The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-09-08
BY Telegraph
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPoRi
TO THE DAILY LNTELLIGEN0ER
The Story OF the Custer Battle by
Mnc Who claims TO have Seen
St..SIifing Bull NJ a Strategist
My Captive Soldiers Tortured
IN npnfhF

MINNEAPOLIS, September 7.-The P.
onler Pres and Tribune will tomorrow
uublish the interview with an old trap.
per named Rigley, who has been long
lime in the Yellowstone country, and
claims to have Witnessed the Custer mas
sacre, being prisoner in Sitting Bulls
camp aud seeing every move oil the
troops. He was taken prisoner last
March and kept in the camp OF helm
dians ever since. Until the Custer mas.
sacre he was treated kindly. He says
Sitting Bull organized not to fight the
whites, but to drive the miners from the
hills. Previous to Custcr's attack,
mounted couriers from Sitting Bulls
camp had for eighteen days watched his
forces. It's division into small detachments
being noted with manifestations of ex-
treme delight. The ambuscades were i'm.
mediately prepared, and while the In.
dians stood ready for the attack, many oi
them clambered on tho side Of the hill
overlooking Clusters line OF march. The
Indian camp was divided by bluff, the
point Of which bore toward the Rosebud
In the direction OF one Of the available
fords on the river TO the camp. by this
ford Custer followed their trail down to
the waters edge. There were but 25
teepes visible to Custer, but there were
75 double teepes behind the bluff
not visible. Custer attacked the smaller
village, and was Immediately met BY
| 500 or 1000 Indians in regular order Of
battle. Every movement was made with
military precision. Rigley says he stood
on the side OF hill where lie had COM
plete view Of the battle, which was not
over mile and half distant.
Custer began the fight in a rayine near
the ford, and fully half his command
seemed 10 be unhorsed at the first fire.
Then the soldiers retreated towards him
in the rear and were shot down with as
tonishing rapidity. The commanding
officer fell from his horse in the middle OF
the engagement, which commenced about
II A. N. and didn't last more than 45 min.
utes.
After the massacre Of Clusters force
the Indians returned TO camp with six
soldiers as prisoners, and delirious with
ioy over their success these six men were
tied to stakes at n wood pile in the vii
iage and burned to death. While the
flames were torturing them to death, the
Indian boys fired hot arrows into their
quivering flesh till they died. Sitting Bull
was met after the fight, and he exultingly
remarked he had killed many soldiers
and one damned General, but didn't know
who he was. Squaws then armed them.
selves with. knives, visited the battlefield
and mntilated the bodies OF soldiers.
While these soldiers were being burned
tho Indians turned their attention 10 a
force, evidently Rcno's, attacking the
lower end Of the village. Rigley
says Clusters command had been
slaughtered before shot was fired by
Renos' forces, who attacked the lower
end OF the camp about2 2 o'clock. The
Indians returned in the evening, and
said the men had "fought like the deyil," j"
but Rigley says they did not make a
statement OF their loss. They said the
soldiers had been driven back twice, and
then they piled up stones and the attack
was unsuccessful. The prisoners were
kept burning over an hour, but Rigley
was not permitted to speak to them so as
10 enable him to state who they were, one
was noticeable from his small size and
gray hair and whiskers. Reno killed
more Indians than Custer, who fell in
the midst OF the fight, and two Captains
who were believed TO be Gates and Keogh
were tile last to die. The night
after the massacre the Indians were
wild with joy, many ot them getting drunk
on the whisky stolen from the whites, and
the squaws performed the duty OF guards
over the prisoners. When they became
drowsy Rigley .and two companions
escaped, securing ponies and began
the long journey homeward. The
party laid in the woods four days TO avoid
the Indians. On the way horse STUN.
bled, breaking Rigleyis arm. But the
party finally reached Fort Abercrombie,
and thence Rigley came here. He de-
scribes Sitting Bull as half breed, large
size, very intelligent, and with peculiar
gait.