The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-07
A FIGHT WITH THE INDIANS
GENERAL CUSTER KILLED.

HIS Two brothers, nephew and Brother-in-
Law Among the Dead.
There has been another big fight with the
Indians and terrible whipping for the
troops, en- entire command of FIVE CON-
panies, including seventeen commissioned
officers, among them General Custer, his
two brothers, nephew and brother-in-law,
being sacrificed in short, one of the three
expeditions sent to extcrminate the hostile
Sioux has itself been exterminated, and the
other two ale in imminent danger Of sim
liar fate.
The news comes from Boseman, Mont
ana, where it was brought by Muggins
Taylor, scout of General Gibbons CON-
mand, but is also confirmed in general let
tiers from others. The battle was sfought
on the 18th ult., thirty or forty miles below
the Little Horn. Generals Custer and
Reno had come upon the Indians camp OF
from $500 to 1000 warriors, extending
three or four miles long, for which they
had been looking, and an attack was at
once ordered. Leaving three companies
on a hill as reserve, Gen. Custer, with
the remaining five companies of his com
mand, charged the thickest portion of thu
camp, leaving Col Reno, with seven com.
paDes to attack it on the other side.
Nothing is known Of the operations of Gus
ters detachment, only as they are traced
by the dead on the field. The Indians
greeted the charge with murderous fire
from all directions. Besides, the greater
portion fought on horseback. Custer, his
TWO brothers, nephew and brother-in-law,
we're all killed, and not one of his detach-
ment escaped. Tbs Indians surrounded
Reno's command and held them for one
day in the hills, cut off from water, until
General Gibbons command came in sight,
when they broke camp in the night and left
and Gibbons and Reno's commands were
then joined. Gen. Terry was with Glib
oons' command, which Custer knew was
coming before the fight occurred.
Gen. Clusters command fought like Ii.
gers, and we're overcome by mere brute
force, the Indians actually pulling the sol
diers off their horses in many cases. The
whole'Custer family died at the head of
their column. The battle ground looks
like slaughter-pen, az it really was, he.
ing in a narrow ravine. The dead were
much mutilated. The whole number kill.
ed was 80, with only 81 wounded. Two
hundred and seven bodies were buried in
one place. Among the killed was Lieut..
CrlttendeD, son of Gen. Crttenden. The
loss OF the Indians is not known, as they
bore off their dead They got all the arms
of the killed soldiers. The remnant of the
1th cavalry and Gibbons command are re-
turning to the mouth of the Little Horn,
where the steamboat lies. The situation Is
regarded as very serious.
THE INDIANS WHO ARE MAKING THE TRoU-
BILE, AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT.
Gen. Vandever, Indian inspector at the
Red Cloud agency, writes that little de-
pendence is to be placed on the reports of
wholesale departures Of Indians from there
and from the Spotted Tail agency. The
great body of Indians at these two agen-
cies are loyal and true to the government,
and are trying to keep the peace. None of
their leading men have gone out since the
recent troubles began, and very few of their
young men. The Cheyennes, who do not
properly belong there, and ought to have
been compelled long ago to return to their
own region, have committed most, if not
all, the depredations since the first expedi-
lion of Gen. Crook to the north, and the
excuse they offer is that they were first at
tackled. Red Cloud, Spotted Tail and 9TH
er chiefs have used their utmost influence
to hold their people at home. and they have
succeeded. Those who have gone out are
the uululy ones, and there are no more of
that kind among these Indians than among
the same number of whites.