, 1876-07-07
THE LITTLE-uORN MA1SACDE

bIodocs tho country los not been more
startled than it was by the announcement
TINT Gou. CuaTEn aud five compauies of his
regiment, tho Seventh Cavalry, had been
1aNsacrcd by tho Sioux Indians in n rnvino
on the Littlo Horn River, a tributary to tho
Big Horn, which in turn empt;es into the
Yellowstone, the Indians outnunlbering orr
troops ten to one. Gen. CUSTER had porso,-
nj and soltlierly traits which commended him
to tho people. 1Ie was m officer who did
not know tie word fear, and, as is often tho
caHe with soldiers Of this stamp, lie was reck-
less, hasty, and imprlsivo, }referrinR to
mako daredevil rush and take risks rather
tllan to movo alowcr and with moro of cor.
tainty. Ho WINS Il bravo, brilliant soldier.
handsome aud dashing, with nil the attributes
to make him beloved uf women and admired
Of ulen; but these qualities, however aa-
mirable they may he, should not blind o,.r
eyes to tho faet That it wns his own
u1alcap haste, rasLneas, and lore OF
fa1no that cost him lis own life,
and cost tho service tho loss of nany
braye ol1cess mud gallant neu. from tho
reporta which lavo come to hand, it appoars
that, after assigning Maj. RENO with seven
companies to attack tho lower mart of tho
Indian camp, aud stationing three companies
in reserve, Gen. Cusrka placed himself at
the head Of five companies about 800 mon
nnl dashed into nost Of three or four thou.
sand Sioux warriors, tho same men who
uuder SITTING BOIL recently ,lafeatofl Gan,
Cnoox on Rosebud Creek. They drew him
into M a4buscadcd rayino iust as tlov did
Crooks troopers, only tue results woro mora
diaastrous. Iu the latter caso It ras defiant
with small loss; in this instance, three lun.
lret1 troops were Instantly surrounded 1,v
5000 indians, and the fatal rayino becan,o n
slauglltor-pcn from which but few escone1
Nearly tho whole s0Owons to q fleoth as instant
~ if al earthquake llad swallowed them. No
accountae to have been taken of nun,bors.
Of tho leadership oftlo Sioux, Of their past
! record of courage and military skill. M ac.
count woa oyon taken of tho fact that Gen.
(;1upoy yas coming TO thu Littlo 13nrn with
rsiutorcc1uo,,ts, ouly a davis march lohi,ul.
alth,n,r,, Gen. c,,srye VIM awaro os il 1yo
preforrol to n,ake n rcck1csa ,1ash md tolo
tbe couscunonccs in tbo hmm ~ ,ro,,;,t, =
personal victory and adding t1e ujorv of
| another Charge to The long l;st which ha has
20 e,,cccssfullv haa;1e1. rat}er tlor IN wait for
a sufficiently uowerfu1 forco To ,nnka ,,,a t1c,t
succogsful. and al,or,, thc t.1,rv with o,laru
IIa took the risk and ho ]ost onl MI lint
Gan, G1ppoy could accomn1iul, whsn In nr.
rived tho uoxt lay vos TO como to Tim re,,af
of tho remnant Of the regiment unt}nr Mini,
RENO, which for twcuty-four hours had boot,
hotly uressod bv tic victorious Indians
Thorn are t,ro ;rnorta,t tov.ou. ~ Il,
I learned from thIs n,asxacre. wh,cl, has ~,
ham aoua,c1 In our 1r,1,on ,v,,. u;,,uo a.
| 1,r4nnoox ;1oteat 1sho s,at I. t},o f,,,,, =,
unt,erest,,nntino the stranuth mi Nal,;i,o
ouol,;e. ~ t1,o 1,,1ia,v r., rnsr.n nn.os'
nnon tho old thaorv t,,nt MN vii .rn.e,1
witt, r,r ia n .n,tr,, ~ ,,a,, ,1n,".' -,
,}iaua ~ ,hoo-, Ior;voa from "xao.,t,..sa, -.
e,.os 1ika ronsrr,,,. ,,a,,o,,t ;,.,aa., n.,s;..,
| Tim ,,rcaant sn+;,o o,,1 .,,,n,na. ~. Co.
| layo shown tiema,lycs INF n,,,v i'rava ,1 an'
e,u1,,r;n, In i,atfI, on,t cn,o,,1a =, noxaa - ~,
eistancos but possenxe,} ~ n,;,;tnrv III, - ,
y,ry orclitablo charao,er A. tho hntt,a -,
Nosa,,u,t cractr g,r.r,xo H., .,.n",o, ,';ss1, "
| :. ' " ~" +''''A's''