The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-05
GEN. CLUSTERS LAST FIGHT.
cor. RESo's REPoBT or THE LITTLE
BIG NOM BATTLE
How the seventh Cavalry were Drawn into
Trap Rcno'- Fight with the Indians
Clusters Mistake in Dividing his Forces.


HEADQUARTERS, SEVENTH RECT CAvALnY,l
July 8, 1870.
CAPT r. W. Smith, 4. y. C. and 4. A.A. q.
The command of the regiment having
deyolved upon me. as the senior surviving oficer
from the battle Of June % and 20, between the
Eleventh. Cavalry and sitting Bulls band Of hos
tile Sioux, on the Little Big Horn river, have
the honor TO sui NIT tne follow ing report OF ITS
operations from the lire OF leaving the main
column until the command was united In the
vicinity of the Indian village.
The regiment left the camp nj the mouth OF
Rosebud liver. after passing in review before
ihe Department Commander, under tho s0m-
tenant Colonel on the afternoon ~ the I'd OF
June, and marched up tho Rosebud twelve
miles and encamped. 2Id,Mafched up the
Rosebud. passing many old Indian camps, and
following very large lodge pole trail. but not
fresh, making thirty-three miles. 24th-The
march was continued up the Rosebud. the trail
md signs freshenng with every mile until We
had made tweniy-esbt miles. and we then en-
scouts. At 0:25 +. NJ, Custer c He'd the oficers
together and Informed us that beyond "A doubt
Horn, and that TO reach 1t 1t was necessary to
cross the divide between Rosebud and Little
Big Horn, and IL would te impossible 10 do 50
IN the day time without discovering our march
20 the lndians that we would rrgp re to move
turning from tho Rosebud to the right, up one
OF rs branches which headed near the summit
About 2 A. NJ. OF the 25th. the scouts told him
that no could not cross the divide before day
light. We then made coffee and rested for three
hours, at the expiration OF which time the
march was resumed. the divide crossed. aud
about A. NJ the command was In the valley OF
one OF the branches of the Little BIG Horn. by
this time Indians had been seen, and 1t was GER
tain that we could not surprise them, and
tack.
Previous to this no division Of tho regiment
had been made since the order was issued. on
the Yellowstone, annulling wing and battalion
organizations. Gen. Custer Informed me he
would assign commands on tho march. | was
nEd rad lao tAfaN M aba Iltae.
sumo command OF Companies NJ A, and q
Capt. Benteen, " Cons anies II. ID, and X Gus
ter retaining {, 4, r. j. ana l., under his immo-
mediate command, and Company d, Capt Nc
Dougall ~ rear OF the pack tr In. l assumed
command OF the companies assigned to me, aud
without any definite orders m oved forward with
the rest OF the column, and we'll to Its left. l
they passed, he told me he had orders to move
him; did not see him az sin until about $50 p.
". Inc command moved down the creek to-
ward the Little Big Horn valley, Custer. with
Eve companies on the rsht b!nK. myself and
.hres companies on the left bank, and Bent cen
further to the LETT and out OF sight
AS we approached a deserted village, in which
was standing one tepce, about IL \. NJ, Custer
mouoned me to cross to him, which did. aud
moved nearer To his column. until about 1890
A. NJ, when Lieut. Cooke. Adjutant, came to
me and said the village was only two miles
ahead and running away To move forward
Of as rapid a gait us thought prudent aud 70
charge afterwArd, and that tie whole outfit
would support me;' think those were bis OK
act words. Ut once took a fast trot, and we'd
OF the river. ! crossed immediately, and halted
about ten minutes or less to gather the tat
tsliOn, sending word to Custer that had every
thlng IN front OF NE, and that they were strong
deployed. and with the Rec scouts on my
left charged down the valley. driving the In
uinns with great esse for about two and a half
miles j, however, soon saw that was being
night harder, and especially as we we're nearing
their village, which was still standing; bepide s
could not see Custer or any other support, and
at the same time tho very earth seemed to grow
Indians, and they were running toward me In
swarms, and from all directions. saw | must
uefend I'd yself, and give up the attack mounted.
