The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1876-08-10
Clusters Last Battle.
How Il Is Described by The Only Surriro

Hon u Is Described by The Only Surriror.
A correspondent writes from Bis
mark to tho New York lie raid let
ter from which we extract the fol-
lowing ): "1'he Grow Indian Curley
is believed to DO the only survivor Of
the $50 men who went into action
with Custer. He is very clear in the
knowledge Of tho fight, and has
made statement. He says he went
down with two other Crows and
went into action with Custer. The
General, he says, kept down the riv
or on tho north bank. four miles af-
ter Reno had crossed to the south
side above. Clusters object was to
cut off the Indians. He thought
Reno would drive them down the
valley. and at tho same time attack
the village on both sides, be believ-
ing Reno would take it at the upper
end, while he, Custer would no in at
the lower end. Custer had gone
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 u
ford and dashed for it. The indians
met him aud poured in heavy fire
from across the narrow river. Gus.
ter dismounted TO fight on foot, but
could not get his skirinishes over the
stream. Meantime hundreds OF In
dians, on foot and on ponies, poured
over the river, which was only about
three feet deep, and filed the ra.
vines on each side of Clusters 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 n terrible fire
: on all sides. They charged Custer
. on foot in vast numbers but were
again and again driven back. The
fight began about two o'clock and
lasted, Curley says, almost until the
0 sun won't down over the hills. The
I, men fought desperately, and aftel
the ammunition in their belts wai
o exhausted, went to their saddlo-bag,
got more, and continued tho fight
/. Curley says more Indians were kill,
! than Custer had mon. He also say
, the big chief, Custer, lived unit
: nearly all his men had been killo,
: or wounded, and went about encour
Z aging his soldiers to fight on. liz
It got q shot in the left side and sa
|, down with bis pistol in his hand
. : Another shot struck Custer in th
IL breast and he fell over Tho las
officer killed was man who rode
white horse believed to be Lieuton
> ant Cook, adjutant OF the 7th, a
Lioutenants Cook and Calhoun wor
% tho only officers who rode white hol
II ses, and Lieutenant Calhoun, wa
found dead on the skirmish lint
d noar tho ford, and probobly fell ear
T. ly in the action). Curley says whe
he saw Custer was hopelessly SUI
a rounded he watched his opportunit.
N got Sioux blanket, put it on, an
20 worked up q ravine, and when I'll
4. Sioux charged he got among thel
g. and they did not know him from on
= oftheir own men. There wero som
D mounted Sioux, and seeing one fa
., Curley ran to him, mounted his pon
u and gallopped down, as if going Il
ward the white men, but went up
- ravine aud got away.-He says q
: he rode off ho saw, when nearly
:. mile from tho battlefield, doze
= or more soldiers in a ravino fightir
. with Sioux all around them. Il
thinks all were killed, as they wei
outnumbered Ave to one and appa
emily dismounted. These men we
no doubt part Of the thirty-fve mi
sing men reported in the official dc
patches Of Gen. Terry. Curle
says he saw one cavalry soldier wi
had got away. lie was we'll noun
. ed but shot through both hips, al
MI Curley thinks he died Of his wount
starvod to death in bad lands,
more likely his trail was followed ,
aud killed by the Sioux. Curley d
-. not leave Custer until the battle W
'v' y, nearly over and he describes it
y" desperate in the extreme. He
quite sure the Indians had mo
n killed than Custer had white m
he with him, and says tho soldit
sst fought on until the last man fe
The other Crow Indians in the b,