The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-09-15

BURNED Al THE SlAhL'
Terrible Fate of Six of Clusters Men who
Were Captured by sitting Buii-The story
of the Little Big Horn Fight told by one
who Saw II.
The Minneapolis Tribune publishes
an interview with the first living witness
of Clusters massacre who has made his
appearance in civilization. This IN
teresting parsonage is an old trapper
named Ridgely, who has returned To ms
home near Minneapolis, and who relates
the most thrilling narrative OF adven-
lures, having been captured on the plains
by Sitting Bulls warriors on the LIST OF
April. with several comrades, two of
whom were killed. The survivors were
taken into the presence of Sitting Bull
and questioned as to whence they came.
They promptly replied from Fort Garry,
wbereupon the chief Immediately order
ed them to be released from their bonds,
and afforded them the freedom of the
Camp on the ground of their being British
subjects. Ridgely says Sitting Bulls
only aim in mastering ms warriors
was to drive the miners out of
tie Black Hills, and he had no
idea of meeting the soldiers until the
United States forces appeared on the
Yellowstone, and for eight days previous
to the fatal precipitation OF Custer,
mounted couriers from Sitting Bulls
camp observed every movement of the
approaching army. 1t was with mani
fest delight they discovered the enemy
dividing their forces, and immediate
preparations were made to draw them
into ambuscades. The Indian camp was
divided by high ridge, which extended
in southerly direction from the Rose
bud, the north end sloping down nearly
to the bank of the river near ford.
From this hill the Indians watched
Custer coming up through the valley
following their trail. AS Custer ap-
preached, he only observed twenty-five
tepees, which were on one side of the
ridge, but behind the point of the ridge
were seventy-five double tepees, and
when Custer commenced his attack on
the small village he found himself sur
rounded by 1900 to 1000 warriors,
ranged in order of battle, aud whose
movements were executed with military
precision. Ridgely stood on the side of
hill in full view of the battle, which
was about a mile and half distant.
The fight began in ravine near the
ford. and fully one-half the command
seemed to be endorsed at the first fire,
and the remainder began to retreat to-
ward hill in the rear. But their ranks
were thinned with astonishing rapidity
from a front and flank fire. Custer fell
in the middle of the engagement, which
began about IL o'clock and ended in the
brief space of forty-fve minutes. After
annihilating the command the victors
returned to camp with six soldiers as
their success, they tied these poor fell
and roasted them alive.
While the victims we're enduring ago
nizing tortures, little Indian boys fired
arrows heated to red heat into their
quivering flesh until their blackened
corpses fell from the stakes. Sitting
Bull remarked after the battle that he
had killed many soldiers and one damned
General.
While the six soldiers were suffering
their fiery ordeal the Indian warriors
went to drive back another force which
was attacking them in the rear. This
was about o'clock, and it was undoubt-
eddy Reno's command driving in their
pickets. When the Indians returned to
camp in the evening they said the men
on the hill "fought like the devil"
meaning Reno's soldiers in their en-
trenchments on the hill. Ridgely says
he was not permitted to speak to the six
soldiers who were burned, and could
not learn who they were. The hostiles
made no statement of their losses, and
therefore Ridgely was unable to give
any information on this point, excepting
that Reno's men killed more than Gus
ter.
Responsible citizens of Minneapolis
vouch for the veracity of Ridgely, and
his statements can be relied upon.