The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1876-08-02

massa ere:
In a recent dispatch l informed you that Gus
ter expected to strike the Indians and give them
battle on the oath, as stated. He left the mouth
of the Rosebud on the 22d with twelve compa.
MES of the Fifth Cavalry, striking the trail where
Reno left it, leading in the direction of the
Little Horn, branch of the Big Horn. On the
evening of the oath the scouts reported fresh
trails and on the morning of the 25th discovered
an Indian village twenty miles above the mouth
of the Little Horn, about three miles lorg half q
mile wide fifteen miles away. Custer pushed his
men rapidly, though they had made & long march,
seventy-eight miles in the tweniy-four hours i'm
mediaiely preceding the battle, and when near the
village struck an abandoned "tepee," while the
Indians were moving in hot haste as If IN retreat
Reno with seven companies of the Seventh Cav
airy was ordered to the left to attack the village
at its head, while Custer with five companies,
went to the right and commenced vigorous at
tack.
Reno felt of them with three companies Of cav
airy and was almost instantly surrounded. and af
ter an hour or more of desperate fighting during
which he lost Iieutenants HodgsUn and McIn.
tosh. DR.. DeWolf and twelve men with several
Indian scouts and many wounded, he at last cut
his way through the Indians aud crossed the riv-
er aud gained a bluff 300 feet in hight. where he
intrencbed, and was soon joined by Col. Benton
with the other four companies of his detachment.
In the meantime the Indians resumed the attack
which had abated in vigOr for an hour or so. nGk-
ing repeated desperate charges, which were re
pulsed with great slaughter TO the Indians They
gained higher duff however. than the one &C.
cup!ed by Reno aud as their arms were of longer
range than those Of the cavalry, they kept up
CALLING fire until nightfall. During the night
Reno strengthened his position and was prepared
for the attack which was renewed at daylight.
Custer was surrounded on every side by the
Indians, und his men aud horses fell as they fought
on the skirmi-h line in the line OF battle Gus
ter was among the last to fall but when his
cheering voice was no longer to be heard the 10.
dams made easy work of the remainder of his
men The bodies of all, save the Tribune cor
respondent alone, were stripped and most of them
horribly mutilated. Clusters body was not mutt.
lated. He was shot through the body and the
head. Kellogg lay as he fell in the field undis.
turbed. Perhaps the Indians, who had learned
to fear and respect Custer, had also realized the
power of the lead pencil, and had come to respect
those who WELD it.
The village numbered 1900 lodges and many
willow tepees had been added within a few days.
1t is believed by those who fought that the wal
riors must have numbered 1000. Gen. Terry feels
deeply the loss, and feels the more keenly as
Gen. CUster was directed to find and feel the In.
dams, but not to fight them unless Gen. Terry
arrived with infantry and Gibbons column. He
had arranged to reach the mouth Of the Little
Horn on the evening of June 10Th, when Custer
was to communicate with him and be governed
by his directions in the fight TO follow. Custer
attacked on the 25th, and after one hours fight.
ing no man of those who fought so CALAMITY was
left to tell the tale. Gen. Terry has submitted
through Col Smith his plan Of campaign to Gen,
Sheridan, and the action to be taken will depend
on the answer given. Meanwhile Terry will
await supplies of provisions and clothing, of
which his command is nearly destitute.
The names of all the officers killed or wounded
are given below. The casualties foot up 26l
killed and 90 wounded. Thirty-eight of the
wounded were brought to Fort Lincoln and the
remainder, excepting the three who died, were
cared for on the field. Charley Reynolds was
also killed. Reynolds with Kellogg, De Wolf
Reed Boston Custer and Lord were the only
citizens killed.
As the day wore on, Reno had lost in killed
and wounded large portion of his command
forty odd having been killed before the bluff was
reached, many of them in hand to hand conflicts
with the Indians, who outnumbered them ten to
one, and his men have been without water for SO
hours. The appeals of the wounded for water
was heartrending, while the others we're almost
exhausted, in many instances their tongues pro.
truding from their mouths, and few could speak
aloud They tried to eat crackers but could not
molsten them, while the grass blades which some
ate to give relief chung to their parched lips. In
this state of affairs they determined to gain wa
ter at all hazards, and Col. Benton made rally
with his company aud routed the main portion of
the enemy, who were guarding the approaches TO
the river to which the soldiers ventured to go
with camp kettles and canIeens for water. The
Indian sharpshooters were nearly opposite the
mouth OF the ravine through which the brave boys
approached the river, but the attempt was made,
and though one man was killed and seven wounded
the water was gained and the command relieved.
When the fighting ceased for the night, Reno
caused his animals to be likewise relieved. and
further prepared for the attack which be knew
would be resumed the next morning. The Off
GERS and men kept IN good heart but oil wondered
what had become OF Custer. There had been AZ
hours OF fighting and no word from their beloved
commander. Twenty-four hours more of fighting
and suspense ensued, when the Indians abandoned
the village in great confusion, then Reno knew
Caster was near
Gen. Terry with Gibbons command and his
own infantry nad arrived, and as the commands
in arms met strong men wept on the necks Of
each other After congratulations to the gallant
commander for his successful defence, inquiries
were made for Custer, but none could tell. Soon
an officer came rushing into camp and related
that he had found Custer dead, stripped naked,
but not INITIATED and near him his two brothers,
Col. Tom and Boston Custer, his brotherin-law,
Col Calhoun and nephew, Col. Yates, Col. Ke-
OCH, Capt Smith, Lieut.. Crittenden, (son OF Gen.
Crittendenl. Lieut.. Sturgis (son Of Gen. Sturgis)
Col. Cooke, Lieut.. Porter, Lieut.. Harrington.
DR.. Lord, (the Bismarck Times reporter, the
only correspondent with the expedition) and 100
men and scouts Custer went into battle with
companies Q, L, l, f and E Of the Seventh Cav
airy, The staff and the non-commissoned staff Of
his regiment, and number Of scouts, and only
one Grow scout remains to tell the tale.
The following dispatch was received at the
War Department
To Gen Z. D. Townsend. Adjutant General
Capt Smith Of Gen. Terrys staff, lelegraphs IRON
Bismarck as follows:
Gen. Custer. Capts. Custer Keogh, Yates and
Cook. Lieuts Smith, Mcintosh, Calhoun. Hudson. |
Reilly, Porter, Siurgis and Critenden are killed. |
Lieut.. Harrington and Surgeon Lord are missing; |
POI dead have been found, and 80 wounded |
brought away.
A. G. DRUM. A. A. q.
CHICAGO July l5th-A Times Bismarck spe- |