Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-07-08
TIE CUSTER MASSACRE.
Especial to the Boston Daily ADV ertisel

Washington, July g. The dreadful news of the
disaster to General Custer and the seventh cavalry
| causes extraordinary excitement here, and in So
cia as well As military circles Is the theme of the
| most earnest discussion. Up to this evening no
official dispatches have been received conirmin e
the newspaper reports, but the latter general
ly credited and far as they 90, accepted as
| accurate. The Washington cores pondent OF the
| Chicago Inter-Ocean, who accompanied Caster
| and tie seventh cavalry the Yellowstone ex-
petition and is well acq aainted with the person.
| mel of the reg imt mt and also with the Big Horn
country, sends the following despatch to his paper
| this evening -
Your correspondent is well acquainted with
| Muggins Tag Tor, who is authority for the news
paper statement and knows him to be a truthful
and careful man. He is quite iamou, character
| in the upper Missouri country, having followed
the occupation of hunting and trapping there for
| many years, and is the hero OF many desperate
adventures. His first name is a sobriquont which
attached itself to him from his tavorite game OF
| cards, and with his friend and conpAuion,
81 Lonesome Charlie" Reynolds, he has done eth
| Gle mt service for Custer and other military COM
| manders in the northwest a scout and guide.
| 1t is conlectuied at the War department that he
| is the bearer of dispatches from Gen. Terry,
which he would convey to Fort Ellis, the nearest
telegraph military station, and that he has told
his story in the settlements through which he has
passed. In that way it would have at least a day 5
precedence the military dispatches. OF
course nothing can be correctly stated concerning
the battle until the official reports have been
ceivcd. But the theory of the affair at the War
department is follows: 1t is known from the
| last reports received that General Terry had dl-
vlded his cavalry into two detachments. one under
| General Custer and the other under Major Reno,
who were TO advance III cooperation upon the
! Indians supposed TO be gathered somewhere in
their neghDorood. Custer with six companies
was to make detour in one direction to attack
| them on one flank, and Reno to make de-
tour as to attack them on the other while Terry
and Gibbon with the infantry were TO march dl-
! rectlv forward toward the Indian camp, and at
tack them in front 1t is supposed at the War
! department that This plan was put in operation,
but that Custer getting the first sight of the Ind
ians, attacked them with his usual impetuosity
and impaticnce, without waiting for Reno's coop
| Grafton. Custer always had theory, which your
correspondent has heard him express many times,
that with six companies of his pet regiment the
seventh cavalry-he could whip all the Indians on
the plains; and it was this confidence which prob
ably led him to destruction.
| Ii is the supposition by the old Indian fighters
here, that the Indians put up decoy village in a
ravinc, a common strategy of theirs-and that
Custer rushing down into the ravine to capture it
found himself cut off and hemmed in by the other
Indians, who rushed in from behind the surround
| ing hills. The country in that locality is not at
all adapted to cavalry fighting, being rocky and
cut up with ravines, and the roops all caval-
ry. 1t seems that Reno, with six companies, got
| to the ground in time to take part in the battle,
but too late to save Custer and his men. 1t is not
| known here which companies OF the regimen
were with Custer and which with Reno, but Custer
being the ranking officer eff the regiment would
make the details. and The writer being intimately
acquainted with all the men, and knowing which
| Clusters favoritcs among the companies were, can
give, without great hazard, an opinion concerning
those which he would select for his own command
| He would probably take Co. A, commanded by
Capt. Miles Moylan, his brotherin-law Co. b.
Capt. Thos. McDougal; Co. Z, Capt. Thos. Gus
| ~. 4 T. IL ~