Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-07-19
The Slaughter Of Gen. Custer and His
Men by the Indians.

Inc SIduSnteT vi UGH. OuSttI anu Ills
Men by the Indians.
The Inter-OcedH correspondent with
the Sioux City Expedition telegraphs
to that paper the following particulars,
learned on the arrival of Gen. Terry's
forces at the scene of the carnage:
At an early hour the head of the column
entered plain half a mile wide, border
ing the left bank of the Little Big Horn,
where had recently been an immense In
dian village, extending three miles along
the stream, and where were still standing
funeral lodges with horses slaughtered
around them and containing the bodies of
nine chiefs. The ground was strewn
everywhere with carcasses of horses, cav
airy equipments, besides buffalo robes,
packages of dried meat and weapons and
utensils belonging 70 Indians On this
part of the field were found the clothing of
Lieuts Sturgis and Porter, pierced with
bullets, and blood stained gauntlet be-
longing to Col Yates. Further on were
found the bodies of men, among whom
were recognized Lieut. Mcintosh, the in
terpreter from Fort Rice, and Rey-
nolds, the guide. Just then breath
less scout arrived with the inteli-
gence that Col. Reno, with rem
nant of the Seventh Cavalry, was en-
trenched on bluff near by waiting for re.
lief. The command pushed rapidly on,
and soon came in sight of group sur
rounding a cavalry guard upon lofty en-
inence on the right bank of the river
Gen. Terry forded the stream, accompa-
MED by small party, and rode to the
| spot. All the way the slopes were dotted
with the bodies of men and horses. The
General approached, and the men
| swarmed out Of the works and greeted
him with hearty and repeated cheers
! Within was found Reno with the remains
of seven companies of the regiment,
with the following named officers,
all of whom are unhur; Coils. Ben
teen and Wier; Capt, Felix Maylan
and McDougal; Licuts Godfrey Ma
| they, Gibson, De Rudid, Edgerly,
| Wallace, Varnum and Hare In the
center of the incloSure was "a depression
| in the surface, in which the wounded
were sheltered, covered with canvas Re
nos command had been fighting from
Sunday noon Che 25th) until the night of
/ the 26th, when Terry's arrival caused the
/ Indians To retire. Up to this time Reno
and those with him were in complete ig-
! norance of the fate of the other five com
! panies, which had been separated from
{ them early on the 25th To make an attack
under Custer on the village at another
/ point. While preparations We're being
made for the removal of the wounded, Il
I party was sent on Clusters trail to look for
/ traces of his command. They found
! awaiting them sight fit to appal the
stoutest heart.
/ AT point about three miles down the
/ right bank of the stream, Custer had evil
4 IDENTIFY attempted to ford and attack the
/ village from the ford The trail was
! found To lead back up to the bluffs and to
! the northward, as if the troops had been
| repulsed and compelled to retreat and at
| the same time had been cut off from re-
/ gaining the forces under Reno. The
/ bluffs along the right bank came sharply
/ down to the water and are interspersed bv
numerous ravines all along the slopes and
! ridges, and in the ravines lay the dead
/ arranged in order of battle, lying as they
| had fought, line behind line, showing
where defensive positions had been sue
cessively taken up and held till none were
| left to fight Then hudded in narrow
| compass, horses and men were piled pro-
miscuouSly. At the highest loint of the
| ridge lay Custer, surrounded by chosen
! band. Here were his two brothers and
his nephew, Mr.. Feed, Coils. Yates and
/ Cooke and Capt Smith. all lying in cir
lie OF a few yards, their horses beside
them Here, behind Yates company. the
/ lasr s.and had been made, and here, one
/ aftcr ahother, these last survivors of Gus
ter's five companies had met their death
The companies had successfully thrown
themselves across the path of the advanc-
ing enemy, and had been annihilated.
Not 4 man had escaped to tell the tale.
but il was inscribed ON the surface of
these barren hills in language more elo.
quent than words Two hundred and
>iNty-one bodies have been buried fron
Clusters and Reno's command. The last
one found was that OF Mr.. Kellogg, CORE.
Spoudent of the Bismarck Tribune. and
also, believe, Of the New York Hlraif
The following are the names of the officers
whose remains are recognized Gen.
Custer: Coils Keogh. Yates. Custer
Cooke. Capt smith. Lieurs Mcintosh
Calhoun, Hodgson and Reilly. All of
Z these belonged 10 the Seventh Cavalry.
Lieut. Crittenden, of the Twentieth Infan.
Try, Avho was serving temporarily with the
regiment.
Lieuts Porter, Sturgis and Harrington