The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-09-06
HOW CUSTER FOUGHT.

HOW CUSTER FOUGHT.
A New Account of tho Terrible Massncre-
The One Faithful Iudinn-.A Thrilling
Description.
The following letter has been received
by Mr.. James Mannion, of Detroit,
from his son James, who was an eye
witness of the Custer massacre. 1t is
the only account of that terrible affair
yet written by witness of it, and de-
tails many incidents not yet given to the
public:
DEAR FArHEn-We left camp on the
fifteenth of June and started for the Big
Horn river, $50 miles north of here. We
were four days on the march thither,
where we joined Terry and Custer, and
marched north on the bank of tho Big
Horn. Striking the Little Big Horn,
we followed well marked trail along it's
banks, and on June "a we came in sight
of an Indian village with about 1900
tents, and a fighting force of 5000.
Major Reno, in whose command I am,
commanded the left flank and Custer the
right, and the fight commenced by
Reno's charging on tho Indian village,
fighting on foot, having tied the horses
in grove short way Of. While the
fight was going on, General Custer
reached the other side of the village and
attacked it. General Custer and his five
companies took position on . ridge in
the center of the Indian camp, cut off
from access to water, and there fought
desperately all day long, a conspicuous
mark for the savage marksmen all around
them.
At last, whom half his command had
been killed, he called on those that re-
manned to follow him, and dashed boldly
through the red devils. It was running
the gauntlet of at least 1900 rifles for
the whole distance. His men did not
follow him, and when he got through he
found himself alone with single Grow
Indian, ono of bis scouts. he would
not leave bis men to perish alone and
turned to 60 back, but the Grow, recog-
nizing that such movement would be
fatal, grabbed his horse and implored
him not to 60 back.
Custer laughed, and, putting the reins
of his horse between his teeth, with
revolver in each hand, he gave wild
cheer and dashed back through the
smoke and flying bullets. As if by q
miracle he reached the remnant OF bis
command, which was now reduced to
forty men. Calling on these survivors
again to follow him-which the example
and success of his former charge dis
posed them to do-he led them from
their place of peril over the path OF his
solitary charge.
That was the last seen of them until
the battle was over, when tho whole
party, with Custer in their midst, were
found stark and dead within circular
rampant formed by their horses bodies.
They had evidently at the last moment
made up their minds to sell their lives
dearly, shot their horses, and then, rails
ing them as breastwork, fought on with
the vigor of despair until the last man
was dead. What they suffered and
what they did within tie fatal circle
will ever remain locked in mystery.
OF all Clusters men only the Grow scout
above mentioned and sergeant Of COM
pany escaped.
From the descriptions in the papers
you cannot imagine the horror of the
scene after the battle. I-went over it
with the artist as the dead lay in heaps
where they fell, and I shall ever remem-
Der it. General Custer was found with
all his clothes upon him, but his two
brothers were terribly mutilated. When
the fight was in progress the Indian
suuaws would rush in among the
wounded soldiers and beat out their
brains with clubs.
A remarkable story is told Of tho fear
full scene at the death OF Charles Rey-
uolds.. Clusters chief scout, and the best
shot on the Missouri river. He was shot
off the back of his horse, and in falling
caught the horse and killed him, and
making breastwork of the beasts body
he commenced terrible slaughter Of
the Indians. He lay behind his horse
dying and still shooting, and every shot
he fred his deadly aim sent savage to
the earth. When he was taken of the
field after the fight twenty-five dead In
dians were found around him.
At the time of the fight L was sent
with soldier on message to the mouth
of the river where the boat was to call
for General Gibbons command, and he
said General Terry came just in time,
one Oh each side of the river. When l
reached the mouth there was no way OF
communicating with Gibbons on the
othsr bank, except by swimming, andno
ono dared to trust the rapid and treach-
erous current. Ipeeled off and dashed
in, reaching the other bank without
much trouble, and was enabled to reach
Gibbons on that terrible day, and bring
him to the rescue of the struggling Reno.
He and Terry, marching up either bank
of the river, did not reach the scene OF
the battle moment too soon. After
fighting from two.o' clock Saturday until
the Indians coolly packed up
tents and decamped, leaving the grounds
in the hands of the dead and wounded
and defeated.
We ore expecting an attack daily from
them, and as have got one OF the best
Indian ponies on the river, can easily
get away with some OF them:
JAMES MANN1oN.