Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-08-10
ONE OF CUSTER'S SCOUTS.

Daring Deeds of "Lenesome Charley -
Reynolds, who Perfshed with his Gen.
eral..His Romantic History.
I see in the list of the killed under
Custer, says a Graphic correspondent,
the name of Charley Reynolds Lone
some Charley" Reynolds. When Gus
ter was at the base of Harney's peak in
1874 and our camp was ablaze with ex-
citement over the gold discoveries, Gus
ter sent for Bloody Knife, the chief of
his scouts, and asked for an Indian to
carry dispatches to Fort Laramie, two
hundred miles below us. Bloody Kuife
shook his head solemnly and said in
reply:
"My warriors are brave, but they
are wise. They will carry bag of let
ters to Fort Lincoln, but / cannot ask
them to go through the Sioux country
to Laramie"
Fort Lincoln was two hundred miles
further than Laramie, although the
route to the latter place was beset with
tenfold more dangers. It lod directly
through the Sioux hunting ground, and
Just at this particular time of the year
the young men were all out In hunting
parties, so that the plains were full of
them. Bloody Knife's braves were
Rees-a tribe for which the Sioux has q
hereditary enmity, and he was too wise
to ask one OF them to undertake so
suicidal project. But mails must be
sent somehow, and Custer was ponder
ing what to do. Charley Reynolds was
sitting on the ground, with his legs
crossed, cleaning revolver, seemingly
inattentiye to the conversation. Custer
had been thinking but moment, when
Reynolds looked up and said:
"I'n carry the mails to Laramie,
general"
Custer was familiar with courage In
every form, but such a proposition sur
prised even him.
"I wouldn't ask you to 60, Reynolds, :"
he said.
"I have no fear," responded the
scout, quietly. "When will the mails be
ready2"
al was intending to send something
tomorrow night" replied Custer.
ssIM go tomorrow night"
And picking up his piece of buckskin
and bottle OF oil, Reynolds strobe quiet
ly away.
"There goes q man." said Custer,
"who is a constant succession OF sur
prises to me. I am getting SO that /
feel a humiliation in his presence.
Scarcely q day passes-and l have known
him three years-that does not develop
some new and strong trait in his charac-
ter. I would as soon have asked my
brother Tom to carry mail to Laramie
as Reynolds"
The next day I saw Reynolds lead al
old, ll-shaped, bony, dun colored horse
to the farrier's. / was somewhat curious
to know if he was going to ride that
animal to Laramie, and asked him.
EYES," said he, in his quiet way.
"The general lets me pick my own
mount, and I've got one that suits me. .
Noticing my surprise at his choice he
continued
ST suppose I could have picked ont q
better looking one, but this is the sort
for my trip" And scanning the beast
over he added: "He knows more than
a man, if he is bony. Look in his eye. y
The farrier took the horses shoes of
and pared his hoofs neatly. Reynolds
then went to the saddler and had sci
of leather shoes made to fit the horses
feet, so as to buckle around the fet'ocks.
"What are those forl" / asked.
GA little dodge of mine to fool the
Indians. They make no trail. "
Then he packed three or four days
rations in saddle pocket, prepared 6
supply of ammunition, and cleaned ur
a long, old fashioned rife. Then. eating
a hearty dinner, he lay down under q
wagon for nap.
About four o'clock that evening ar
engineering party started off in tht
direction Reynolds was to take, and sad
ding his horse and strapping on can
vass bag of letters, he accompanied us
We rode till about ten o'clock, and wen
into camp in a cluster of trees near ,
brook. a fire was lighted, apot of cofst
made, and after drinking q cupful Rey
nolds mounted his saddle and rode of
into the dark.
His path lay through trackless vii
derness-two hundred miles of it'll,
constant ha9pt of hostile Indians, ant
not foot of the ground had Reynold
ever seen before. He had never beer
at Laramie; he only knew the genera
direction in which it lay, and his onl.
guideboard was the stars. After fou
nights of riding and three days of sleep
ing he reached his destination unharm
ed. I saw him afterward at Fort Lin
coin on our return. He told me he 60
through nicely and mailed the letters
had intrusted to his care.
I had been told that under his gentl
demeanor lay romance as remarkabl
as any Cooper ever wrote, and one da.
I asked him to tell me the story of hi
lifs, He hlushsd little, laughed quie: