Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-08-02
Custer's Last Battlefield.

The Little Big Horn, whose general
direction is from south to north, here
runs in a nearly westerly direction, re-
Stunning, however, its general course at
the point where Reno crossed it. The
point where Reno crossed is where the
trail followed by Custer emerged into
the valley where the Indian village of
some 1000 lodges was situated. This
valley is about three-quarters of
mile wide, defined on the left 10y
ridge of low hills, which, about four
miles farther down, close in towards
the river. The Indian village filled
this valley and extended beyond this
range Of hills last mentioned. On the
right was the river bottom, covered
with growth of cottonwood trees and
bushes. Custer, following the trail al
ready mentioned until he could see the
Little Horn Valley and the Indian
village, ordered Reno, who was ahead
with three companies, to push into the
valley, where clouds of dense smoke
were seen arising, as if the Indians
were running away, and Custer him.
self tdto profugAs with five companies
marched along the crest and behind
the bluffs, and apparently made an at
tempt to cross the river into the Will
age. But here he was apparently met
by a superior force, and compelled to
retire, as the remains of dead men and
horses indicate. From this point he
was driven back to make successive
stands on the higher ground. His
line of retreat stretches from
the river to the spot where he
the notes which have been furn-
ished us, Calhouns company seems to
have been thrown across it to check
the Indians. At a distance of about
three-quarters of q mile from the river
nearly tee whole of Calhoun's compa-
ny lay dead, in an irregular line, Cal
houn and Crittenden in place in the
rear. About mile beyond this, on
the ridge parallel to the stream, still
following the line of retreat, Keogh's
company was slaughtered in position,
his right resting on the hill where
Custer fell, and which seems to have
been held by Yates company. On the
most prominent point of this ridge,
Custer made his last desperate stand.
Here, with Capt. Yates, Col. Cooke,
Capt Custer, Lieut.. Riley, and others,
and thirty-two men of Yates's com
mand, he went down, fighting heroi-
cally to the last, against the tremen-
dous odds which assailed them on all
sides. 1t is believed by some that,
finding the situation desperate one,
they killed their horses fora barricade.
From the point where Custer fell, the
line Of retreat again doubles back to-
ward the river, through rayine, and
along this line in the rayine twenty
three bodies Of Smiths company were
found. Where this line terminates
near the river are found the dead men
and horses of Capt. Clusters company
commingled with Smiths, and the
situation of the dead indicates that
some desperate attempt was made to
make stand near the river or to gain
the woods.
Reno, crossing the stream at the
point indicated, charged the camp,
which he found Immediately across
the stream. Compelled by superior
numbers to arrest his charge, he
formed a skirmish line, and fought
thus on foot for fifteen minutes, when,
being overwhelmed by the savages, he
was compelled to retreat across the
river His retreat was rout, and he
cut his way through the savages to the
hill, where he withstood siege of
twenty-one hours. Reno lost in his
charge, rout, and defense of the hill,
forty-seven killed, fifty-two wounded,
and two officers, being two-thirds Of
the whole force he took into the fight.
Benteen, with his three companies,
was moving up on Custer and Reno's
trail, when, seeing the desperate stua-
ton of Reno, Inc joined him on the hill
where he was defending himself. On
this trail, little later, came McDoug-
all's company with his trail of pack
mules.
We have in this explanation fol-
lowed the notes furnished by one who
was on the grounds, and they CORE
spond precisely with Gen. Terry's of
fetal report of the battle.-'St. Paul
Pioneer Press.
THIS is hard. A New York dealer
chuckles and says that one-half of the
crowd of smokers can't tell a fige-cent