The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-07-08


the approaches to the river The Indian sharp
shooters were nearly opposite the mouth Of the
ravine through which the brave boys approach.
ed the river, but the attempt was made, and
though one man was killed and seven wound
ed, the water was gained and the command re-
lieved
When the fighting ceased for the night. Ma
jor Reno prepared for further attacks. There
had been forty-eight hours of fighting with nc
word from Custer, but after twenty-four hours
more fighting, the suspense ended. The In
dams abandoned their village in such great
haste and confusion that Major Reno knew
that succor was near at hand.
Gen. Terry with Gibbon, commanding his
own infantry, had arrived, and as the comrades
met, men wept on each others necks In
quiries were then made for Gen. Custer, but
none could tell where he was. Soon an off.
Ger came rushing into camp and related that
he had found Gen. Custer dead, stripped naked
but not mutilated, and near him his two broth.
ers, his brother-in-law, Calhoun, and his
nephew, Col. Yates, and that Col. Keogh,
Capt Smith. Lieut.. Crittenden, Lieut. Sturgis
Col. Cooke, Lieut.. Porter, Lieut. Harrington,
DR.. Lord, Mack Kellogg, the Bismarck Tribune
| correspondent, and 100 men and scouts were
also killed
Gen. Custer went into battle with companies
G, L, l, E and E, of the 18th cavalry, and the
staff and non-commissoned staff of his regi
ment, and number of scouts, Only one Crow
scout was left alive.
Gen. Custer was surrounded on every side
by Indians and horses, and fell fighting. He
was among the first who fell, but when his
cheering voice was no longer heard the Indians
made easy work of the remainder.
1t appears that Gen. Custer Understanding
the enemy separated his force and was defeat
ed in detail He probably misjudged the time
necessary to make the distance between his
own and Reno's ford, thus loosing the effect of
simultaneous attack and with only five com
aNAa nIraI fhA xNef t4o
down the river some four or five miles from
Reno's ford. They were repulsed at the ford,
but made a gallant defense among the bluffs.
where the command was extermlnated. The
loss is thirteen officers and over two hundred
men. The balance are missing and are prOba-
bly, killed.
Gen. Custer, Col. Custer, Col Keogh, Col.
Yates, Col. Cock, Capt. Smith, Lieut.. Calhoun,
Lieut.. Porter, Lieut.. Sturgls, Lieut.. Crittenden
and DR.. Lord were killed; also Gen. Custer
brother Boston, and his nephew, and the Her
AIDS correspondent, Kellogg. Lieut. Harring-
ton is missing.
The bodies of all, save the newspaper cores
pondent, were stripped and most of them horri-
bly, mutllated. Clusters was not mutilated
He 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 instructions from the General of the army.
Colonel Smith arrived at Bismarck Wednesday
night with 80 of the wounded
The Indians lost heavily in the battle. The
Crow scout survived by hiding in a ravine. He
believes that the Indians lost more than the
whites. The village numbered 1900 lodges and
it is thought there were 1000 warriors.
General Custer was directed by General Ter
ry to ascertain the force of the Indians. but not
to fight unless Terry arrived with infantry and
with Gibbons column. The casualties foot up
261 killed and 81 wounded.
Cen Shar,,,u, In
General Sherman is reported to have said to
a newspaper correspondent in answer to ques-
tOns concerning Clusters command:
I'VE ore doing this at the special request of
the Iudian department, and it does not origi.
nate with the war department at all. You will
Our purpose is to drive these Indians who are
OF the very widest and most savage race down
on the reservation. You can say that we will
do it now, or exterminate them."
Another Account of the Fight.
CHICAGO, July z.
Sio,tr City Expedition. Mouth of the Big Horn
July 1, yia Bismarck, d. T., July 6.-Long
have heard of the tragedy which has been
enacted here. The CHASTITY details would seem
to court oblivion if it were in the nature of
things possible to forget or cloak them up.
At noon on the 22d day of June, Gen. Gus
ter. at the head of his fine regiment of twelve
the Rosebud to follow the trail of very large
band of hostile Sioux leading up the river and
westward in the direction of the Big Horn.
The signs indicated that the Indians were
making for the eastern branch of the last nam
ed river, marked on the map as Little Horn,
At the same time Gen. Terry with Gibbons
command of five companies of infantry, four of
cavalry and the gattling battery started to as
cend the Big Horn, aiming to assail the enemy
in the rear. The march of the two columns
w~1a IL. IL
IN cooperating distance OF the anticipated scene
OF action by the evening of the Goth. In this
way only could the infantry be made avaia-
BILE as it would not do to cucumber Clusters
march with foot soldiers. On the evening of
the 24th Gibbons command was landed on the
south bank of the Yellow Stone near the mouth
OF the Big Horn; and on the 25th, was pushed
70 miles over country so rugged that the en-
durance OF the men was tasked to the utmost.
The infantry then halted for the night but the
department commander with the cavaly ad-
vanced twelve miles further to the mouth of
the Little Big Horn, marching till midnight
with the hope of opening communication with
Custer.
The morning of the Goth brought intelligence
communicated by three badly frightened Grow
scouts, of the battle of the previous day and its
result. The story was not credited because it
was not expected that an attack would be
made earlier than the 27th and chiefly because
no one could believe that force such as Gus
ter commanded could have met with disas-
ter. Still the report was in no way disregarded.
All day long the toilsome march was piled
and every eye bent upon cloud of smoke rest
ing over the southern horizon, which was hail
ed as sign that Custer was successful and had
fired the village. 1t was only when night was
falling that the weary troops lay down upon
their arms. The infantry had marched 20
miles. The march of the next morning reveal
ed at every step some evidence of the conflict
which had taken,place two days before. At an
early hour the head ssof the column entered a
plain half mile in width borderin g on the left
bank of the Little Big Horn, where recently
had been an immense Indian village, extend
ing three miles along the stream, and where
were standing funeral lodges with horses
slaughtered around them and containing the
bodies of nine chiefs. The ground was strewn
everywhere with carcasses of horses cavalry
equipments, besides buffalo robes, packages of
DRIED meat and weapons and utensils belonging
the Indians. On this part of the field was
found the clothing of Lieuts Sturgis and Porter
pierced with bullets, and blood stained gaunt-
let belonging to Col. Yates
Further on were found the bodies of the
men. Just then a breathless scout arrived
with the intelligence that Col. Reno with a
remnant of the 9TH cavalry was entrenched on
bluff near by waiting for relief. The COM
mand pushed rapidly on and soon came in sight
OF group surrounding cavalry guard upon
the right bank of the river.
Gen. Terry forded the stream and rode to the
spot. All the way the slopes were dotted with
bodies of men and horses. The General APP
preached and the men swarmed out of the
works and greeted him with cheers.
Within was found Reno with the remains of
seven companies of the regiment. Reno's COM
mand had been fighting from Sunday noon the
18th, till the night of the Goth, when Terry's
arrival caused the Indians to retire. Up to this
time Reno and those with him were in complete
ignorance of the fate of the other five compan-
les which had been separated from them only
on the 10Th to make an attack under Custer, on
the village at another point.
While preparations were being made for the
removal of the wounded party was sent on
clusters trail to look for traces of his COM
mand. Ihey found awaiting them a sight to
appal the stoutest heart At point about three