Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-07-17
AN INDIAN VICTORY.

III NuS NVlbh-N6oI Oudt NuC ONClNuClui-
ing defeat Of Clusters command and the
butchery of this gallant commander and
his men, will produce both establishment
and alarm. 1t is only now and then
when some such outburst as that of the
Modocs, which resulted in the Staying of
Gen. Candy, Commissioner Thomas, and
others, or that which we now record
with so much sorrow, comes like a shock,
that we realize the character of the
Indian and difficulties of the situation.
Sitting Bulls band of Sioux left their
reservation with hostile intent. They
refused negotiations for peace. They
de6ed the power and authority Of
the United States They invited war.
A force was sent against them. This
force became divided, and Gen. Custer
with five companies, coming up to the
main body of the SOuix, attacked them
impetuously, without waiting for the
support of the remainder Of the column.
The result was that the entire body of
men, numbering between three and four
hundred, and including Gen. Custer
and several other commissioned officers,
fell into a death-trap; they were over
whelmend by superior numbers, and
were all slaughtered. The precise par
ticulars of that horrible catastrophe will
never be known. There are no survi-
vors. The course of the detachment,
after it began the attack, is traced only
by the bodies of the slain. How gal
lantly those poor fellows fought can on
ly be surmised.
The streams on which the late tragii
cal events have happened are branches
of the Yellowstone, which in this regi.
on-Southern Montana-has a general
course from west to east. Going uI
stream one successfully passes on the
left, or southern bank of the Yellow
stone, Powder River, Tongue River
Rosebud creek. and the Big Horn. Tn,
last-named stream was supposed to be thu
extreme Western limit Of the operation
of this EXPEDITION. Gen. Terry Is tn
senior and ranking officer in the activ
force, Gen. Custer having been secont
, in his immediate command. The Army
, however, was divided into three col
7 umns, one being under Gen. Crook, an
operating far to the south of the Yellow
stone. and one under Gibbon, who wa
n to the north in supporting distance {
e Terry On the 18th of June, Crook
c forces met the hostile Sioux, under 81
ting Bull. on the headwaters Of I'll
Rosebud, about seventy miles from ii
junction of that stream with the yellow
Stone. Gen Crook was repulsed an
fell back in a southerly direction, wit
ten killed and thirteen wounde
About this time the commands Of &c
Terry and Gen. Gibbon we're encampC
on the Yellowstone, far to the mort
ward, one at the mouth, of the POwdC
and the other at the mouth of t
Tongue, Rivers.
n At last accounts, Custer, with nj
il companies was to cross over to {
At Rosebud, passing west from Tong
NJ River, feeling for the Sioux. Ter
20 with seven companies, was to foil
,er within easy supporting distance. G
nat bon we must suppose, was to follow
for general route westward, but was to k,
, to the nouthward. in order to be Def
the Sioux. in case they attempted
ee, turn to the eastward. Not finding
ac- Sioux on the Rosebud. Custer kept
will and struck their main camp on the
Gu tie Horn, branch. of the Big Horn.
nix about Fifty miles west of the point wi
sig Crook had been turned back, June l.
he Clusters command was divided, NJ
ms Reno commanding part. and Gu;
sys- the remainder. Without once reel
by ing the disparity of numbers, flor
ling Indians are reported to have been 70,
and FIVE thousand strOng,) Custer impetu
sin ly charged upon the foe. The re
ates was appalling. No such catastrO
'Ose, has happned in our Indian wal
,r since the Florida war.
itiOn The Indians who have just wro
N | this bloody revenge are nominal,
) in reservations. They have refuse
the stay there, and the expedition int
nent to chastise them and compel them t
legal turn has met with frightful disa
nc a The victory of the sayages will in
gov the border, and restless tribes wi
h be inpatient to share the glory sudC
feel achieved by Sitting Bull and his b.
from Year after year, the wild Indians
with been hemmed in; they fight wit
the less desperation for that; and now
ience we have been defeated in a conslde
,sper- engagement, defensive tactics mus
d but cede the operations necessary 70
specie chastisement of SO dangerous and
prove mined foe.
lplish -