This old. taking possession OF a point OF
woods. and which furnished. near Its edge,
shelter for the horses dismounted and fought
them on foot, making headway through tho
wood soon founa myself In the near Vicinity
OF the village, saw that was fighting odds OF at
least i've TO one, and that my only hope was to
get out OF the wood where | would soon nave
been surrounded. and gain some high ground.
accomplished this by mounting and charging
the Indians between me and the bluffs on the op-
su poead Msln,osh ssc t@s f hSu fs
H. Hodsson, Seventh Cavalry, and Acting As
sistant surgeon j. NJ. Dewolf, were killed. 1
succeeded In reaching the top Of the blum, with
a loss Of the three officers and twenty-nine en-
listed men killed, and seven men wounded.
mounted men were seen TO be coming toward
us. aud II proved 10 be Col. Benteen's bait lion,
In a short time the pack train came up. As
eenior; my command was then Companies A, Is,
ID. q, ii, X, and NJ, about $50 men. and the fol-
lowing officers Capts: Benteen, Weir, French,
and McDOugall; First Lieuts. Godfrey Mathey,
ana OlDrOu; second Lieuts. EdgerY, Wallac
Narnum. and Hare; Acting Assistant surgeon
Porter. Flrst Lieut.. DeRudio was In the DIS
mounted nght 10 the woods. but, having some
trouble with his horse, did not join the COM
mand In the charge, and, hi ling hlmselt In the
woods; Joined the command after nishtfall OF
the 18th.
still hearing nothing OF Custer, and with this
reinforcement moved down the river In the
direction Of the village, keeping on the bluffs
We had heard nrins In that direction, and knew
" could only be Custer. moved to the summit
OF the highest bluf, but seeing and hearing
=. ~ nrnf,
open communication with the other command.
lie soon sent back word, oy Lieut.. Hare, that he
getting around him. AT this time he was keep
Ing up heavy fire from bis skirmish line. l at
lhad taken on the Lluf aud which seemed to me
the best. dismounted the men, had the horses
ahd mules OF TUG pack train driven together In
eGepressioh, put the men on the crests OF the
bills making the depression, and h d hardly
done so when | was furiously attacked; This
was about Z. NJ We held our ground with the
loss OF eighteen enlisted men Killed and forty
SIX wounded until the attack ceased. about
As 1 knew. by this time, their overwhelming
numbers. and had given up any support from
the men dig rife pits barricaded with dead
horses, mules, and boxes Of nard bread, the
opening OF the depression toward the Indians in
which the animals were herded. and made every
eXettion to be ready for what saw would be
terrific assaultthe next day. All this night the
dance underneath US Ia the bottom, ana IN our
hearlne. on the morning OF the 10Th, felt con-
hdeDt that could hold my own and was ready
hs far as ! could be, when, at daylight about 2:;0
a NJ, heard the crack Of two rifles; this was
the signal for the beginning ~ a nre that have
never seen equalled. EvFy rife was handled by
III expert aud skilled maTksman, and with
range that exceeded our cNbine, and II was
simply Impossible To show any part OF the body
before II was struck We could see as the day
frightened, countless hordes Of them pouring
up the valley from cut the village, aud
&c lmpeTinR over the hl.h points toward
the places designated for them by their chiefs,
nnd which entirely surrounded cur position.
JheY had sunclcnt numbers 70 completely en-
circle US, and men were struck on opposite sldes
Of the lines, from whore the shots were fred |
think we were lighting all the SIOUX nation and
also all the desperadOes, reneRades. half breeds,
and squaw men, between the Missouri and the
Arkansas and east Of the Rocky Mountains;
they must have numbered at least 2.5OO Warriors
The Ore did not slacken until about $50 A. ~,
and then we discovered that they were making
last desperate attempt, and which was directed
against the line held by Companies ii ana NJ In
This attack they charged close enough TO use
their bows and arrows, aud one man, lying dead
within our lines, was touched by the "coup
stuck OF one Of the foremost Indians. When
say the stick was only about ten or twelve feet
long, some idea Of the desperate and reck-
less hgh'ing " these people may be understood.
ms charge Of theirs was CALAMITY repulsed by
tho men on that line, led by Col. Benteen. hey
also came close enough to send their arrows
mo the line held BY Companies ID and X, but
Weie driven away by Ike charge Of the line
1