Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-09-14


Is we'll nigh run?
Roll golden sun-roll swiftly toward the west
Down happy day when many woes shall
cease;
Come quickly, Lord, thy people wait the rest
OF Thine abiding peace.
CUSTER's FIGHT.
The Most Thrilling Account yet Given Of
the Massa.r. Oh tie Little Big Horn,
by an Eye Witness.
i trarper named Ridgeiey, whose
home is in Brunswick, Minnesota, has
returned from Il two years absence in
the mountains, and gives the most
wonderful account yet published Of
the awful fate Of Custer and his men.
Ridgely Is vouched for by many OF the
best citizens of Minneapolis us man
of the utmost veracity. To i reporter
OF the Minneapolis Tribune RidGely
made this wonderful statement
About the last of March or the first
OF April, Ridseley. in company with
three trappers from Minnesota and
one from the Rocky Mountains coln.
trapping in the Black Hills. In the at
right. the Rocky Mountain hunter WIS
wounded in the arm by an arrow. and
two escaped Without! injury-Ridgc!ey
and another tray per from the northern
portion Of Minnesota. When over.
powered by the Indians the wounded
man and his two companions were
firmly bound and taken directly to Sit.
ing Bull. When the three prison.
ers arrived at the headquarters Of the
redoubtable chieftain, he inquired in
excellent English "where they were
FROM Ridgeley promptly replied
Fort Garry" Sitting Bull then Or
dered them united, because they were
British subjects, gave them the free
dom Of the camp, and stated that he
intended to visit Fort Garry during
the summer. and he would take his
prisoners along with him and restore
them to their friends.
The three remained in the hostile
camp from the day of their capture to
the day Of the Custer hatchery.
Ridgeley states that Sitting Bull or
ganized his formidable force not for
the purpose of fighting the white sol
diers, but to drive the miners away
from the Black Hills. They had no
expectation Of meeting soldiers until
after the arrival Of troops in the Vel.
lowstOne country. and mounted cour-
iers from Sitting Bulls camp had
watched every motion made by the
military for eight days before General
Custer made his illtimed and fatal at
tack upon the Indian camp. Ridgeley
says that the Indians had observed
every movement OF Clusters force. its
division into small detaclments being
no'ed with manifestations Of aholute
delight. Ambuscales were prepared,
aud every preparation made for the
complete humiliation of the attacking
force.
Riugeley says that while the Indians
stood ready for the attack, many Of
them clambered on the side hills over
hanging Clusters line Of march down
the Rosebud. From his point OF OBJ
servatien there were only about twe,l-
ty.five tepes visible to General Custer,
but there were about IS double tepes
behind the bluff where they could not
he seen by the white solliers. Custer
attacked the smaller village and was
Immediately met by 1900 or 1900 In
dians in regular line Of battle. and
every movement was made IN military
precision. Ridgeley says he stood on
the si'!e Of u hill. where he had Il com.
plete view of the battle ground. which
was not more than Il mile and a half
distant. Custer began the fight in a
ravine near the ford, and fully one.
hn1H cft M o>vo conp,aI l,o ~,
horsed 1T the first fire. Then the sol.
diers retreated toward Il hill in the
rear, and were shot down on the way
with astonishing rapidity-thc com.
manding officer falling from his horse
in the middle Of the engagement,
which commenced at ID q. m., and did
not last more than forty-fve minutes
altogether.
After the massacre of Cus.er's force
the Indians returned to camp with
six soldiers as prisoners. and deliriOus
with Joy over their success. These
poor men were tied to stakes 1T /,
wood.pile in the village around the
IA;nt of the hill, and all burned to
oath, the bodies dropping to the earth
q blackpned. roasted anil hideOus mass.
While the flames were tortuYing them
to death, little Indian boys fired red
hot arrows into their quivering flesh,
and the terrible amusement was
continued until each of the mufOrtu.
nate victims of savage barbarity had
fallen a corpse.
Ridgeley says the sight wasso awful
and hOrrifying that it never can be
erased from his memory. Sitting Bull
remarked after the fight 'that he had
killed many soldiers and one damned
general, but he did not know who he
was,' evidently meaning Custer.
Then the squaws armed themselves
with knives, and proceeded to the field
Of battle, robbed the dead of clothing.
trinkets and valuables, and mutilated
bodies in Il manner too shocking and
sickening for description, but which
may be imagined from the accounts
heretofore published.
While the six soldiers were being
burned, the Indians turned their atten.
ton to another force attacking the
lower end Of the village, and this was
undoubtedly the force of Major Reno.
Ridgeley says that Clusters command
had been slaughtered before Il shot
had been fred at the force under
command of Reno, while attacking the
lower end of the camp. The Indians
returned to the camp in the evening,
and said that the ''men on the hill had
fought like the DEVIL" but Ridgeley
says they did not make any statement
Of their loss in either Of the fights.
The Indians said that the soldiers on
the hill had been driven back twice,
and then they spilled up stone in front
of Them" and the Indian attack proved
unsuccessful.
The white soldiers were kept burn.
ing, and subjected to every Imaginable
torture for from forty.five minutes to