Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-07-14
THE INDIAN sLAUGHTER.
Gen. Custer, Firseen OF His Omcers and
Every Man Belonging 60 Five Conn
panIes KILLED by the Indians.

panies Killed by the Indians.
SALT LAKE, Utah, Julyb.
A SPECIAL correspondent of the Helena,
Mont, Herald writes from Saltwater,
Mont, July 2: Muggins Taylor, scout
for Gen. Gibbons, arrived here last night
direct from Little Horn River. Gen.
Custer found the Indian camp of about
1900 lodges on the Little Horn, and i'm.
mediately attacked the camp. Custer
took five companies and charged the
thickest portion of the camp. Nothing is
known of the operations Of this detach-
ment, only as they trace Il by the dead.
Mai. Reno commanded the other seven
companies and attacked the lower portion
of the camp. The Indians poured in
murderous fire from all directions. Be
sides, tie greater portion fought ON horse
back. Custer, his two brothers, a nephew,
and 4 brother in-law were all killed, and
not one of his detachment escaped. Two
hundred and seven men were buried in
one place, and the killed are estimated at
300, with only thirty-one wounded. The
Indians surrounded Reno's command, and
held them one day in the hills, cut of
from water, until Gibbons command came
in sight, when they broke camp in the
night and left
The Seventh fought like tigers, and
were overcome by mere brute force. The
Indian loss cannot be estimated as they
bore off and cached most of their killed.
The remnant of the Seventh Cavalry and
Gibbons command are returning to the
mouth of the Little Horn, where the steam
boat lies. The Indians got all the arms of
the killed soldiers. There were seventeen
commissioned officers killed
The whole Custer family died at the
head of their column. The exact loss is
not known, as both Adjutants and the
Sergeant Major were killed. The Indian
camp was from three 10 four miles long
and was twenty miles up the Little Horn
from its mouth. The Indians actually
pulled men off their horses in some in
stances. | give this as Taylor told me, as
he was over the field after the battle. The
above is confirmed by other letters, which
say Custer met fearful disaster"
The Times extra from Bozeman, Mont,
July B, seven D. m, has the following
Mr.. Taylor, bearer Of dispatches from
the Little Horn to Fort Ellis, arrived this
evening, and reports the following: The
battle was fought on the 25th, thirty or
forty miles below the Little Horn. Custer
attacked the Indian village of from
$500 to 1000 warriors on One side, and
Col. Reno was TO attack it on the
other. Three companies were placed on
a hill-as a reserve. Gen. Custer and tif-
teen officers, and every man belonging to
the five companies were killed. Reno re-
treated under the protection of the reserve.
The whole number killed was 315.
Gen. Gibbons joined Reno. The In
dians left the battle-ground looking
like slaughter-pen, as it really was,
being in narrow ravine. The dead were
much mutilated. The situation now looks
serious Gen. Terry arrived at Gibbons
camp on a steamboat and crossed the
and md fn1 4 To ;a,,
Custer, who knew 1t was coming before
the fight occurred. Lieut. Crittenden, son
of Gen. Crittenden, was among the
killed"
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
The Inter Ocean correspondent with the
expedition telegraphs to that paper the
following particulars, learned on the ar
rival of Gen. Tcrry's forces at the scene of
the carnage:
At an early hour the head OF the column
entered plain half mile wide, bordering
the left bank of the Little Big Horn, where
had recently been an immese Indian 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, cavalry equip
ments, besides buffalo robes, packages
of dried meat and weapons and
utensils belonging to Indians. On this part
of the fieldwere found the clothing of Lieuts
Sturgis and Porter, pierced with bullets, and
blood-stained gauntlet belonging to Col.
Yates. Further on were found the bodies of
men, among whom were recognized Lieut..
Mcintosh, the interpreter from Fort Rice,
and Reynolds, the guide. just then
breathless scout arrived with the intelligence
that Col. Reno, with a remnant of the
Seventh Cavalry, was entrenched on bluff
near by, waiting for relief. The
command pushed rapidly on, and soon
came in sight of group surround
inence on the right bank of the river. Gen.
Terry forded the stream, accompanied 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 unhurt Coils. Benteen and Wier; Capts.
Felix Maylan and McDougal; Leuts. God
frey, Mathey, Gibson, De Rudid, Edger-
ly, Wallace, Varnum and Hare In the
center of the inclosure was a deuression
in the surface, in which the wounded were
sheltered, covered with canvas. Reno's com
mand had been fighting from Sunday noon
(tbe 25th) until the night of the 26h, when
Terry's arrival caused the Indians to retire.
Up TO this time Reno and those with him
were IN complete ignorance OF the fate OF the
other i've companies, which had been sepa-
rated from them early ON the 25th to make
an attack, under Custer, en- the village at an
other point. While preparations were being
made for the removal of the wounded, 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
IDENTIFY attempted to ford and attack the viii
lafr fro hnf rH I,nf f-nf a.,
lead back up 10 the bluffs and to the north
ward, 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 in
terspersed by 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
eesslvely taken up and held till none were
left TO fight. Then huddled in narrow
compass, horses and men were piled pro-
miscuously. 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 Cooke
and Capt Smith, all lying in circle of a
few yards, their horses beside them. Here,
behind Yates company, the last stand had
been made, and here. one after another,
panies had met their death. The companies
had successfully thrown themselves across
the path Of the advancing enemy, and had
been annihilated
Not a man has escaped to tell the tate,
but it was inscribed on the surface OF these
barren hills in language more eloquent
than words. Two hundred and sixty-one
bodies have been buried from Clusters and
Reno's command. The last one found was
that OF Mr.. Kellogg, correspondent of the
Bismarck Tribune, and also, believe, of the
New York Herald. The following are the
names OF the officers whose remains are re-
cognized: Gen. Custer; Col's Keogh, Yates,
Custer, Cooke; CaptSmith; Lieuts Mcintosh,
Calhoun, Hodgson and Reilly. All of these
belonged to the Seventh Cavalry. Lieut.
Crittenden, of the Twentieth Infantry, who
was serving temporarily with the regiment,