Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-07
EUREKA DAILY SENTINEL,
FRIDAY, JULY Z, 1876.
THE wat ON THE PLAINS.

the story may nave been grossly eA-
aggerated in passing from n 10 an
other, but still we fear that the ac-
count in all of lis horrible details will
turn nut to be literally true. 1t is the
old, old story of Understanding the
strength of the enemy. In all of the
Indian wars of the last 20 years disas-
tiers of this kind have always charac-
terized the beginning of hostilities. 1t
was so at Pyramid Lake, in this State,
again at the Lava Beds, and now the
same thing is repeated on the Little
Horn. 1t seems passing strange that
General Custer, who was an ca peri
enced army officer and everywhere
fighter, should have been so easily
entrapped by the willy red devils. We
can only account for it on n hypoth-
esis. General Reno, with seven COM
panies of cavalry, had orders to vigor
ously attack the lower end OF the viii
lage, while Custer's command, num-
being only about 800 men, we're TO as
sault the center. Custer went forward,
but it does not appear from our meager
account that he was adequately sup
ported by Reno. On the contrary, it
wonld seem that the latter did but lit
tie fighting and got off without the loss
of a singleinan. There is also another
surprising thing about this matter. 1t
was know to General Custer that Gen.
eral Terry was ~moinentarily expected
with strong reinforcetments. There
was no immediate or pressing ne.
scessity for precipitating the battle,
and yet it was deliberately OPEN
ed and pressed, with the terrible re-
suit given in Our Geographic
columns. 1t is sometimes difficult
to divine the motives of men, but we
think the reasonable solution of Gen.
seral Clusters rashness is to be found in
the shabby treatment he received at
Washington a few weeks since at the
hands of President Grant, on account
of his zeal in pointing out fraudulent
transactions in connection with the
post-traderships of the frontier. The
President sought to huiniliate him by
reducing him from the chief COM
mand. Custer, smarting and chatting
under this indignity, saw, as he doubt
less thought, an opportunity to achieve
a brilliant victory against large odds,
and thus to a great extent regain in the
popular esteem what he had lost by
the vIndictiveness of President Grant.
OF course this is a matter that can
never be verified, but we nevertheless
believe that if the bottom facts in the
case could be arrived at, it would then
be seen that motives and hopes such
as we have alluded to animated the
breast of General Custer AS he led his
little band of heroes on to the slaugh
ter. His failure to await the arrival of
General Terry can not be explained in
any other way.
The upshot of this whole matter Is
very likely to be a repetition Of former
performances in the same direction.
The country will get excited and so
will those in authority, and after
months of preparation an ample
force will be thrown into the
field. The Indians are not fools
by any means, and when they
see that they are bound to be over-
powered they will simply give up the
unequal struggle aud sue for peace.
They will get it, too, and with it more
powder and blankets. This has been
the universal rule, and it is hardly rea-
sonable to anticipate any departure
from it in the present instance.
It is not SO certain, however,
that the war will not rage all
the rest of the season; for the
Sioux are noted for holding out as long
as there is a single ray of hope. They
constitute one Of the largest and brav
est tribes of the plains. and being we'll
armed, well fed, and well mounted,
they have on many occasions signiied
a Willingness to meet our regulars man
for a Their complete subjugation
is, of course, but a matter of time, vet
it will stand the Government forces in
hand to see that the objectionable
blunder perpetrated by General Custer
be not too often repeated.
The corruption that has prevailed in
and about the Indian agencies during
the past ten years has operated to place
a Henry OF Spencer rifle in the hands
of every ahle-bodied Indian between
the Missouri river and Salt Lake.
This is a savage commentary on the
Indian policy of the present Admins
~tration, but is nevertheless true, as
will be abundantly demonstrated, we
fear, before the termination Of the
bloody conflict inaugurated in the sac
rifce Of General Custer.