The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-08-10
CUSTER,S DEATH-STRUGGLE.
ae Once Escaped, but Returned to Die
with His COmrades-An Eyewitness
Description of the Gallant Charge.
Nov
[From the Detroit News.l


Description of the Gallant Charge.
From the Detroit News.l
The following letter has been received
by Mr.. James Mannion, Of Al Spencer
street, this city, from his son James, who
was an eye witness of the Custer massa-
ere. It is the only account of that ter
rible affair yet written by a witness of
it, and details many incidents not yet
given to the public:
MOUTH OF POWDER RIVER,
BIG HORN AND YELLOWSTONE EXPED'N, July 5.
DEAR FATHER: We left camp on the
18th of last month 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 this bank Of the Big
Horn. Striking the Little Big Horn,
we followed well-marked trail along it's
banks, and on Saturday morning, June
"A, we came in sight Of an Indian village
with about 1900 tents, and fighting
force of 5000 warriors. Maj. Reno, in
whose command am, commanded the
left flank and Custer the right, and the
fight commenced by Reno's charging
into the Indian village, fighting on foot,
having tied the horses in a grove short
way off. While the fight was going on
Gen Custer reached the other side of
the village and attacked it. Gen. Custer
and his five companies took position on
a ridge in the center of the Indian camp,
cut off from access to water, and there
fought desperately all day long, con-
spicuous mark for the savage marksmen
all around them.
At last, when 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 gantlet 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, one of his scouts. He would
not leave his men to perish alone, and
turned to go back, but the Grow, recog-
nizing that such a movement would be
fatal, grabbed his horse and implored
him not to go back.
Custer only laughed, and, putting the
reins of his horse between his teeth,
with revolver in each hand, he gave a
wild cheer, and dashed back through
the hell of smoke and flying bullets.
AS if by miracle he reached the rem
nant of his 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 disposed 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 the 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 breastworks, fought on with
the vigor Of despair until the last man
was dead. What they suffered and
what they did within the fatal circle will
forever remain locked in mystery. Of
all Clusters men only the Grow scout
above mentioned and q Sergeant OF Com
pany I 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 shall ever remem-
Der it. Gen. Custer was found with all
his clothes upon him, but his two
brothers were terribly mutil&ted. When
the fight was in progress the Indian
squaws would rush in among the wound
ed soldiers and beat out their brains
with clubs.
A remarkable story is told Of the fear
full scene at the death Of Charles Rey-
nolds, Clusters chief scout, and the best
shot on the Missouri river Ho 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 slaugh-
ter Of the Indians. He lay behind his
horse, dying and still shooting, and
every shot he fired his deadly aim sent
! savage to the devil. When he was
aiken off the field after the fight twenty
wo dead Indians we're found around
lin. JAMES MANNIoN.
THE italian Treasury will honor Plus
Iraff RI tho ovtonk of S9 270 0(l0 TT is ,