The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-07-10
Press Report. by Western
Union Line, otfice Northwest cor.
Of Main and 18th Sts.
The MASSACRE
Official Report Of General
Terry.
Complete List Of the Killed
and Wounded.
Total Loss 26O, Including Is
Commissioned Officers.
omc,.l Repor, orGen. Terry.

OhicinI Report 0fGen. Terry.
CHICAGO, July s.-The following Is
the official report of General Terry, OF
Clusters engagement with the Indians,
received at the headquarters of General
Sheridan to-day:
HDQR's. DEPT. OF Dakota, !
CAMP ON LITTLE BIC HORN RIVER,
June u, 1876.
To Adjutant General of Military Dipision
of the Missouri, at Chicago, Ill.,: 81
1t is my painful duty to report that
day before yesterday, the 26th inst, a
great disaster overlook General Custer
and the troops under his command. At
II o'clock OF the I'D, he started
with his whole regiment and strong de:
tschment of scouts and guards from the
mouth of the Rose Bud river. Proceed
ing up that river about twenty miles, he
struck very heavy Indian trail, which
had previously been discovered, and pur-
suing it, found that it led, as it WAS sup
posed that it would lead, TO the Little
Big Horu river. Here he found a village
of almost unexampled extent, and at once
attacked it with that portion of his force
which was Immediately at hand. Major
Reno, with three companies, A, u and
Nj, of the regiment, WAS sent into the
valley of the stream, at the point where
the trail struck it. General Custer, with
five companies, Z, +, F, l and l., at
tempted to enter il about three miles
lower down. Reno torded the river,
charged down to the left bank, dismount
ed, and fought on foot until finally com
pletely overwhelmed by the numbers, he
WAS compelled To mount, re-cross the
river, and seek refuge On the high bluffs
which overlooked its right bank. just
as hs re crossed Captain Benton,
who with three companies, u, h and X,
WAS some two miles to the left Of Reno
when the action commenced. but who
had been ordered by General Custer to
return and come To the river, and he right
ly concluded that it was useless for his
force to attempt to renew the fight in
the valley. He joined Reno on the
bluffs. Captain McDou.,sll with
Company B, WAS at first nj som" distance
in the rear with train Of pr'E mules; J.;
he also came up IL Reno. - IN this
united force Was nearly surr'"n led by
Indians, many of whom arrived With
rifles, and occupied positions which com
msnded the ground held by the csIvslry,
from which there was no escape.
Rife pits we're dug, and the fight WAS
maintained, though with heavy loss, from
about half-past two o'clock Of the 18th
til SIX o'clock OF the 10Th, when the In.
dians withdrew from the valley, taking
turir village. OF the movements of Gen.
& -r and his command, scarcely any
thin, Is known from those who witnessed
th.r,. ior no soldier or officer who accom-
PANEL him has yet been found alive.
lis lrsll, from the point where Reno
CROSSED the stream, passed along IN
the rear of the crest OF the bluffs, on the
right bank for nearly or quite three
miles. Then it comes down to the banks
of the river, but ut once diverges from it
Us if he had unsuc cessfully attempted TO
cross. Thenit turns upon itself, almost
completes Il circle and ceases. 1t is
marked by the remains OF his officers md
men, and the bodies of his horses some oi
them dropped along the path and others
heaped up where halts appear 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 overwhelming numbers. The
officers known to be killed are General
Custe-; Captains, keoph, Gates and Gus
ter; Lieutenant, Crook, Smith, Mcln-
tosh. Calhoun. Porter, Hodgson, Sturgis
and Reilly, of the cavalry; Lieutenant
Crttenden, o! the Goth Infantry and
acting assistant Surgeon Dewolf; Lieu
tenant Harrington, OF the calvalry, and
assistant Surgeon Lord are missing
Captain Benton and Lieutenant Var.
NUN, of the cavalry are slightly
wounded; MIR. Boston Custer,
y brother, and MIR. Reed, nephew Of
General Custer, were with him and were
killed. No other officers than those
whom have named are among the kllle |
wounded and missing. 1t is impo sibie
as vet to obtain reliable list OF the en-
listed men who were killed and wounded
but the number oi killed, including obi
cers most reach $50. The number OF
wounded is 81. At the mouth of the
Rose Bud Informed General Custer thst
1 should take the supply steamer, Far
West, up the Yellowstone, t. ferry Gen
ersl Gibbons column over The river; that
l should personally accompany that
column, aud thai it would IN al proba-
bilry reach the mouth Of the Little Big
Hon On the 26th inst The steamer beech
ed Gen. Gibbons troops near the mouth of
the Big Horn early in the morning OF
the 24th and st o'clock 10 the after
noon all bis men and animals were
across the Yellowstone. At B O'Clock
the column, consisting Of five compshies
of the Seventh with four companies OF
Second Caysh y and 8 battery Of gssiing
guns marched oat 10 and across Tullock 3
Creek, starting down after o'clock. On
the morning oi the 18th the infantry made
march Of ~ miles over the
most difficult country which l have
ever seen. In order that the scouts
might be sent into the valley Of the
Little Big Horn, the cavalry with the
battery was then pushed on thirteen or
fourteen miles further, reaching camp at
midnight The scouts were sent out Al
half-past four o'clock on the morning OF
the 18th. The scouts discovered the In
diane, who we're at frs, supposed 20 be
SiouI, but when overtaken they p'e'ed
la be Crows who have been with Gene nersl
Custer. They brough! the first intelli.
yeuce Of the battle. Their story was not
credited. 1t was supposed that some
lighting, perhaps, bad taken place,
but it was not believed that
disaster could have overtaken SO large .
force q twelve companies Of cavalry.
The infantry, which hsd broken camp