The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-07-12
THE DREAD DISASTER.
LATEST AND FULLEST OF
CUSTER'S LOSS
FROM VARIOUS SOURCES.
The Battle--The Dead--The March
to the Rescue--Crook's Do
ings--Sheridan's Plans
for the Future.
CIRCUMsTANIIAL DETAILS

COUNT OF THE TERRIBLE AFFAIR-sToRY
OF THE MARCH To THE RESCUE OF THE
FEW SURVIVORS.
CHICAGO, July S-The following is the
report OF Gen. Terry of Custer's engage
ment with the Indians, received at the
headqusrters of Gen. Sheridan to day:
HEADQUARTERS TEPARTMENT OF DAKOTA, I
Camp on Little Big Horn river, June 7. 1875
Adjutant general of military division OF the
Missouri, at Chicago, ILL.,:
1t is my painful duty to report that day
before yesterday, the 25tn inst, great dis
aster overlook Gen. Custer and the troops
under his command. At IL o'clock OF the
| 22d he started with his whole regiment
and strong detachment of scouts and
guards from the mouth OF the Rosebud
| Proceeding up that river about twenty
miles, he struck a very heavy Indian trail,
which had previously been discovered,
and pursuing it found that it led, as it was
supposed that it would lead, TO the Little
| Big Horn river, here he found a village OF
almost unexsmpled extent and st once at
| tackled it with that portion OF his force
which was Immediately at hsnd. Major
Reno, with three companies. A, g and NJ,
| of the regiment, was sent into the valley
| of the stream az the point where the trail
struck it. Gen. Custer with five companies,
| Q, E, f, / and L., attempted to enter il
| ABOUT three miles lower down. Reno
| iorded the river and charged down its lett
bank, dismounted and fought on foot until
finally
COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED BY NUMBERS,
be was compelled to mount, recross the
river and seek refuge on the high bluffs
which overlooked its right bank. Just as
| be recrossed, Captain Belton who, with
three companies, ID, II and X, was some
( two miles to the lett of Reno when tie
/ action commenced, but who had been or
! d, red by General Custer to return, came
| to the river, and concluded that il was USE
/ less for his iorce to attempt to renew the
fight in the valley, he joined Reno on the
bluffs, Captain McDougsl with bis COM
pany B was at first at some dis
| lance in the rear with train Of
pack mules; be also came up to
| Reno. Soon this united force was nearly
surrounded by Indians, many OF whom,
armed with rifles, occupied positions which
commanded the ground heid by the cav
slrv, from which there was no escape.
| Rife pits were dug, and the fight was
maintained, though with heavy loss, from
| naif-psst 2 O'Clock of the 25th till g o'clock
| 0f the 20 b, when the Indians withdrew
from the valley, taking with them their
| village. o. the movements OF Gen. Gus
| ter and the five companies under his i'm
mediate command scarcely anything
| is known from those VINO witnessed them,
for no soldier or officer who 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 it comes down to toe bank of the
river, but at once diverges from it as If he
bad successfully attempted to cross, then
turns upon itself almost complete as a cir
Gle and closes. 1t is marked by the re-
mains Of bis officers and men, the bodies
OF his horses, some OF them dropped along
the path, others heaped where halts appear
TO have been made. There is abundant
evidence that q gallant resistance was
offered by the troops, but they were beset
on all sides by oveTpowerIDg numbers.
TIE officers known to be killed are Gen.
| Custer, Captains KeOgb, Gates and Custer:
LieutensnIs Cook, Smith. Mcintosh, CAL
noup, Por.e .er, HogesOD, S urgis and Reilly;
of tins cavalry, Lieutenant CIittenden, oI
the 205h Infantry and acting assistant sur
geon DeWOlie, Lieut.. Harrington. of the
cavalry, and assistant surgeon Lord. are
missing. Captain Benton and LIEUT.. Var
mum, OF the cavalry, are slightly W unded.
Mr.. Bostol Custer, brother, and Mr..
Reed, nephew OF Gen. Custer we're with
him and were killed. No other officers
than those whom / have named are among
tbs 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 Of
killed, including officers must reach
$50 The number OF wounded
is ffty-one. At the mouth of the Rose
bud int, rmed Gen. Custer that 1 should
take the supply steamer Far West, up the
Yellowstone TO ferry Gen. Gibbons COM
msnd over the river; that should
PERSONALLY ACCOMPANY THAT COLUMN
and that it would in all probability reach
the mouth of the Little Big Horn
on the 26th inst. The steamer
reached General Gibbons troops near
the mouth of the Big Horn early
in the morning OF The "a, and at O'Clock
in the AFTERNOON all his men and animals
were across the Yellowstone. Al o'clock
the column, consisting of five oompanies
of the Seventh 1nfaGtry, Iour companies
OF the Second Cavalry and ha terry
the Gattling guns marched out to sno
across Tuilocks creek, starting soon after
5 O'Clock In the morning of the %. the
infantry made a march of % miles over
the most difficult country 1 have
ever seen in order that sc0us might be
sent into the valley OF tie Little Big Horn.
The cavalry with the battery was then
pushed on 13 or IA miles further,
reaching camp at midnight. The scouts
were sent out at 4:30 on the morning of the
26th. The scouts diseoy cred the Indians
who were at first supposed to be Sioux,
out when overtsken they proved 10 be
Crows who had been with Gen. Custer
they brought the first intelligence of the
battle. Their story was not credited. 1t
| was supposed that some fighting
PERHAPS SEVERE FIeHTING,
had taken place, but 1t was not believed
hat disaster could have overtsken so
| large q force as twelve companies OF
cavalry. The infantry which had brt ken
camp very early soon came up, and the