Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-07-12
GUsTER,s MASSACRE.
General Terry's Omcial Reports.

GUsTER,s MASSACRE.
General Terry's OMicial Reports.
PHrIADELpHIA, July G. The follow.
40 was received here today N
Lieut.. Gen. Sheridan III n
CHIcAGo, Ill.,, July G.-To Lieut..
Gen. Up. III. Sheridan, Continenhl
lotel, philadelphia The following
8 Gen. Terry's dispatch:
CONFIDENTIAL.
CAMP. YELLOWSTONE RIVER, NEAR
THE MOUTH OF THE Big HORN, July 2.
Il think l owe it to myself to put
you more fully in possession of the
facts of the late operations. While ut /
he mouth of the Rosebud I submit |
ed nv plan to Gen. Gibbon and to |
zen. Custer. They approved it
1t was that Custer with his
whole regiment should move up the
Rosebud till he should meet trail
which Reno had discovered few days
before, but that he should not follow
It directly to the Little Big Horn, but
hat he should
SEND SCOUTS OVER 1T
and keep his main force further to
The south so as to prevent the Indians
from slipping in between himself and
The mountains. He was also to ex-
anime the head waters of Tullocka
creek as he passed it and send me
word of what he found there. A
scout was furnished him for the pur-
pose of crossing the country to me.
We calculated it would take Gibbons
column until the 26th to reach the
mouth of the Little Big Horn, and
that
THE WIDE SWOoP
which had proposed Custer should
make would require so much time
that Gibbon would be able to CO.
operate with him in attacking any
Indians that might be found on the
stream, Iasked Custer how long his
marches would be. He said they
would be at first about 30 miles day.
Measurements were made and calcu-
lations based on that rate of progress.
| talked with him about his strength
and at one time Suggested that per-
haps it would be better for me to take
Gibbons cavaly and go with him.
To this suggestion he replied that he
would prefer his own regiment alone
as as much could be done with it MS
with the two combined. lie express
ed the utmost confidence that he had
all the force that he could need and !
shared his confidence. ass ~
THE PLAN ADOPTED H
was the only one which promised to
bring the infantry into action, and ]
desired TO make sure of things by
getting up every available man. |
offered Custer the battery of Gattline
guns, but he declined it, saying that
it might embarrass him and that he
was strong enough without it. The
movement proposed by Gen. Glib.
bon's column was carried out to tho
letter, and had the attack been de.
ferred until it came up / cannot
doubt that we should have been sue.
cessful. The Indians had evidently
NERvED THEMSELVES FOR A STAND.
learn from Capt. Benton that or
the 22nd the cavalry marched l:
miles; on the 23d, 35 miles, from
A. n. to r. NJ; on the oath, rs miles
10 miles further; then, after resting
but without unsaddling, % miles Il
the battlefield. The proposed route
was not taken, but as soon as tht
trail was struck it was followed. ]
cannot learn that any examination o
Tullocka creek was made. / do no
tell you this to cast any reflection up
on Custer, for whatever errors h
may have committed
he HAS PAID THE PENALTY,
and you cannot regret this loss NOR,
than do, but l feel that orr plal
must have been successful had i
been carried out. and l desire you t,
know the facts. In the action itself
so far as can make out, Custer acte,
under misrepresentation. III
thought, ! am confident, that the In
dams were running, and for fea
that they might get away he attacke,
them without getting all his men N
and divided the command so tina
they were beaten i'm detail. do no
at all propose
TO GIVE THE THING UP ~
here, but think that my troops nc
quirc little rest, and. in view of tn
strength the Indians have developed
] propose to bring up what little re
Inducements l can get. should b
glad of any you can send me. / ca
take two companies Of infantry iron
Powder river, and there are fey
recruits and detailed men whom ca
get for the cavalry. l ought to hay
a larger mounted force than l noA
have, but this l fear cannot be oil
tanned. hear nothing from Geners
Crooks operations. If l could hea
from him I should be able to forl
plans for the future much more inte
ligently. A. ii. TERRY,
| Brig. Gen. Commanding.
CAMP ON YELLOWSTONE, NEAR TIL
MOUTH OF Big HORN, July 2.-On til
evening of the 2Sth we commence
moving down with the wounded, bu
were able to get on but four miles, q
our hand filters did not answer til
purpose. The mule litters did exec
lently well, but they were insufficier
in number. The 29th, therefore, WIS
spent in making a full supply of then
On the evening of the 10Th we starte
again, and at 2 o'clock a. M, tn
wounded were placed on the steame
at the mouth Of the Little Big Horl
On the afternoon of the Goth the
We're brought down to the depot o
the Yellowstone. Isend them tt
morrow by steamer to Fort Lincoll
and with them one of my aids, Cap
Z. w. Smith, who will be able to al
swer any questions which you ma
desire to ask. l have brought dow
the troops to the same point. The
arrived tonight. They need reiittin,
particularly in the matter of tran
portation, before starting again, an
although had on the steamer goo
supply of subsistence and forag
there are other things we need, and
should hesitate to trust the boat in Il
Big Horn again. Col. Sheridan's di
patch informing me of the reporte
gathering of Indians oil the Rosebu
reached me after / came down her
; hear nothing of Gen. Crooks NOV,
ments. At least 100 horses are needle
to remount the cavalrymen now her
! ALFRED ii. TERRY,
Brigadier General.