Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-08-05
THE CUSTER MASSACRE.

THE CUSTER MASSACRE.
A. Oalcer 81 The Seventh Cavalry dives
ssms ia'srsstisG Iacideass o. The ssd
AFFAIR.
An officer Of the Seventh cavalry
writes 10 the Herald, giving some fur
Their and sadly interesting Incidents Of
the Custer massacre. He says Officers
and men OF Clusters command were
buried on the twenty-eighth OF June
where they fell, Colonel Reno, with
the survivors OF tho Seventh cavalry
regiment, performing the last sad rites
over tho bodies OF their dead comrades.
The scene was sad In the extreme, and
many OF the men shed tears while laying
away to rest beloved comrade.
Custer was buried among his officers,
and many crowded forward for long
last look at the we'll known form and
features Of the great cavalry leader. He
seemed only sleeping, and q perfect
calm was on the face and smile about
the lips as II he were bidding his friends
pleasant goodbye. Ali the officers
graves were marked by hollow sticks,
sunk deep in the ground, containing the
names Of the dead. II was known the
Indians would remove any surface marks
placed over the graves, but II Is not be-
lieved they will disturb the bodies, and
they can easily DO identified by means
Of the sticks at any time friends may
wish to remove them East. The Indian
dead were not disturbed, and 1t is not at
all likely they will modest our dead, as
they are very superstitious about such
things and take great care OF the dead.
II appears Captain Miles W. Keough.
Seventh cavalry, had presentiment OF
his approaching death. Just before the
expedition started he came to IN officer
who had once been lawyer, aud asked
him II he could draw up will in proper
form. and on tho officer answering in the
affirmative Captain Keough said: ~
don't know what may happen to mo, and
as have not disposed OF some things l
have l want to make WILL" The will
was drawn up, signed by Keough, wit
messed and sealed up in m envelope.
1t was then handed by Keough to the
officer who had drawn It up, and the cap
tain said: "Jf anything should befall
me open the envelope and send the
papers to my sister," Captain Keough
owned a fine property in the north of
Ireland, and had $4,000 insurance on
his life. He was unmarried, but leaves
brother and sister in this country and
one brother in Ireland. Keough was a
fine soldier and ono Of the handsomest
men in the army.
Tue Grow Indian Curly is believed to
be the only survivor OF the $50 men who
went into action with Custer. He is
very clear in his knowledge Of the fight,
and has made statement. He says he
went down with two other Grows and
went into action with Custer. The gen
eral, he says, kept down the river OH the
north bank four miles, after Reno had
crossed to the south side above. Gus.
ter's object was to cut off the Indians.
he thought Reno would drive down the
valley and at the same time attack the
village on two sides, he believing Reno
would take it ct the upper end, while
he (Custer) would go in at the lower
end. Custer had to go further down
the river and further away from Reno
than he wished on account of the steep
bank along the north side; but at last he
found ford and dashed for it. The In
dams met him and poured in heavy
fire from across the narrow river. Gus
ter dismounted to fight on foot, but
could not get his skirmishers over the
stream. Meantime hundreds of Indians,
on foot and on ponies, poured over the
river, which was only about three feet
deep, and filed the ravines on each side
of Clusters men. Custer then fell back
to some high ground behind him and
seized the ravines in his immediate
vicinity. The Indians completely sur
rounded Custer and poured in a terrible
fire on all sides. They charged Custer
on foot in vast numbers, but were again
and again driven back. The fight be-
gan about two o'clock, and lasted, Curly
says, almost until the sun went down
over the hills. The men fought des-
perately, and after the ammunition in
their belts was exhausted went to their
saddlebags, got more and continued the
fight. Curly says more Indians were
killed than Custer had men. He also
says the big chief (Ouster) lived until
nearly oil his men had been killed or
wounded, and went about encouraging
his soldiers to fight on. He got shot
in the left side and sat down, with his
pistol in his hand. Another shot struck
Custer in the breast and he fell over.
The last officer killed was man who
rode white horse believed to be Lieu
tenant Cook, adjutant of the Seventh,
as Lieutenant Cook and Calhoun were
the only officers who rode white horses,
aud Lieutenant Calhoun was found dead
on the skirmish line, near the ford, and
probably fell early in the action). Curly
says when he saw Custer was hopelessly
surrounded he watched his opportunity,
got Sioux blanket, put it on and
worked up a ravine, and when the
Sioux charged he got among them and
they did not know him from one of their
own men. There were some mounted
Sioux, and seeing one fall Curly ran to
him, mounted his pony and galloped
down, as if going toward the white men,
but went up ravine and got away. He
says as he rode off he saw, when nearly
mile from the battlefield, dozen or
more soldiers in a ravine fighting with
Sioux all around them. He thinks all
were killed, as they were outnumbered
five to one and apparently dismounted.
These men were no doubt part of the
thirty five missing men reported in the
official dispatches of General Terry.
Curly says he saw one cavalry soldier
who had got away. He was we'll mount
ed, but shot through both hips, and
Curly thinks he died of his wounds,
starved to death in the bad lands, or
more likely hi trail was followed and he
killed by the Sioux. Curly did not leave
Custer until the battle was nearly over,
and he describes it as desperate il the
extreme. He is quite sure the Indians
had more killed than Custer had white
mon with him, and says the soldiers
fought on until the last man fell. The
other Grow Indians in the battle were
killed.