The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-10
CUSTER AND HIS MEN.
How They Were Buried-Custer During
the Battle-The Story Of an Eye-wit-
ness.

the Baftle-The story Of an Eye-wit-
ness.
letter from an officer of the Seventh Cavalry in
New York Herald.
The officers and men of Clusters COM
mand were buried on the 28th of June
where they fell, Colonel Reno, with
the survivors of the Seventh Cavalry
Regiment, performing the last sad rites
over the bodies of their dead comrades.
The scene was sad in the extreme, and
many of the men shed tears while lay
ing away to rest a beloved comrade.
THE SPOT WHERE CUSTER LIES.
Custer was buried among his officers,
and many crowded forward for a long
last look at the well known form and
features of the great cavalry leader.
He seemed only sleeping, and a perfect
calm was on the face and smile about
the lips, as if he were bidding his friends
a pleasant good-by. All the officers
graves were marked by hollow sticks,
sunk deep in the ground, containing the
names of the dead. 1t was known the
Indians would remove any surface
marks placed over the graves, but it is
not believed they will disturb the bodies,
and they can easily be identified by
means of the sticks at any time friends
may wish to remove them East. The
Indian dead were not disturbed, and it 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.
PREsENTIMENT.
1t appears that Captain Miles w.
Keough, Seventh Cavalry, had pre-
sentiment of his approaching death.
just before the expedition started he
came to an officer who had once been a
lawyer, and asked him if he could draw
up will in proper form, and on the Of
ficer answering in the affirmative Cap
tain Keough said, 81 don't know what
may happen to me, and as L have not
disposed of some things l have want
to make a will" The will was drawn
up, signed by Keough, witnessed, and
sealed up in an envelope. 1t was then
handed by Keough to the officer who
had drawn it up, and the Captain said,
If any thing should befall me open the
envelope and send the papers to my sis
ter" Captain Keough owned fine
property in the north of Ireland, and
had $4,000 insurance of his life. He
was unmarried, but leaves brother
and sister in this country and one
brother in Ireland. Keough was a fine
soldier and one of the handsomest men
in the army.
THE ONLY SURVIVOR.
The Crow 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 a statement. He
says he went down with two other
Crows and went into action with Gus
ter. The General, he says, kept down
the river on the north bank four miles,
after Reno had crossed to the south
side above Clusters 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 il
at the upper end, while he (Custer)
would 90 in at the lower end. Custer
had to 20 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 a ford
and dashed for it. The Indians met
him and poured in heavy fire from
across the narrow river. Custer dis
mounted 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 filled the ra-
vines on each side of Custer
men. Custer then fell back to some
high ground behind him, and seized the
ravines in his immediate vicinity. The
Indians completely surrounded 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 began about
O'Clock, and lasted, Curly says, almost
until the sun went down over the hills.
They fought desperately, and after the
ammunition in their belts was exhaust
ed, 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
Custer lived until nearly all 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 a man who rode a white
horse (believedto be Lieutenant Cook,
Adjutant of the Seventh, as
Lieutenants Cook and Calhoun
were the only officers who
rode white horses, and Lieutenant CAL
houn 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 surround
ed he watched his opportunity, got a
Sioux blanket, put it on and worked up
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, mount
ed his pony, and galloped down, as il
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, a dozen OF
more soldiers in ravine fighting with
Sioux all around them. He thinks all
were killed, as they were outnumbered
five to one and apparently dismount'
ed. These men were no doubt part
of the thirty-fve missing men re-
ported in the official dispatches of Gen.
ha 90 "