The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-04-27
the TRUE STORY.
Another Indian Description of the Custer
Fight.

Kill Eagles narrative of the Custer
massacre, which was published last fall,
IA wanting in a great many of the
leading facts relating to the Big Horn
fight. Kill Eagle, having but recently
surrendered to the Government, and
being in fear of his life, withheld a
great many facts which he would other
wise have told, and has told since, but
which have never reached the papers.
1t seems that the Indians were on the
point of fleeing even before Custer's
command wa seen at the lower end of
the camp, and would have been routed
had not Reno left his position in the
timber and retreated back across the
stream and to the hills. The Indians
statement run thus:
I'VE were in camp on the west side
of the Rosebud. We were there for the
purpose of hunting buffalo. Buffalo
were not plenty. The young men had
to go far from camp to hunt. When
the fight took place at this camp,
where so many white men were killed,
we were taken by surprise, at least SO
nearly SO that we had not time to
bring in our horses before the white
soldiers had charged almost into our
camp. Our campwas verylarge, extend
ing up and down the river, (ilere they
describe the distance, which CORES
ponds to about five or six miles,, when
the soldiers were first seen approaching
the party that first attacked the upper
end of the camp. A cry was raised
and passed along to the lower end of
the camp. The braves had not time to
assemble for the defense of the camp
before the soldiers had charged down to
the river, crossed to our side, and ia
ken possession OF a clump of timber on
the bank of the stream, close by which
our camp was located. A great fear
fell upon all in camp, and the women
were directed to fly to the hills with the
children, which they at once proceeded
to do, taking, also, such light baggage
as they could carry, while some of the
young men went in haste to the bluffs
to catch the horses, while others re-
give the women time to get away. By
this time the soldiers were seen APP
preaching the lower end of the camp,
upon which the general feeling was for
immediate flight, when, imagine u
surprise to see the troops withdraw
from the timber, and begin 4 precipi-
tate retreat toward the river. Wethen
felt that the Great Spirit had delivered
the troops into our hands. Up to this
time we do not know that we had kill
ed a single soldier, and were greatly
encouraged by the action of the troops,
and commenced a not pursuit, killing
great numbers Of them, and not quit
ting them until they were across the
river and upon a hill a considerable dis
lance flom the camp. We then left in
a body to help the Indians in the lower
end of the camp, who were by this
time holly engaged with the troops,
who were steadily advancing, but hay
ing no longer to contend with the
troops at the upper end of the camp,
we greatly outnumbered those at the
lower end, and brought them toa stand,
where they were soon swept away. Not
one escaped. Two broke through and
ran a long distance, but were overtaken
and killed by the two sons Of Red Top,
a Santee Indian, and they brought back
their horses. In the fight at the lower
end of the camp we lost a great many
of our men. In the fight at the upper
end we lost very few, about twelve or
fourteen. All the time we were fight
ing at the lower end of the camp there
was no fighting at the upper end. The
Great Spirit gave lis the battle. If the
troops had not run from the timber we
should surely have fled and left our
camp in the hands of the whites.'
That h;vctorinuc Djcannnaranrp