Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-07-14
The Indian Massacre.

uIyi sHlkluB tfall WntTe hSuO lelt III ieou-
ing in the direction of Little Horn. On the
evening Of the Oath fresh trails were re.
ported aud on the morning Of the 25th an
Indian village, 20 miles above the mouth of
the Little Horn, was reported, about three
miles long and half mile wide and 10
miles away Gen. Custer pushed his com.
mand rapidly through. They had made a
march Of 7S miles in the "a hours preced.
ing the battle. When near the village IT
was discovered that the Indians were NOV.
ing in hot haste, as if retreating. Reno,
with seven companies Of the Seventh Cav
airy, was ordered to the left to attack the
village at its head, while Custer with five
companies went TO the right aud commenced
a vigorous attack.
Reno felt Of them with three companies
Of cavalry and was almost instantly sur.
rounded, and after one hour or more Of Wig
orous fighting, during which he lost Lieut.
Hodgson aud Mcintosh and DR.. Dewolf aud
II men, with several Indian scouts killed
and many wounded, he cut his way through
to the river and gained bluff 800 feet in
hight, where he intrenched and was soon
joined by Col. Benton with four companies
In the meantime the Indians resumed their
attack, making repeated and desperate
charges, which were repulsej with great
slaughter to the Indians. They gained
higher ground than Reno occupied, aud as
their arms were OF longer range aud better
than the cavalry, they kept up calling FIRE
until nightfall. During the night Reno
strengthened his position aud was prepared for
another attack, which was made at daylight.
The day wore on. Reno had lost in killed
aud wounded large portion Of his command
forty odd having been killed before the bluff
was reached, many Of them in hand to hand
conflicts with the Indians, who outnumbered
them ten to one, and his men had been with
out water for thirty.six hours. The suffer.
ing was heart rending. In this state Of
affairs they determined to reach water at all
hazards. Col. Benton made a sally with
his company and routed the main body oil
the Indians who were guarding the ap.
proaches to the river. The Indian sharp.
shooters were nearly opposite the mouth Of
the ravine through which the brave boys
approached the river, but the attempt was
made, and though one man was killed and
seven wounded, the water was gained and
the command was relieved. When the fight.
ing ceased for the night, Reno further pre-
pared for attacks. There had been forty.
eight hours fighting with no word from Gus
ter. Twenty-four hours more of fighting
aud the suspense ended when the Indi as
abandoned their village in great haste and
confusion. Reno then knew that success
was near at hand. Gen. Terry, with Glib
bon commanding his own infantry, had ar
rived, and as the comrades met, men wept
on each others necks.
Inquiries we're then made for Custer, but
none could tell where he was. Soon au
officer came rushing into camp aud related
that he had found Custer dead, and stripped
naked, but not mutilated, and near him his
two brothers, Col. Tom. and Boston Custer,
his brother.in-law, Col. Calhoun, aud his
nephew, Col. Yates, Col. Keogh, Capt.
Smith, Lieut.. Crittenden, Lieut.. Sturgis,
Col. Cooke, Lieut.. Porter, Lieut.. Harring-
ton, DR.. Lord, Mack Kellogg, the Bismarck
Tribune correspondent, aud 100 men and
scouts. Gen. Custer went into battle with
companies ., l., l, Il and Il of the Seventh
Cavalry, and the staff and the non-commis.
stoned staff of his regiment and a number oi
scouts, and only one Grow scout remained to
tell the tale. All are dead. Custer was
surrounded on every side by Indians, and
horses fell as they fought on the skirmish
line or in the line of battle. Custer was
among the last who fell, but when his cheer.
ing voice was no longer heard the Indians
made easy work of the remainder
IL. - III A l.
respondent, were stripped, and most Of them
were horribly mutilated. Clusters was not
mulilated. lie was shot through the body
and through the head. The troops cared
for the wounded and buried the dead, and
returned to their base for supplies and in.
structions from the general Of the army.
Col. Smith arrived at Bismarck, Wednesday
night, with thirty-fve Of the wounded.
The Indians lost heavily in the battle.
Tho Grow scout survived by hiding in q
ravine. lie believes the Indians lost more
than the whites. The villages numbered
$500 lodges, and it is thought there wore
1000 warriors.
Gen. Custer was directed by Gen. Terry
to find and feel Of the Indians, but not to
fight unless Terry arrived with infantry aud
with Gibbons column. The casualties
foot up POI killed and so wounded
A later summing up is as follows
Custer was scouting for the Indians, and
learned that they were enoamped on the
meadows Of this creek, near the head Of
which his command then was. As the regi-
ment came over the hills and moved down
the right-hand side of the stream, the vii.
lage stretched for miles along the other side
full Of white wigwams and OF Indians rails.
ing dust with their ponies, excited by the
proximity of fight, for they had detected
Clusters presence, and he knew they had
Scouts told him "the Indians were running
lie ordered Reno to cross and "head for the
dust" at the upper end, TO which they were
approaching lie rode down the valley on
the same side, and attempted to cross in the
face Of the village. Some of his lieutenanti
did cross, and were found dead on the other
side. But most Of his command were shO
down in the ravines on the same side, himself
falling with his officers around him, further
up the slope. The dead bodies are the only
witnesses Of the story. Custer was over,
powered, driven from ravine to ravine along
the creek, aud exterminated In the mean
time, Reno, after crossing aud making hO
fight Of some hours, was driven back 10 thu
right side Of the river, the worst slaughter
being at the ford. lie entrenohed himself
at the top of hill slOping up from the ereeL
with saddles aud dead horses and such earth
works as could be thrown up with knives