River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-07-20
girer falls gpnrnal.
Published Every Thursday.
A. MORSE & son, PROPRIETORS.
THE STORY TOLD.
A Connected Account Of Clusters Disaster and
Death.

]
Death.
! From the S. Paul Dispatch.
GEN. TERRY's ORDERS.
From the information at hand it Ap
pears that on the 22d ult. 1t. Col. Gus.
ter started at nOsn from the mouth Of
the Rosebud river. a tributary Of the
/ Yellowstone, undrr orders from Gen.
Terry, which required him to proceed up
the Rosebud in pursuit OF the Indians
whose trail had been discovered a few
days previous by Major Reno. Gen.
Terry declined to give precise instruc-
| tions for the movement, not wishing to
hamper Clusters action when near the
enemy and placing full confidence in his
zeal, energy and ability. The General
commanding Terry expressed, however
his views OF what Clusters action should
be and desired him to conform to them
unless he should see sufficient reason for
departing from them. these were, that
Custer should proceed up the Rosebud
until he ascertained definitely the dlrec.
ton Of the trail above spoken Of Should
it be found, as appeared almost
certain, to lead towards the Little
Big Horn, the General thought
Custer should still proceed
southwark as far, perhaps, as the head.
quarters Of the Tongue river, which are
directly southwark, twenty-five miles,
from the head Of the Rosebud and about
the same distance southeast from the To-
cality on the Little Big Horn where Gus.
ter found and attacked the Indians. This
route would have taken Custer lin q di.
rect ine) about one hundred miles south
ward from the mouth Of the Rosebud.
From the headwaters Of the Tongue river
the General advised that Custer should
tIrn, westerly or northwesterly, towards
the Little Big Horn, feeling constantly
to his left 60 as to prevent the
escape Of the indians TO the south or
southeast by passing around to Clusters
| left. Custer was informed by the Gen
eral that the column of Col. Gibbon was
then in motion and would move up the
Big Horn TO the parks at the mouth of
the Little Big Horn, whence its move.
ncnts would be controlled BY circum.
| ,tlnces. The hope was expressed that
The Indians upon the Little Big Horn
m'ght be so nearly enclosed by the two
Columns that their escape would be inn
possible Custer was desired, on his way
up the Rosebud to thoroughly examine
the upper part Of iTullock's Unlock 81
creek, Ia stream rising on the
divide between the Big Horn and Rose
bud and emptying near the mouth of the
Big Ilorn,) and TO send a scout to Gibbon
informing him Of the result Of this ex.
animation. Custer was further desired
to report to Gen. Terry on the the sup.
ply steamer at the mouth Of the Little
Big Horn not later than the expiration
OF the time for which his command was
rationed, or July lst.
CusrLRs FORCE.
The command consisted Of the Seventh
Cavalry, about seven hundred and twenty
strong and detachment OF scouts and
"a de-, increasing the whole number Of
fighting men to near eight hundred.
CUsrER's MOVEMENTS.
About twenty miles up the Rosebud
at about nine O'Clock on the morning oI
the 23d. Custer struck large LODI pole
trail, about ten lays old. the same which
Reno had before discovered in the Tongue
river valley. This lodge pole trail indi
Gated the recent movement Of an Indian
village II led up the Rosebud and Gus.
ter : command camped on il at night, A.
miles up the Rosebud or about cast from
he sources Of rinlock's creek, which il
appears he did not stop to examine.
ABANDONED INDiAN CAMP.
The morning Of the 9th, after pro
cccding six miles farther, the scouts re-
ported the tral growing frcshcr, som,
ten miles ahead, and there was a consul.
tation By Custer with his oil rs. Al
four in the afternoon. having rode that
day IS miles and being now about ninety,
two mile, from the mouth Of the Rose
bud, and az the forks Of that river about
thirty miles north from the sources Of "a,
Tongue river and about thirty miles east,
ward from the Little Big Horn, the
command was rested on the site OF az
indian village which hsd evidently beer
moved hway but few days before
Niuur MARCH.
At eleven clock On the night Of thC
Gath. the command was again mounted
and moved, the scouts leading. up a creek
cmptyiug into the Rosebud. About day
light there was halt for res. and coffee
Soon after the scouts brouch, word that
they had seen an Indian village from IA,
top Of the divide. The command wa
then moved up near TO the head Of IA,
creek, about three miles from the top o
the divide, and halted in a rayine. The
distance Of this night march from IA,
abandoned Indian camp on the Rossbut
is estimated az ~ miles.
DISCOVERED nv ruE Sioux
Custer and few soldiers and guides
rode forward 70 the top Of the divide t,
look at the lndian camp. lie could not
see il but the Indian scouts insisted that
they could see il, some ten 10 ffccr
miles of. Custer returned 10 the "a
Niue IN abhut an hour Meautit,,n hr ,,a.