Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-15

village at its head, while Custer with
five companies. went to the right and
a vigorous attack. Reno
felt of them with three companies of
cavalry, and was almost instantly
surrounded, aud after an hour or
more of desperate fighting, during
which he lost Lieutenants Hogson
and Mcintosh, DIR. DeWolf and
twelve men, with several Indian
scouts killed and many wounded,
he cut his way through the Indians,
crossed the river and gained bluff
800 feet in height, where he entrenoh-
ed and was soon joined by Colonel
Benton with four companies. Iu the
meantime, the Indians resumed the |
attack, which had abated in yigor for
an hour or SO, making repeated |
desperate charges, which were re-
pulsed with great slaughter to the |
Indians. They gained higher bluffs, |
however, than the one occupied by !
Reno, and as their arms were longer |
range and better than the cavalry,
they kept up a CALLING fire until
nightfall. During the night Reno
strengthened his position and was
prepared for the attack which was
received at daylight.
The day wore on. Reno had lost in
killed and wounded large portion
of his command, forty odd having
been killed before the bluff was
reached, many Of them in hand to
hand conflict with the Indians, who
outnumbered them ten to one, and hi
men had been without water thirty
six hours. The appeals of the wound
ed for water was indeed heartrending,
while the others were almost ex-
hausted, in many instances their
tongues protruding from their
mouths, aud few could speak aloud.
They tried to eat crackers but could
not moisten them, while the grass
blades, which some ate to give relief,
clung 20 their parched lips. In this
state of affairs they determined to
gain water at all hazards, and Col.
Benton made q rally with his COM
pany and routed the main portion of
the Indians who were guarding the
approach to the river to which the
soldiers volunteered to go with
camp-kettles and canteens for water.
The Indian sharp-shooters were near
ly opposite the mouth of the ravins
through which the braye boys ap-
preached the river. but the attempt
was made and though one man was
sa snd ssHsp sS aggsSHAahssd ths
When the fighting ceased for the
night, Reno caused his animals to be
likewise relieved, and further pre-
would be resumed on the next morn
heart, but all wondered what had be-
| ~ hoA
hours of fighting, and no word from
their respected commander.
Twenty-four hours more of fight
ing and suspense ensued, when the
Indians abandoned their village in
great confusion. Then Reno knew
that succor was near. Gen. Terry,
with Gibbons command, and his
own infantry had arrived, and as the
comrades in arms met, strong men
wept OH the neck OF each other. At
: ter congratulations to the gallant
: commander for his successful defense,
, inquiries were made for Custer, but
none could tell where he was. Soon
an officer came rushing into camp
7 and related that he had found Custer
dead, stripped naked, but not mutt.
lated, and near him his two brothers
r Col. Tom and Boston Custer; his
, brother-in-law, COL. Calhoun, aud
I. nephew, Col. Yates Col. Keogh
Capt. Smith, Lieut.. Crittenden, SOL
of General Crittenden; Lieut.. Stur
gis, sou of General Sturgis; Cclone
Cooke, Lieut.. Porter, Lieut.. Harring'
, ton, DR.. Lord, Mark Kellogg, The
Bismarck, Tribune reporter, the only
y correspondent with the expedition
nd
a into the battle with companies &, L
l, F and Z, of the 7th cavalry, th'
!, staff and the non-cOmmissioneds stat
! of his regiment, and a number o
+ scouts, aud only one Crow scout re
!. Custer was surrounded on ever!
q hand by the Indians, and his men ant
n horses fell as they fought on the skir
= mish line or In the line Of battle
Il Custer was among the last to fall, bu
t when his cheering voice was no Ion
y ger to be heard the Indians mad
d easy work of the remainder. Th
h bodies of all, save the Tribune cor
!. most Of them horribly mutilaJed
:, Clusters was not mutilaied. He wa
!, shot through the body and through
70 the head. Kellogg lay in the field q
% he fell, undnturbed. Perhaps eve
n the Indians, who had learned to tea
ia and respect Custer, had also realize,
Il the power of the lead-pencil, and ha
~ come to respect those who WELD il
y, The troops cared for the wounded
buried the dead, and returned t
their base for supplies and ins:ruC
tions from the general of the army
a Col. Smith, of Gen. Terry's staff, al
< rived last night with dispatches an
J. with the wounded, 80 in number
le aside from three who died OH tn
'd way, on the Far West, which left tn
D. mouth of the Big Horn at IL o'cloc
D. in the morning, an Monday, arrivin
20 here, travelling nine hundred mile
u by steamer In less than thirty-si
!, hours. The Indians lost heavily i
u the battle. When Terry reache
Y their village the camp was strew
Il with robes gaudily painted, wit
e tinely-dressed hides and interestin
III or valuable Indian trinkets. In tn
Us : burial tent they left nine of thei
u chiefs, whose spirits had flown to TIL
y happy hunting-groHnds, arrayed mos
~ gOrgsously. In the ravines the dea
~ = We're abandoned by the Indians, ev
u IDENTIFY in their solicitude. for tn
I' wounded. Here was found the Gro,
~ scout who survived the battle by hit
IN ing in q ravlne. He believes the
W loss to have been greater than the lo
of the whites, for in the battle the
were SO much more numerous all
's- were the assaulting party after Il
IL first dash. Col. Reno and his officer
q agree with this estimate. The vi
in lage numbered 1900 lodges, al
e. many willow tepees had been adds
within few days. 1t is believed
as those who fought that the warrio
,oL must have numbered 1000. Gener
of Terry feels deeply the loss, aud fee
1s, 1T the more keenly as Gen. Custer W
IT. directed to find and feel of the
he dians but not to fight them unle
he Gen. Terry arrived with the infant
aud With Gibbons column. He b