The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-07-27

Mae years ago to-day pa-ty #
forty eight dIsheartcned. ard weary
met. ynost Of them wounded, and ali
suffering from thirst and hunger.
fought under the broiling sun Of the
Kansas plains against com ahmed BODY
of Cheyennes. kiowas and Arrsphoes
Ten days previously this party had
pitched their camp. afte. q losg days
march, On tine hanks Of Pond cree K.
- small stream in the extreme west Of
Kansas tina, helps to form the Smoky
Hill river. Having seen no Indian-
for many days they felt secure. and
their first evening ou the little stream
WAS passed III singing. smoking aud
telling stories. At dawn Of the next
day the two men who were on guard
saw three shadowy forms stealing in
among the herd Of horses pcke.ed
just outside the camp. Giving the
alarm the guards started in pursuit.
bat had gone only q few hundred yards
when they were surrounded by at least
"A hundred red skins, and. before relief
could reach them, borne off captives,
never more TO be heard from.
I'm those broilipg July days water
was obtained only III the darkness Of
midnight, and then in small quantities
and at the greatest risk Provisions
were rapidly giving out, but male flesh
had been found not unpsla,able.
Night after night were seen the in
umerable camp fires of the dreaded foe
on the bluffs Of the little stream. Day
after day the naked and hideously
painted devils charged fiercely on the
little corral Of chained aud slightly
barricsded wagons their wild yels and
storm of hurtling arrows being met by
the unerring bullet Of the soldiers. and
many brave bit the dust Thus for
ten long days WAS the unequal conflict
kept up. hundreds against handful;
and while hope waned. the row Of
new ly made mounds vast outside the
wagons increased in ,number. and the
wounded me aned aud tossed under the
thin tent. Their only hope WAS in the
efforts of the bold scout. who. under
cover of darkness. had stolen from the
ensironed camp and started for the
distant Platte. where Custer, with the
gallant Seventh Regiment, was ayeng
ing the wrongs of the settlers along
the fertile Republican and Little Blue
rivers The scouts last words were,
If ! amt back In five days you may
know that I've gone up" He was
never known 10 break his word. The
evening of the 9th of july was also
the evening of the fifth day Of their
imprisonment. Just before sunset
cloud Of dust foated heavily over dis
tant eminence Beneath its shadow
the forms of horsemen were dimiy dis
cernible, and the intensity of suspense
was redoubled At last ono ghss,ly,
blood stained, smoke begrimmed aud
wounded man, too weak 10 bear
csrbine. cried out. Its Custer thank
God. its Custer - aud with the glad
utterance fell back "a dead He had
tainted from joy.
In few moments more the dimmest
eye could make out the slight form and
bold carriage Of the debonnair cavalry
man, a.. with his long, golden hair
streaming III the wind, crowned with
its white sombr,ro and black plume.
be dashed up 10 the corral and called
out, Here we are. boys; are we in
time 7" Yes. thank God - was the
answer, and cheer after cheer from the
rescued band rang out ON the evening
air Even the wounded crawled frum
their tent TO see and cheer the noble
Seventh with Custer at his head
Yesterday. ono of the band that
Custer rescued nine years ago. and VIII o
Is now San reporter, went 10 Paterson
to s,e and talk with that old plains
man aud skilful scout. Capt. Ii. NJ
Bennett, perhaps better known as
" Dead Shot Scott or "Sco,ty," and
always called by Custer Dead" As
the above incident was related TO him,
he said, Yes, God bless him he was
always where he could do the most good"
Scotty says that Custer was always
ready 10 listen TO the advice of his
scouts; and that whenever they advised
sending out "feclcr," teeler was inn
meiiately sent. Bat" he said don't
you think he Was "A coward No more
daring. dashing, hard riding cavalry
man ever lived. Why. oue day when
We was riding together with only some
two hundred men behind rs. | was
s,udying u fresh trail pretty close, aud
says /. General. there's hst~eeu iise
aud SIX hundred ST en- close ahead of
ns.' Says he. Dead, we'li bounce
'e,n. aud We did booisc, 'eu'. a. 4 never
lost mau."
Then, As the tears sta,al IL h,S eve,
he said, Dead. can liz ba dead The
hes, ludian fighter tic plans every
saw: Great God. who dill be have for
scouts that they let him get into such
scrapc B.ll Cody. he wa, with Crook.
| wish Custer had hal him. Bin would
have looked out. He Is my boy, Bill
Is He took has first ride with me. and
put him up 10 the most that he knows.
He always calls me the old man.
Z" Its wicked war. this Sioux war,
and disgrace TO this country" said the
Captain, The Black hills is the Sioux
country; they signed . treaty for it,
and they have the only right 10 it. But
the fight has gone - far that it must
keep on until they are whipped, for
there will he no living with en- now
that they have killed Custer. the only
man on the plains that they Mas. afraid
of; aud all the rest of EN-, Cheyepnes,
kioways. Apaehes, and all, will join IN
now"
The Captain had beea al late making
preparations to join Custer. the latter
having sen, fof him. his old ami we'll
tried scout He still thinks of going ~
the front, saying that he can't be easy