The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-08

will be melted to retaliatory acts Of aggres.
| sion, and that all the members OF that pow
erful tribe will now be consolidated in re
sistance to the forces Of the United States.
While great admiration is felt for the heroic
bravery Of Custer, and regret expressed at
his death, the opinion Is that it was the re-
suit OF his own unparalleled rashness.
Some of the friends OF General Custer are
not surprised OF his end. When he was
here before the Impeachment Committee he
was denounced strongly by Republican
members OF Congress because of his testi-
mony. This and the manner in which he
was treated by the President had the effect
to make him very unhappy, and he init
mated when he left here that he intended to
throw himself in the thickest of the fight
against the Indians.
Interview With General Sherman.
General Sherman was in Philadelphia
when the news Of the massacre was received,
was interviewed by Herald man, and the
following was the result:
':It seems almost too terrible to be entire
" true" said the General. cit must be ex-
aggerated. cannot believe that Custer and
| his whole command would be swept away.
I don't think. there were enough Indians
there to do it like that. I'll bet,n said the
old warrior earnestly, "that il it is so there
was pile of dead on the Indian side. Gus
ter's line of march, however, was to be just
as the report says, and that tends to con-
| firm il" = +,
.'sWhat is the latest official information
you have as to the situation there?"
General Terry left, Fort Abe Lincoln,
striking for Ithe- Powder river and the val
| ley of the Yellowstone. A boat was sent
at the same time up through the Yellow
stone with provisions and supplies. He en-
countered no Indians, and reported all well
on the 21st OF june when he received a
messenger from General Gibbon, inform
| ing him that Gibbon was on his way from
Fort Ellis to meet him, but could not cross
the Yellowstone because the stream was too
high to ford, and that Gibbon intended to
send Custer UP the Rosebud to its source
with Instructions to cross theyountry to the
Little Horn, which hewas to follow to where
it joined the Big Horn, twenty miles from
the Yellowstone. By way Of this detour he
was to come back to the Yellowstone,
striking it at the Big Horn junction, which
Gibbon could have reached by that time.
This battleis reported Just where Custer
would have been likely to be. The steam-
boat would have gone up after Gibbon had
used it to bring over his troops at the mouth
OF the Big Horn" .... '-so:
GENERAL SHERMAN's EXPLANATION.
General Sherman explained that Terry
started from Fort Lincoln with 1000 men to
march to the junction of the Big Horn with
the Yellowstone "a distance of about 400
miles from Fort Buiord), where he was to
meet Gibbon with 500 men coming from
Helena by way OF Ellis, the nearest post,
Ellis being 200 miles from the Big Horn
junction. Custer left Terry at the Rosebud
river, with full regiment Of 1,200 men, to
make q detour around by the Little Horn.
It was near where the Little Horn empties
into the Big Horn that be was surprised
by the Indians and the massacre took place.
This is only about 20 miles from the Vel
lowstone, where Gibbon and Terry were
waiting for him to join them, so that they
were few hours march OF Clusters COM
mand when the massacre occurred. Where
Crooks battle took place cannot be much
more than one; hundred miles FROM where
Custer was killed, according to General
Sherman's calculation. r;.:.,,../
cone reason why think the account
published is eXaggerated,' said the Gen.
eral, I" is because we have yet received no
official information. 1t would be the duty
OF the officer in command at Ellis, even il
he were only sergeant-for only a small
garrison would be there, General Gibbon
taking the cavalry at this post with him
say the first duty of the officer left in com.
mand OF this garrison would be to tele'
graph to Bozeman City, in Montana, ono
hundred and fifty miles distant, thence to
Montana City, three hundred and fifty miles
away. The dispatch would be sent first to
General Sheridan, who would forward it al
once to me-" -...-.a. --r---.--- 49,
s,1, f1,se
sentence there was 4 rap at the door, and :
telegram was brought to him. 1t was from
General Sheridan, announcing that the death
OF Custer was confirmed, but that no details
were yet received. The dispatch further
stated that Terry was at the junction OF the
Big Horn, and was call right" Genera
Sherman inferred from the last assertion
that Terry had Clusters wounded, and that
in very short time we shall have the Jul
story of the battle from their lips.
MANNER OF FIGHTING.
The correspondent asked why Custer
was ordered to make the detour up the
Rosebud.
The General replied that it was frequently
done in lighting Indians. cit is the best
| plan to divide so as to try and find thell
camp. ~g4le indians rarely fight near their
Sthips, N1C1C tACy ICafC IiiCA NOoASA ''!"
old men to guard their property. Ii you
can surprise their camp and get the women
and property out you soon get the men and
bring them to terms. We conquered the
hiowas and the Comanches in the same
way. We hemmed them in and caught them
by finding their camps. There were good
military reasons for Custer making this de-
tour. He probably had his own good rea-
sons for weakening his force by sending
Major Reno around the Indian camp with
seven companies. That was probably in
tended to cut off their retreat after the at.
tack had been made.'
"How many Sioux do you think there are
in that country, and what kind of land is it
physically 90
at is mauraises terfeS, the worst kind OF
bad land, 1t is full Of ravines, barren and
water-washed, poor soil, but with a little
grass in the valleys. AS to the numbers Of
Sioux there we have but little means of
knowing, but think there can't be more
than 1000"
REASONS FOR THE CAMPAIGN.
"What were the reasons for this CAM
paign?"
"That is something am very anxious
YOU should say to the Herald, because I
want it understood. We are doing this at
the special request OF the Indian Depart
ment. It does not originate with the War
Department at all. You will see on my map
where the Indian reservation is. Our pur-
pose is to drive these Indians, who are Of
the very widest and most savage sort,
| down, m, tho reservation Montana - said