The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-19
CUSTER'S LAST BATTLE FIELD.

CLUSTERS LAST BATTLE FIELD.
firing was kept up, however, all day, and
one notable event was the procuring of
water from the river at the foot of the
bluff, by volunteer detachment of SOL
diers, one OF whom was killed and several
wounded in this service. At the time,
the suffering for want Of water, especially
among the wounded, had become terrible.
THE INDIANS WITHDRAW.
During the afternoon the Indians began
to withdraw, and near dark the firing
ceased altogether. In the morning not
an Indian was to be seen, and about ten
o'clock runners sent out by Reno brought
intelligence of the approach of Gen. Terry
with Gibbons cavalry, the infantry and
the Calling guns.
CusrER's FATE.
scout whose knowledge is extremely
limited, is left alive to tell the story of
Clusters movements and the loss of all
his command. From such traces as arc
lett he appears to have moved with com.
panies G, E. F, I and L on the right side
of the bluffs. on the right bank, of the
river something over two miles and there
to have met the Indians in force near the
river, where he perhaps attempted to
cross. Here, either then, or later in the
action, Captain Smiths company fell.
Among the bluffs there were numerous
evidences Of desperate defense against
overwhelming numbers and indications of
repeated defeats of attempts to reach the
river or to break through the encircling
savages. A mile below the re.
mains of Smiths company were found
the bodies of a number Of men and
horses, indicating an attempt
to cross the river at that
point. Three.quarters of mile back
were found the remains of Custer and the
last Of his gallant comrades. On the
lines of advance and retreat indicated on
the map were found the dead singly as if
they had fallen during fight or attack,
and also lines of soldiers and horses where
unavailing stands had been made. Ono
company after another swas annihilated.
The Indians were ten to one and the fight
was at last at close quarters, when there
was nothing left for the survivors but to
sell their lives as dearly as possible.
All accounts are agreed that Clusters
fight lasted about an hour, during which
the firing was very heavy. It began
about the time that Reno was reforming
his routed troops and providing for his
wounded after his retreat to the bluffs
where Benteen joined him, and while it
lasted the main body of the Indians went
down the river and engaged in it, return
ing afterwards to renew the attack upon
Reno.
What reason Custer had for dividing
his force and why he attacked at all may
be explained by Reno and Benteen, but
does not appear in any Of the reports yet
published. We can only presume that,
having followed fresh trail, indi-
eating movement Of the Indians
in retreat and, not being will informed by
his scouts of the actual position, he inn.
agined that the Indians in the Little Big
Horn valley were breaking up their vii
lage and were likely to get away from
him in the very direction he had been
cautioned by Gen. Terry against permit
ting their fight. This thought that the
Indians were retreating explains his
closely following their trail and his rapid
march; and the fact that the Indian force
he had followed was estimated by Reno,
Gen. Terry and himself at not over fifteen
hundred, all told, accounts for the con-
tidence with which he sent Reno forward
to the attack with less than two hundred
men while he proceeded to make flank
attack with less than three hundred men.
Instead of fifteen hundred men, women
and children, he had to meet alone not
less than two thousand and probably all
of three thousand Sioux warriors. He
was overwhelmed by numbers far beyond
the anticipations of himself and Gen.
Terry. Reno and Benteen estimated the
Indian force which they engaged at
$500. The number Of lodges which were
in the village is estimated by Gen. Ter.
| rvs engineer at 1900. This would indi-
cate total population of 5000, while it
is known there were comparatively few
women and children, so that the whole
fighting force OF the Sioux could not
have been less than 5000 and may have
been thousand more.
Miles F. Bancroft is the Centennial
poet of this county, and his tribute to our ma
TONS hundredth birthday is production Of
much greater merit than the majority of met
cal efforts on the grand topic.