Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-07-08
Great Suffering OF SOLDIER Frs m
Thirst and Fatigue.
FULL ACCOUNT OF THE TERRIBLE
DISASTER.

| The Times has special which SAYS Gen. Gus
ter left the Rosebud, June 22nd with twelve com
| panies of the seventh cavalry, striking trail
| where Reno left it, leading in the direction of
| Little Horn. On the evening" of the 9th, fresh
trails were reported. On the morning of the 10Th,
an Indian village, 20 miles above the mouth Of
| the Little HON, was reported, about three miles
| long, half mile wide, and fifteen miles away.
| In the meantime the Indians resumed the at
| tack, making repeated and desperate charges,
which were repused with great slaughter 70 the
| lnGians They gained higher ground than Reno
| occupied. and their longer range,
and better than the cavalry, they kept CALLING
| fire until nightfall. Daring the night Reno
| streng thened his position and prepared for
another attack, which was made at daylight.
| The day wore Reno had lost in killed and
| wounded a large portion OF lis command, 40 odd
having been killed before the bluff reached,
| many of them in hand to haLd conflicts with the
| Indians. Reno was out numbered bv them 10 to
| l. and his men bad been without water for SO
hours The suffering was heart rendng. In this
state of affairs they determined to reach the fort
| at all hazards.
Col. Benton made rally with his company, and
routed the main body Of Indians, who were
| guarding approaches to the river. Indian sharp
| shooters were nearly opposite the mouth of the
ravine, through winch 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 relieved when
| fighting ceased for the night.
|
been As hours of fl Citing with no word from Gus
| ter. Twenty four hours OF more fighting and the
| suspense ended, when the Indians abandoned
/ then village in great haste and confusion. Reno
knew that succor was near at hand. Gen. Terry
| with Gbbon commanding his own infantry had
arrived, and, as the comrades met, the wept
| on each others necks.
Inquiries were then made for Custer, but none
could tell where he was. Soon an officer came
| rushing into camp and related that he had found
1. j..al bad h,tt tod
ard near h N his two brothers, his brother-in-sw
| and his nephew, Col. Yates, Col. keogh, Capt.
Smith, Liaut. Crittenden, Lieut.. Sturges, Col.
| Cook, Lieut.. Porter, Lieut.. Harrington, DR..
| Lord, Mack Kellogg the BIsmark Tribune cor
| re .pondent, aud 100 men and scouts.
| Custer went into battle with Cos. {. l., |, f,
| and L. of the 9TH cavalry and the staff and nom
commissioned staff Of his regiment and number
of scouts. Only one Grow scout remained to
| tell the tale. All are dead. Custer was surround
ed on every side by Indians and horses. They
fell as they fought in skrmish line, or in line of
battle Custer was among the last who fell but
when his cheering voice was no longer heard, the
| Indians made easy work of the remainder.
| The bodies of all save the newspaper CORES
pc dent were stripped, and most of them horribly
mutilated. Clusters was not mutated. 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.
| Col. Smith arrived at Bismarck, Wednesday
| night With thirty five of the wounded. The ln
dians lost heavy in the battle The Crow scout
survived by hiding in ravine. lie believes the
| Indians lost more than the whites The village
| numbered 1900 lodges, and 1t is thought there
were 1909 Indians. Gen. Custer was directed to
find and feel the Indians, but not to fight unless
| Terry arrived with infantry and with Gibbons
coumu.
| Casualties foot up pol killed and % wounded.
There were found the bodies of Custer his two
| brothers and nephew, Mr.. Read, Coils. Yates and
| Cook and Capt. Smith, all laying in a circle of a
few yards and here one after another of Clusters
command fell, not man escaping to tell the tale
Further Particulars.
| Chicago, July 7. The Inter Ocean special da-
| ted Bismarck, ID. t. lst, says information from
| the Sioux expedition, dated mouth Of Big Horn,
July LIST, says Gen. Custer left the mouth Of the
Rosebud with twelve companies. to follow an In
dian trail OF large band of hostile Sioux. They
| followed up in the direction of Big Horn. The
indians were making for the other branch OF the
| Little Big Horn. Gen. Terry with Gibbons
command of five companies of infantry and four
cavalry started to ascend Big Horn to attack the
enemy in the rear. On the morning of the 10Th
two Crow scouts brought intelligence OF the bat
| ties of the previous day.
Tpon receipt Of the news the command COM
| menced to march in a southerly direction, where
| smoke was to be seen, which indicated that Gus
ter had fired the Indian village. The next morn
ing the head of the column entered the plain bor-
| recently had stood immense Indian village,
| three miles in length. Here were slaughtered
horses, cavalry equipments, and the dead bodies
of nine Indian chiefs. The clothing of Lients
Sturgis and Porter was also found pierced with
| bullets. Further on was found the body of LIT.
Mcintosh. Just then a scout arrived with nteli
gence that Col. Reno was intrenched with the
remnant of the first cavalry, on the bluff near by,
needing relief
The command pushed on and found Reno with
| = Ia a,nJo Of tla =
| command had been fighting since Sunday noon
the 18th, until relieved by Gen. Terry the night of
| the Goth. Terys arrival caused the Indians to
rctle. Reno knew nothing of the fate of the 9th
! CT five companies, which had been separated from
them on the 25h to make an attack under CU,tar >
command, at point about three miles down on
I the right bank of the stream. Custer had appar-
entity made an attack on the indians and was com
PEELED to retreat, but was cut of from the man
! body. They were forced into a narrow recess
where horses and men lay scattered about promis-
cously.
Wa,hington July :. The following was re-
ceived at the war department:
Chicago, July 6.
| To Gen. Townsend, Adjutant General:
! Capt. Smith of Gen. Terry's staff, telegraphs
! from Bismarck as follows:
General Custer, Captains Custer, Keogh, Yates
and Cook, Lieuts. Smith, Mclntosh, Calhoun,
IIodgson, Perley, Porter Sturgs and Crttenden
were killed. Lieut.. Harrington and Assistant
Surgeon lord are missing. 26l dead have been
found, and - wounded brought away.
| r. c. Drum, A. A. G..
The following is that part of the official report
not contained in the above account, received at
Chicago from Sioux City
| The history of Renos operations comprises all
that is now known of this sanguinary affair. 1t
seems that Custer with eight companies reached
the river in the forenoon of the 18th, having
marched continuously all the previous day and
night. Seeing the upper or southern extremity
of the village, and probably under estimating its
extent he ordered Reno to ford the river and
charge the village with three companies, while he
with five companies moved down the right bank
and behin nd the bluff to make similar attack. At
the other end Reno made his charge, but finding
that he was dealing with force many times his
own numbers, dismouned his men and sought
shelter in the umbers which fringed the river
bank. The position appearing to him untenable,
he rcmouned and cut his way to the river, forded
under murderous fire, and gained the blutf,
where he was subsequently found.
Here he was afterwards Joined by Col Benton
,tb had ust lpft