The New York herald., 1876-12-23
THE RANDALL MASSACRE.
Positive Denial Of the Report by
General Sheridan.
RECENT NEWS FROM THE COMMAND.
How the News Was Received at Headquarters
in Chicago.
RlNDlLLy ROUTE AID MOVEMENTS EXPLAINED

WAsuiSGroS, Dec. p, 1876.
General sherman this evening received the follow
ing telegram from Lieutenant General sheridan
CHICAGO, H., Dec. 30, 1870
General W. 7. SnERNAx, Washington, u. c. -
There IS no truth IN the reports published in some
OF the Eastern papers OF Inc massacre OF MAJOR
Randall and his Crow scouts. MAJOR Randall WAS AT
Ola Fort Reno, with his seventy scouts, on The lith
OF December, on his way TO JOIN General Crook, who,
with his command, was GU the Belle Fourohe, about
thirty miles northeast OF Reno
I. II. SHERIDAN, Lieutenant General
ARMY nEApouARrgRs
Upon inquiry at Army Headquarters 1t Is ascerained
that information has been received there in regard
the reported massacre OF Major Randall and party,
but IL is thought lhc report may be true Brcvct
Lieutenant Colonel Randall rs with General Crooks
command, and It is feared that he may have been sent
the mission 10 obtain scouts reported, and
into Crazy Horses band. fer which General Crook has
been looking Tor some time past
A VISIT TO sHEGIDAN's HEADQUARTEns-TH
REPORT DIscREpITEp BY THE GENERAL
THE ROUTE OF RANDALL IN GOING AND
RErunNISG-How THE STORY MAY HAVE
ORIGINATED.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.
CHICAGO, Dec. -, 1870.
The HERALD special from Bozcman, NJ. T., giving tho
startling report that Major Randall, Of Crooks staf
and his entrc party had been massacred by Indians
was telccraphed to Chicago from New York this
ing The HERALD correspondent Immediately called
upon Assistant AdJutant General Drum, sheridan's
headquarters and upon asking him If there was any.
thing new from thc West no replied that thoro
NOT. The correspondent then gave him the subsistence
oil the HERALD telegram Ho amazed and
said II could not be so; 'but," no added, ''thc
HERALD has facilities that have not, and
It's correspondent may have heard OF this before tho
news reached Reno or Fctcrman He then asked II he
could not the original despatch The correspond
cnt procured It, and upon his return found General
Sheridan, General Drum and several members OF tho
sta In consultation. One and all of them seemed to
view the matter n very serious light. The CORE
spondcnt requested to read little from the man
GENERAL suERIDAN's LAST NEWS.
General Sheridan then produced telegram OF an
earlier date from Fort Fctlcrman in relation to the ar
rival at that point OF some army stores and NJ tho end
OF which we're tho words "Randall has arrived at
Reno
This" said General Sheridan, 'almost convinccs
me that there a mistake 1t may DO possible that
the HERALD correspondent at Bozeman had not heard
oil Randas arrival at Reno and the latter being be-
hind time he took It for granted tha, Randas forcc
was cut of and massacred."
RAxpALL's ROUTE
General Sheridan then took your correspondent into
his own Office and pountcd out on map the relative
distances between the Crow Agency, where Randall
had becn, and Forts Fetterman and Rono
dan RandaiI ook ,hc lower irailm,hat is, by way or
Fetterman. II is much longer this way than by the
upper tran, but tho country is better Tor grazing.
Now IN coming back having secured nrst class guides,
ho took the more direct route.
THE REPORT is NOT CREDITED.
"At Bozeman they probably expected to hear from
him the lower trail, and not hearing they became
uneasy Another why believe tho report Is not
true, continued the General, rs that Crook within
few days. has left Reno tor Fcttcrman, distance Of
sixty miles. Unless Randall had arrived With his iorco
dont think he would have lett the garrison, because
he required Randall's party for its protection"
"Thcn. you have not much confidence In the report
General ?" asked the correspondent.
"No,' ho replied, II have not The least -
Although kilograms were sent from tho military
heada auarcrs here to-day, nothing been received
contradicting the HgRALDs despatch and evcn whiic
tho General emphatlcally denied that there was
truth in the report, his actions betrayed him. for no
seemed TO bc very nervous and an xious about IL