The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-07-29
GkeGttelEiasttee
CUsTER'S LAST BATTLE.
statement OF an Indian Sur
YiYOr.

YiV0r.
The Grow Indian Curly is believed to
he the only survivor Of the two hundred
and Gf,y men who went into action with
Cn.ter, lie is very clear in his knowl-
c,l1s Of The fight, and has made a state.
ment, lie says be went down with two
other Crows and went into the action with
Custer. The General, he says, kept down
the river on the north bank four miles,
after Reno had crossed to the south side
above. Custer's object was to cut of the
Indians. He thought Reno would drive
down the valley and at the same time at
tack the village on two sides, he beliey'
ing Reno would take il at the upper end,
while he (Custer) would go in at
the lower end. General Custer
had TO go farther down inc
river and farther away from Reno
than he wished on account OF the steep
bank along the north aide; but at last ~ ne
found A ford and dashed for it. The IN
dams met him, and poured In heaVy T,e
from across the narrow river. Cus'er uis.
mounted to fight on foot, bn. con .dn mU'
get his administers over lne n nI too;
Meantime hundreds Of Indians, On 10y; loU'
and on ponies, poured oyer ~. IT, li wi
which was only about three feet deep ana
GIIoJ ,%c psvi1ea OF, each side OF Clusters
man mar" n Cuslcr then fell back to some high
n arS"' SsSind him, and seized the ra-
gtouhu IL, Immediate vicinity. The In
S;" "es ro,npIotely surrounded Custer, and
" "oMrOd in a terrible fire on all sides.
FGsv charged Custer on foot in vast mum.
bers but we're again and again driven
The fight began at 2 o'clock aud lasted,
Curly says, almost until the sun went
down over the hills. Tho men fought
desperately, and after the ammunition in
their belts was exhausted went to their
saddldbags, got more and continued the
fight. Curly says more Indians were
killed than Custer had men. lie also
saws the big chief Custer lived until
yearly all his men had been killed or
wounded, and went about encouraging
his men to fight ON. He gota shot'in the
left side and sat down, with his pistol IN
his hand. Another shot struck Custer In
the breast and he fell over. Curly says
when he saw Custer was hopelessly sur
rounded he watched his opportunity, got
Sioux blanket, put it on and worked up
a ravine, and when the Sioux charged
he got among them and they did not
know him from one OF their own men.
There were some mounted Sioux, and
seeing one fall Curly ran TO him, mount
ed his pony and galloped down, MS II 60
ing toward tho white men, but went up n
ravine and got away. He says as.he rode
of be saw; when nearly mile from the
battlefield, dozen or more soldiers in q
rayine fighting with Sioux all around
them. He thinks all were killed as they
we're out numbered five to one and APP
parently dismounted. These men were
no doubt part Of the thirty.fve missing
men reported in the official dispatches Of
General Terry. Curly says he saw one
cavalry soldier who had got away. he
was we'll mounted, but shot through both
hips, and Curly thinks lie died Of his
wounds, starved to death in the bad lands
or more likely his trail was followed and
he was killed by the Sioux.