Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1876-07-15

and seven wounded. The lIEht CraS-
ed for the night, during which H"no
prepared 10 resist further attacks -
There has how been 4 hours fight,
with - hours more Of suspense. and
fighting ended when the Indiana had
abandoned their village in great haste
Gen. Terry, with Gibbon commanding
his own infantry, had arrived, and a.
the comrades met the men wcpt on
each others necks. Inquiry was
then made for Custer, but none could
tell where he was Soon In officer
came rushing into camp End related
that he had found Cust,r dead, stripp-
cd naked, but not mutlalcd, and near
him his two brothers, Coils. Tom and
Boston Custer, his brothcr-in-law,
Col. Calhoun, and his nephew, Col.
Gales, Col. kcogh, Capt Smith, Lieut..
Crittcnden, Lieut.. SturgcS, Col. Cook,
Lieut.. Porter, Lieut.. Harrington, DR.
Lord, Mack Kellogg, the Bismarck
Tribune correspondent, and one hun
drcd and ninety men and scouts -
Custer went into the battle with COM
panies c, ID, |, +, and + of the Scv-
enth Cavalay, and the staff and non
commissioned staff officers Of the rcgi-
ment, and a number Of scouts, and
only one Grow scout remained to tell
the tale. All are dead.
FURTHER PARTICULARS
BIsMARK, July 7.-Gen Custer was
surrounded on every side by Indians.
and horses fell as they fought the
skirmish line or line of battle. Gus
ter was among the last who fell, but
when bis cheering voice was no Ion
ger heard, the Indians made easy
work of the remainder. The bodies
of all save the newspaper correspond
cnt were stripped, and most of them
were horribly mutilatel. Gen. Gus
ter was shot through the body and
head. The troops cared for the
wounded and buried the dead, and re-
turned TO their base for supplies and
instructions from the General OF the
army. Col. Smith arrived at Bis
marck last evening with 81 of the
wounded. The Indians lost heavily
in the battle. The Crow scout sur
vived by hiding in a ravine, and he
believes the Indians lost more than
the whites. The village numbered
1900 lodges, and it is thought there
were 1000 warriors. Gen. Custer
was directed TO Gen. Terry to find
aud feel Of the Indians, but not to
fight unless Terry arrived with infan-
try and with Gibbons column. The
Herald correspondent, Mr.. Kellogg,
was killed.
Gen. Gibbons cavalry followed the
Indians for about ten miles, and as
certained that they had moved to the
South and West by several trails -
a good deal of property had been
thrown away by them to Tighten
their march, and was found scattered
for many miles ov,r the prairie
Many of their dead were also discov-
cred secretcd in ravines long dis
tance from the battle ground Among
them were Arrapahoes and Cheyen-
ncs as well as Sioux.
A party was sent on Clusters trail
to look for traces of his command
They fourd awaiting them a sight fit
to appal the stoutest heart. At
point about three miles down tie
right bank of the stream, Custer had
evidently attempted to ford and then
attack the villages from the ford
The trail was found to lead back up
the bluffs aud to the northward, as
if the troops had been repulsed and
compelled to retreat, and at the same
time had been cut off from regaining
the forces under Reno. The bluffs
along the right bank come sharply
down to the water, and are interspcrs.
ed by numerous ravines all along the
slopes, and in the ravines lying as
they had fought, line behind line,
showing that their defensive positions
had been successfully taken up and
held until none were left to fight
Then huddled in narrow compass.
horses and men were piled promiscu-
ously. at the highest point of the
ridge lay Custer, surrounded by
chosen band. Here were his two
brothers and his nephew, Mr..
Reed, Coils. Yates and Cook, and
Capt. Smith, all lying in circle of
few yards Here, behind Yates COM
pany, the last stand had been made,
and here one after another, these last
survivors Of Casters five companies
met their death. The companies bad
successfully thrown themselves across
the path of the advancing enemy, and
had been annhilated. Not man es-
capped to tell the tale, but it was in
scribed on the surface of the barren
field in language more eloquent than
words.
THE OBJECT OF THE WAR.
PHILADELPHIA, July 1.-Gen. Sher-
man, in an interview, yesterday, in
answer to a question by reporter as
to the reasons of the Indian campaign
said, we are doing this at the special
request of the Indian apartment Il,
does not originate with the War De-
partment at all You will see on the
map where the Indian reservation is
Our purpose is to drive these Indians.
who are of the very widest and most
savage sort, down on their reservation.
MoDlana Is oue Of the most promising