The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-08-30
The Little Big Horn Battle.

The Little Big Horn Battle.
A correspondent who was with COL
onel Reno in his desperate resistance to
tho hostile Indians after their massacre
of the gallant Custer, thus vividly tells
us of the dangers and hardships of the
brave band surrounded by savages. and
who were 80 mercifully delivered from
q terrible fate by the commands OF Terry
and Gibbons: Three o'clock came, and
still the battle ragged; many had fallen,
and every hour added fearfully to
the list of killed and wounded. At the
present rate OF mortality how long would
we last I made mental calculation
and said about ten hours; but when we
became weak in numbers the savages
would rush down in a body and finish
US at one fell swoop. Oh, it was terri
BILE, terrible; but the end would soon
come. Already the Indians were mass
inc in ravine just in front and prepar-
ing in overwhelming numbers for
grand charge. Brave old Benteen saw
It and determined not to wait for the
onset; he sprung over his feeble breast
works, and calling on his company to
follow him, dashed into the ravine.
The Indians were taken completely by
surprise and broke, but too late, for
Benteen was upon them, and, before
they could get away, he had killed ten
and wounded as many more. The saw
ages were evidently astoIished, and no
longer felt safe in the ravines. SO tar
we had fought only on the defensive,
and the Indians seemed to regard us as
their certain victims. But Benteen's
gallant conduct filed us all with new
courage and evidently alarmed the
enemy. The day was hot and We had
no water; many had not tasted a drop
of water since the night before, and
some not for thirty-six hours. The
mems tongues were dry and swollen;
few could speak plainly, and the wounded
begged piteously for drink of water.
The narrow river ran at the foot of the
bluffs scarcely two hundred yards dis
tant, but the timber on the opposite side
was lined with Indian sharpshooters
guarding every drop of the precious
fluid. Who could go down the side of
that steep hill and come up alivea Not
one.
A ravine was found leading down al.
most to the river, and again Benteen
formed for charge. He said he would
make feint against the hills, pour q
few volleys into the woods below, and,
while the Indians were confused, the
men must run down the ravine, fill the
camp kettles and get back under cover.
The strategem succeeded admirably E;
the Indians no longer trusted to
purely defensive policy on the part of
the troops; and when the men sprung
up, shouted and poured In voueys,
there was excitement and confusion in
the savage ranks everywhere, and even
the men beyond the river thought the
soldiers were coming down upon them.
Under cover of the smoke and volleys
the men with The camp kettles had
reached the river and filed them, when
the Indians discovered what was going
on and rallied. They fred heavily, but
it was too late scores OF kettles, con-
tanning many gallons of water, were on
their way up the ravine, and an
abundant supply for present use had
been secured. Two men were killed
and six wounded in this attempt to get
water for their famishing comrades; ;
but the loss was considered light COM
pared with the service rendered. The
Indians had taken every precaution to
cut us off from water, and they no doubt
felt greatly discouraged when they
found we had beaten them. The water
revived both our spirits and courage,
and the men went at their work with q
will. The battle lasted all day, and at
night the Indians drew off to their vii
lage near by, leaving strong Gordon OF
pickets about our camp.
It was horrible night, and we lay on
our arms amid the dead and dying. The
Indians were holding grand scalp
dance below Ms, and I could not help
thinking, while these Internal fends
were holding their orgies on the plains,
perhaps burning the bodies of scores of
prisoners they had captured alive, the
people at home were quietly filling the
churches for evening worship.
I need not lengthen out the horrible
recital. Suffice It to say that with the
dawn of the morning the battle was
ushered in again and ragged until one
o'clock in the afternoon, when the In
dams drew off in great haste, and we
knewrelief was at hand. All evening
we watched, but no one came, and we
lay down to rest again in doubt. No In
dams were about, however, and early
the next morning General Gibbons
column was deserted coming up the
valley. Never was the grasp of broth
er's hand more welcome in foreign
land than the sight of those blue jackets.
General Terry was with General Glib
bons, and when he rode into our works
many a gallant fellow did not feel
ashamed to let his general see tears OF
heartfelt gratitude rolling down his
cheeks for deliverance from horrible
death.