Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-07-12
TIE CUSTER MASSACRE.

The account of the annihilation OF
five companies of U. s. troops, with
General Custer and several other
officers, by Sioux Indians in the
Black Hills region, on June 18th,
startled the country last Friday. At
first it was hoped that the report
was exaggerated, but intelligence
received later but too nearly agree
with the first. The following is Gen.
Terry's official report of the affair,
from which it seems that Custer pre-
cipitated the engagement, aud incur
red the disaster which might have
been avoided had he waited for Gen.
Terry and his force to join him, as
would have been done at the time APP
pointed, June 26th:
| HEADQUARTERS DErT, OF DAKOTA
Camp OH Little Big Horn River !
| June 9th, 1876.
To Col Il C. Drum, Adjutant General Military Di-
vision Of the Missouri, Chicago NJ:
Ii Is nay painful duty To report that day before
yesterday, the 10Th Inst great disaster overlook
General Custer and the troops under his command.
At II O'Clock on the III he started with his
whole regiment aud strong detachment of scouts
| and guards from the mouth of the Rosebud. Pro
ccc,ling up that river about twenty miles, he
! struck Il very heavy Indian trail which had pre-
| yiously been discovered, and pursuing it found
that Il lead to the Little Big Horn river. Here he
found village of almost iineXamplcd extent and
at once attacked ii with that portion OF his force
txttl,t tabs t.t.tl on Mini
with three companies (i q and M)of the regiment
sent into the valley OF the stream at the point
| where the trail struck It.
! General Custer, with five companies g + /
| and H. attempted TO enter 1t about three miles
down Reno iorded the river charged down the
LEFT bank, disnountod aud fought on foot until,
finally, completely overwhelmed by numbers he
was compelled Ia mount, recross the river and
seek a refuge on the high bluffs which overlooked
Its right bank, Just as he recrossed Captain Ben
ton, who with three companies, II and X, was
some two miles to the left of Reno when the action
commenced, but who had been ordered by Gen
eral Custer to return came to the river, and right
ly concluded that Ii was useless for his force TO
attempt 10 renew the fight in the valley he joined
Reno on the bluffs. Captain McDougall, with his
company, u, was at first some distance in the
rear with train of pack mules he also came up
70 Reno. Soon this united force was nearl. sur
rounded by Indians, many of whom, armed with
| rifles occupied positions which commanded the
ground held by the cavalry ground from which
| there was escape. iitlc-pits were dug, and
the fiGNt was maintained, tnpuGH WIN heavy loss,
! from about halfpast O'Clock of the 18th. till
o'clock OF the 2Gth, when the Indians withdrew
| from the valley, taking with them their village.
OF the movements of General Custer and the
| five companies under his immediate command,
scarcely anything Is known from those who wit.
| messed them, for no officer or soldier who accom-
panied him has yet been found alive. His trail
from the point where Reno crossed the stream
passes along and In the of the crest of blus.
tie right bank, for nearly quite three miles,
then il comes down to the bank of the river, but
NJ once DIVORCES from II, as II he had unsuccess-
fully attempted to cross, then turis upon Itself,
almost com ilctos circle and closes. II is marked
by the remains of his officers and men, the bodies
OF ms horses some of them dropped along the
path, others hvapcd where halts appear To- have
been made The number Of killed, including
officers, must reach 20. The number OF wounIed
is 81
At the mouth Of the Rosebud informed Gen
eral Custer that should take the supply steamer
Far West up the Yellowstone to ferry General
Gibbons column over the river that ! should
personally ACCOMPANY that column and that il
would IN all probability rcaeh the mouth of the
Little Zig Horn On the 10Th instant.
In The morning of the 9Th the infantry made
march of twenty-five miles over die most difficult
country have ever seen. IN order that scouts
might be sent Into the valley of the Little Biz
Horn, tie cavalry. with the battery was then
pushed on thirteen or fourteen miles further,
reaching camp 10 midnight. fhc scouts Were
seat out at 80 ult the morning Uf the Goth. The
scouts discovered three indiana who We're at first
supposed to hc Sioux but when ovcrtakcu they
proved To- be- Crows, who had been with General
Custer. They brought the tr>t intelligence of the
battle, Their story was not credited II WAS sup
posed that some ghtiug perhaps severe fighting,
had taken place, but il was not believed that dis
astcr could have ovcrlnkcu 70 large u force Us
twelve companies of cavalry
During tlc afternoon Efforts were made % send
scouts through 10 what Suppus ID To he General
Clusters position aud to obtain information of the
condition of affairs, hut those who were sent out
were driven hucS 10y parties of Indians Nho iii in
crcHsiug numbers We're seen towering IN General
Gibbons front
At twenty minutes before O'Clock In the even
ing the infantry had marched between twenty.
nine and thirty miles. The men were very weary,
aud daylight was falling. The column WIS there
fore halted :uy the night at paint about eleven
miles Ia straight line above tile mouth of the
stream.
This morning the movement WAS resumed, and
after march of nine luilcS Major Rvuo'S iu-
tt,nchrl position was reached Tie withdrawal
OF tic ludians from around NtnoS command and
from the valley was undoubtedly caused by the
appearance of General Gitbh'S troops
Mater ltcuo and captain lioutdn, both a! whom
are officers Of great experience, accustomed to
see lau-c MASSES of mounted men estimated the
numhorof Indians engaged not less than 800
other onsceFS think than the number Mas greater
thNn tlES Major Reno = worry confident that
lhtrc Wvr. ntuaher of white mon fighting With
The HlImus.
M-. gr;s.ow's RESIGNATION.