The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-08-02
CUSTER'S BATTLE.
A Plan of tho ConaIct--The Baltic Of Doath-.
Reno's Narrow Escape.

APlan of tho ConHIct.-The Baltic Of Doath-.
Reno's Narrow Escape.
Correspondence from the scene of the
fierce conflict on the Little Horn gives
a vivid picture Of the bloody and, from
the first, helpless conflict. In this re-
cital we sec aheroic commander followed
to the death By two hundred and forty
soldiers of his regiment not less heroic
than himself, and all these lives, quail
fed to make splendid the annals of our
race, wasted in a mad battle with from
four to five thousand savages not with.
out the virtue of courage, and made dar.
ing in this case, apparently, by the con,
seriousness of their overwhelming
strength.
In this battle the Little Horn river is
a capital feature. On the left bank Of
that stream, at about fifteen miles from
it's confluence with the Big Horn, was
the village of Sitting Bull. On that
side the edge of the river is timbered,
and between the river and the hills, fol
a distance of several miles, is a level and
beautiful valley-a bottom land. On
this valley was the village, peopled by
upward of four thousand warriors. On
the right, or opposite side, the river
and the plain are depominated by q
range Of high hills or bluffs. In his
approach Custer looked down upon the
village from these bluffs, and there di,
vided for an assault on the position q
force that, if combined, would have
been unequal to the struggle.
He placed three companies on the
heights in reserve, SEPT @ olonel Reno to
the left to ford the stream above the
village and attack from that side, while
he moved along the heights on the
right bank to cross the river further
down and attack at the other extremity.
Colonel Reno passed the stream as
ordered, formed his line across the bot.
tom land and advanced on the enemy.
But his advance was fercely resisted by
the Indians in the hills on his left, and
before he had reached the village he
saw the imminent probability that he
would be cut off from the reserve. He
charged to keep open his communica'
ton with that force.
Apparently this movement was not in
tended as a retreat, but q retreat it be.
came ; and in q few minutes Colonel
Reno, instead of assailing the Indian
village, was fighting a battle for life
with forces that obstructed his retreat.
His men fought their way to the ford,
and there; crowded in the stream, were
botchered by Indian marksmen. Once
moro across the stream they were
knocked over by the Indian rifles as
they clambered the heights. Yet the
larg er number escaped. But what was
their position then9 They had failed in
their movement, had not Co operated
with Custer, and had left him to bea,
alone the brunt of the whole battle.
Reno's retrest.permitted Sitting Bull
to concentrate every man against Gus
ter, and his fate was o natural conse'
quence. He was an%nihilated, and then
again the Sioux turned their attention
to Reno, who meantime had fortified
himself on the heights. They would
have annihilatsd his force also, but
their operations were cut short by the
advance of Gibbon, which CORE
spondents record in detail.-NeW York
Herald.