The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-07-09
TERRY's ERRIBLE TALE.
His Official Report Of the Dreadful Dis
sster 10 Clusters Command.



Following is the Official report of
General Terry of Custer engage
ment with the Indians, as received
at the headquarters of General Sher-
idan yesterday:
Headquarters, Department Of Da-
kota, Camp on Little Big Horn
River, June 9th:
To the Adyatant General of the
Military Division of the Missouri,
at Chicago, H.:
1t is my painful duty to report
that day before yesterday, the 18th
inst, a great disaster overlook Gen.
eral Custer and the troops under his
command. At IL o'clock of the 22d
he started with his whole regiment
and a strong detachment of scouts
and guides, from the mouth of the
Rosebud. Proceeding up that river
about twenty miles, he struck a very
heavy Indian trail which had previ-
ously been discovered. Pursuing it
he found that it led, as it was sup
posed that it would lead, to the Lit
tie Big Horn river. There he found
a village of almost unexampled ex-
tent, and at once attacked it with
that portion of his force which was
Immediately at hand.
Major Reno, with three companies,
A, G and M, of the regiment, was
sent into the valley of the stream at
the point where the trail struck it.
General Custer, with five companies,
G, E, F, / and L, attempted to enter
it also at a pint three miles lower
down, Reno forded the river,
charged down its left bank, dismoun-
ted and fought on foot until finally,
completely overwhelmed by numbers,
he was compelled to mount, recross
the river, and seek a refuge on the
high bluffs which overlooked its right
bank. just as he recrossed, Capt
Benton, who, with three companies,
D, H and K, was some two miles to
the left of Reno when the action
commenced, but who had been order
ed by General Custer to return, came
to the river and rightly concluding
that it was useless for his force to at
tempt to renew the fight in the val
ley, he joined Reno on the bluffs.
Capt. McDougal, with his COM
pany B, was at first at some distance
in the rear with the train of pack
mules. He also came up to Reno.
This united the force, then nearly
surrounded by Indians, many of whom
had arrived with rifles and occupied
positions which commanded the
ground held by the battle-ground
from which there was no escape
Rifle pits were dug and the fight was
maintained, though with heavy loss,
from about half past two of the 25th
till six o'clock of the Goth, when the
Indians withdrew from the valley,
taking with them their village.
Of the movements of General
Custer and the five companies under
his immediate command, scarcely
anything is known from those who
witnessed them, for no soldier or Of
icer VINO accompanied him has yet
been found alive. His trail from the
point where Reno crossed the stream,
passes along and in the rear of the
crest of the bluffs on the right bank
for nearly or quite three miles, then
comes down to the bank of the river,
but at once DIVORCES from it, as he
had unsuccessfully attempted to cross,
then turns up on itself, almost COM
pletes a circle, and closes. 1t is
marked by the remains of his officers
and men and the bodies ofhis horses.
Some of them dropped along the
path and Others r heaped where
a halt appears to have been made.
There is abundant evidence that a
gallant resistance was offered by the
troops, but they were beset on all
sides by over towering numbers.
The officers known to be killed are
Gen. Custer, Capts. Keogh, Gates
and Custer, Lieuts. Cook, Smith, Nc
lntosh, Calhoun, Porter, Hodgson,
Sturgis and Rely, of the cavalry;
Lieut.. Crittenden, of the Goth infan-
try and Acting Assistant Surgeon
De Wolf. Lieut.. Harrington, of the
cavalry, and Assistant Surgeon Lord
are missing. Capt. Benton and
Lieut.. Varnum, of the cavalry, are
slightly wounded. Mr.. Boston Gus
ter, a brother, and Mr.. Read, a
nephew of Gen. Custer, were with
him and were killed. No other Of
ficers than those whom l have named
are among the killed, wounded and
missing.
1t is impossible as yet to obtain a
reliable list of the enlisted men who
were killed and wounded, but the
number killed, including officers,
must reach $50. The number of
wounded is 81.
At the mouth of Rosebud 1 inform
ed Gen. Custer that / would take