Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-09-22
The Custer Massacre.
ANOTHER DEATH ACCOUNT BY AN EYE
WITNESS

of Sept. sth, publishes an interview witt
an old trappsr named Ridgely, who hs
been long time in the Ysllowston,
country, and claims to have witnessed
the Custer massacre, being prisoner il
Sitting Bulls camp and seeing every
movement of the troops. He was taker
prisoner last March and kept in tn,
camp of the Indians ever since until tn,
Custer massacre. He was treated kind
ly. He says Sitting Bull organized moi
to fight the whites but to drive miners
from the Hills. Previous to Clusters at.
tack mounted couriers from Sitting Bulls
camp had for eight days watched his
forces, their. division into small detach-
ments being noted with manifestations
of extreme delight.
Ambuscades were Immediately pre-
pared, and while the Indians stood
ready for an attack, many of them clam
bered on the side of hill overlooking
Clusters line of march. The Indian
camp was divided by bluff, point of
which ran toward the Rosebud and in
the direction of one of the available
fords on the route to the camp. By this
ford Custer followed their trail down the
waters edge. There were but twenty
five teepes visible to Custer, but there
were seventy-fve double teepes behind
the bluffs not visible to Custer. He at
tackled the smaller village and was i'm
mediately met by fifteen hundred or two
thousand Indians in regular order of
battle. Every movement was made with
military precision. Ridgely says he
stood on a side hill and had complete
view of the battle. which was not over
a mile and half distant. Custer be-
gan the fight in a ravine near the ford
and fully one half his command seemed
to be endorsed at the first fire. Then
the soldiers retreated toward him in the
rear and were shot down with astonish
ing rapidity, the commanding officer fall
ling from his horse in the middle of the
engagement, which commenced at II
a. M, and did not last more than forty
five minutes.
After the massacre of Clusters forces
the Indians returned to camp with six
soldiers as prisoners, and delirious with |
Joy over their success. Those six were
tied to stakes at wood pile in the vii
lage and burned to death. While the
flames were torturing them to death, In
dian boys fired red hot arrows into their
4uivering flesh until they died.
Sitting Bull was met after the fight
and exultingly remarked he had killed
many soldiers and one id General,
but didn't know who he was. The
squaws then armed themselves with
knives, visited the battlefield and robbed |
and mutilated the bodies of soldiers.
While the soldiers were being burned |
The Indians turned their attention to a
force, evidently Reno's, attacking the
lower end of the village.
Ridgely says Clusters command had
been slaughtered before shot was fired
by Reno's force attacking the lower end
of the camp about 2 o'clock p. m. The
Indians returned in the evening, and
said the men had fought like the devil,
but Ridgely says they didn't make a
statement of their losses. They said the
soldiers had been driven back twice, and |
then they piled up stores and the attack |
was unsuccessful. The prisoners we're
kept burning over an hour, but Ridgely
was not permitted to speak with them.
He is unable to state who they were.
One was noticeable from his small size
and gray hair and whiskers.
Reno killed more men than Custer,
who fell in the midst of the fight, and
two captains, believed to be Yates and
Keogh, we're the last to die. The night
after the massacre the Indians were wild
with delight. Many were drunk with
whiskey taken from the whites. Squaws
performed the duty of guards for the
prisoners. Becoming drowsy, Ridgely
and two companions escaped, securing
ponies, and began their long Journey
homeward. The party ate some and
laid in the woods four days to avoid In
dians. On the way his horse stumbled,
breaking Ridgely's arm, but the party
finally reached Fort Abercrombie.
Thence Ridgely came here. He describes
Sitting Bull as a half breed. of large
size and very intelligent, with peculiar
gait.
Who wrote the Dickens, War
rem, or Bulwer? Warren wrote "Now
and Then" Bulwer wrote Might and