allies. He esti.
mates the Indian force at 5000. They
fought Reno frat. then finished Custer
and then came back to finish Reno, but
were frightened off by Gibbons approach
Sitting Bull commanded in person.
DOESN'T THINK ONE OF CUSTERs MEN
ESCAPED.
The chiefs carried flags. He doesn'
believe one of Custer's men escaped
they were surrounded by at least 2,50(
Indians. The list Of casualties is as fol
lowa: Commissioned officers, IA; acting
assistant surgeon, 1; enlisted, 237; civil
ians, 8; Indian scouts, 80; mounted, AZ
besides many missing.
THE NATURE OF THE COUNTRY WHERI
THE MASSACRE OCCURRED.
The country where General Custer
disaster occurred is very favorable for {
successful ambnscade. 1t consists C
foothills, or, as they are called in tn,
West, "hog-backs." These are formed
by the upheaval of the strata ofth rocks
so that the planes of their surfaces form
an angle of from 1902 TO 1400 with tn,
natural surface of the earth. These fol
low each other in parallel lines, risinJ
from rs to 200 feet, and are 80 or 10l
yards part. The ravine. between then
have ofcourse very steep sides, mp whicl
il is impossible to 20 with horse; and
body of soldiers or wagon train tha
once enters one of them has no way O
escape except by following it to tn
mountains or the plains, or turning bacl
and retracing its steps.
THE INDIAN METHOD OF TRAPPING
| SOLDIERS
On more than one former occasion tn
Indians have decoyed troops into one o
these ravines, and surprised them by al
smSuscade. In 1868 or 1869 Genera
Darlington, who was in command of oil,
Fort Phil. Kearney, ordered out hi
troops in pursuit of Indians, who wer
making hostile demonstrations. The sol
diers followed them into a ravine be
tween two hog backs" where they wer
attacked by other Indians conceale.
among the rocks on the sides and tops q
the hills, and were all massacred. Grea
surprise has been expressed in Washing
ton by those who know General Custe