The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-07-20
THE FATAL BATTLE.
General Terry,s Omcial Report Relative u
the Loss of Custer and his Command.

Indians, received at the headquarters of
Gen. Sheridan. 1t is dated June 9th:
It is my painful duty to report that on
the 25th inst, great disaster overlook
Gen. Custer end the troops under his
command. At twelve O'Clock on the
twenty sc cond he started with his whole
regiment and strong detachment of
scouts and guards from the mouth of
the Rosebud. Proceeding up that river
about twenty miles he struck a very
heavy Indian trail, which had previous
ly been discovered, and pursuing it
found that it led, as was supposed, to
the Little Big Horn river. Here he
found a village of almost unexampled
extent, and at once attacked it with that
portion of his force which was immedi-
ately at hand. Major Reno with three
companies, A, G, and NJ, of the regi-
ment, was sent into the valley of the
stream at the point where the trail
struck it. Gen. Custer with five COM
panies, G, E, f, L, and l., attempted to
enter it about three miles lower down.
Reno forded the river, charged down its
foot, until finally, completely over
whelmed by numbers, he was compelled
to mount, recross the river, and seek
refuge on the high bluffs which over
looked its right bank. Just as he re-
crossed, Capt. Benteen, who, with three
companies, d. II, and X, was some two
miles to the left of Reno when the ac-
ton commenced, but who had been Or
dered by Gen. Custer to return, came
to the river, and rightly concluding that
it would be useless for his force to at
tempt to renew the fight in the valley he
Joined Reno on the bluffs. Captain
McDougall with his company, B, was at
first at some distance in the rear with
train of pack mules. He also came to
Reno soon. This united force was near
ly surrounded by Indians, many of
whom, armed with rifles, occupied po-
sitions which commanded the ground
held by the cavalry-ground from which
there was no escape. Rifle pits were
dug, and the fight was maintained
through, with heavy loss, from about
half past two o'clock of the twenty-fifth,
till six O'Clock OF the twenty sixth, when
the Indians withdrew from the valley,
taking with them their village.
OF the movements of Gen. Custer and
the five companies under his immediate
command scarcely anything is known
from those who witnessed them, for no
soldier or officer who accompanied him
has vet been found alive. His trail from
the point where Reno crossed the stream
passes along and in the rear of the crest
OF the bluffs on the right bank for nearly
or quite three miles, then it comes down
to the bank Of the river, but at once di-
verges from it, as if he had unsuccess-
fully attempted to cross then turns
upon itself, almost completes circle,
and closes. 1t is marked by the remains
of his officers and men, the bodies of
his horses, some of them dropped along
the path, others heaped where halts ap-
pear to have been made. There is
abundant evidence that gallant re-
sistance was offered by the troops, but
they were beset on all sides by over
whelming numbers.
The officers known to be killed are
Gen. Custer, Capts. Keogh, Yates and
Custer; Lieuts. Cooke, Smith, McIn.
tosh, Calhoun, Porter, Hodgson, Stur-
gis and Reilly, of the cavalry; Lieut..
Crittenden, of the Twentieth infantry,
and Acting Assistant Surgeon De Wolf,
Lieut.. Harrington, of the cavalry, and
Assistant Surgeon Lord, are missing.
Captain Benteen and Lieut.. Varnum, OF
the cavalry, are slightly wounded. Mr..
Boston Custer, a brother, and Mr.
Reed, nephew of Gen. Custer, were
with him and were killed. No Other
officers than those whom have named
are among the killed, wounded anG
missing 1t is impossible yet to obtain
reliable list of the enlisted men who
were killed and wounded, but the mum
Der of killed, including officers, mus
reach two hundred and fifty. The mum
Der OF wounded is fifty-one. At the
mouth OF the Rosebud [ informed Gen
Caster that l should take the supply
steamer Far West up the Yellowstone tt
ferry Gen. Gibbons column over tn,
river; that l should personally accom-
pspy that column, and that ] would, il
all probability, reach the mouth of thu
Little Big Horn on the twenty -sixtl
inst. The steamer reached Gen. Glib
bons' troops, near the mouth of the BIZ
Horn, early in the morning of tn
twenty fourth, and at four o'clock in tn
afternoon all his men and animals wer
across the 1ellOWStOAe.
At five o'clock the column, consisting
of five companies OF the Seventh in
fantry, four companies of the Secon,
cavalry, and battery of Gatling guns
marched out to and across Tullock'
creek, starting soon after five O'Clock, O.
the morning Of the 25th. The infantr
made a march of twenty-five miles owe
the most difficult country which hav
ever seen, in order that scouts might b
sent into the valley Of the Little Bi
Horn. The cavalry, with the battery
was then pushed on thirteen or fourtee
miles further, reaching camp at mic
night. The scouts were sent out at hal
past four, Oh the morning of the 26tt
The scouts discovered the Indians, VIII
We're at first supposed to be Sioux, bu
whenever taken they proved to b
Crows, who had been with Gen. Custel
They brought the first intelligence {
the battle. Their story was not credited
1t was supposed that some fighting, pc
haps severe fighting, had taken plac,
but it was not believed that disastC
could have overtaken so large force 6
twelve companies of cavalry. The il
| fantry, which had broken camp yer
early, soon came up, and the whole CO
umn entered and moved up the valley {
the Little Big Horn.
During the afternoon efforts wei
made to send scouts through to what We
supposed to be Gen. Custer's position
aud to obtain information of the cond
ton of affairs, but those who were sci
out were driven back by parties of Il
dams who, in increasing numbers, wei
seen lowering in Gen. Gibbons from
AZ 8. 40 O'clock in the evening the il