The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1876-08-10
A TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER.

General Custer Attacks a Large Force Of he
diGms--The General, Fifteen Off
GERS aud Three Hundred
Soldiers Killed.
A special correspondent to the Helena
(Gontana) Herald, writes from Stillwa-
ter, Montana, under date of July I'd, as
follows: "Muggins Taylor, a scout for
Gen. Gibbon, got here last night direct
from Little Horn river. Gen. Custer
found the Indian camp of two thousand
lodges on Little Horn, and Immediately
attacked the camp. Gen. Custer took
Ave companies and charged the thickest
portion of the camp. Nothing is known
of the operations of this detachment only
as they trace it by the dead. Maj. Reno
commanded the other seven companies,
and attacked the lower portion of the
camp. The Indians poured in a murder
GUS fire, besides the greater portion
fought on horseback. Custer, his two
brothers, nephew and brother in-law,
were all killed, and not one of his de-
tachment escaped. Two hundred and
seven men were buried in one place, and
the killed is estimated at three hundred,
with only thirty-one wounded. The In
dians surrounded Reno's command and
held them one day in the hills, cut of
from water until Gibbons command
came in sight, when they broke camp in
the night and left. The Seventh fought
like tigers, and were overcome by mere
brute force. The Indian loss cannot be
estimated, as they bore off most of their
killed. The remnant of the Seventh
cavalry and Gibbons command are re-
turning to the mouth of the Little
Horn, where a steamboat lies. The In
dams got all the arms of the killed
soldiers. There were seventeen commits
stoned officers killed. All the Clusters
died at the head of their column. The
exact loss is not known, as both the adj
jutants and the sergeant-majOr were
killed. The Indian camp was from
three to four miles long, and was twenty
miles up the Little Horn from its mouth.
The Indians actually pulled the men off
their horses in some instances. I give
this as Taylor tsld it to me, who was
over the field after the battle.
A special dated Bismark, Dakota Terri
tory, July LIST, says information from the
Sioux expedition dated Mouth of Big
Horn, July LIST, says that General Gus
ter left the mouth of Rosebud with
twelve companies to follow the Indian
trail of large band of hostile Sioux,
and followed it up in the direction of
the Big Horn. The Indians were max
ing for the eastern branch OF the little
Big Horn. General Terry, with Glib
bon's command Of five companies of in
fantry and four Of cavalry, started to as
cend the Big Horn to attack the enemy
in the rear. On the morning of the
twenty-fifth two Crow scouts brought
news Of q battle on the previous day.
Upon the receipt Of this news the com
mand commenced to march in a south
erly direction, where smoke could be
seen, which indicated that General Gus
ter had fired the Indian village. On the
next morning the head of the column
entered a plain bordering on the bank of
the Little Big Horn river, where had
stood an immense Indian vii
lage, three miles in length. The ground
was strewn with slaughtered horses,
cavalry equipments and the dead bodies
Of nine Indian chiefs. The clothing Of
Sturgis and Porter were
also found pierced with bullets. Fur
thsr on was found the body Of Lieutenant
hI'Intosh. just then arrived the news
that Colonel Reed was intrenched with
the remnant Of the Seventh cavalry on a
bluff near by, waiting for relief The
pushed on, and found Reed
with the remainder of seven companies
Of Reno's command which had been fight