The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-07-13
HOW CUSTER DIED.

| From the Account of Scout with sitting
BULL
Howard talked with the camp follow
ers r, garding the Custer massacre and
disc oSeu some new facts. This body
of nostiles, or portion of it, was with
Sitting Bull in that bloody affair, and
thus The story Howard relates may be
depended upon-as they, not suspecting
his mission among thelA, and in oonsid-
eratiUn of his residence among them,
and relationship with them, talked TO
him as one OF themselves.
They stale that many OF Clusters men
were killed by mounted Indians, who
ran over them anu Killed them with their
knives. The poor fellows were huddlea
together here and there and fought al
great disadvantages; yet they killed a
great many of their aSsailants, lighting
des perately to the last. Sitting Bull
asserted that the battle lasted only
thirty minutes all told, ending with the
death OF custer and few men and
officers who mad rallied around him.
luis lorlorn hope had gotten of some
distance, and could have escaped; but,
unfortunately, custer changed his mind,
turned and ordered u charge. The de-
voted party rushed upon The ludIans
with revolYers, shooting. down the as
custer killed five himself, when, his
pistol emptied, and the toe pressing
aboat MIN, he closed with a grapp lug
savage, and, beating out his brains with
the butt, was shot as his victim fell TO
the ground. This doubtless true story
supports the theory advanced by mill
tary men at the time of the massacre
tue idea of some desperate hnal act re-
ceiVlng support from the position and
location of the group OF bodies about
Custer, viz: that he, seeing his COM
manu annInIlated, and fearing to tace
the conse Quences, or scorning to live
wnen his EoIdiers lay dead about HIM,
mad deliberately rushed to certain
death.
HIS body was not recognized at first,
the Indians thinking him II scout; Lut
being soon Identified, all bnat renamed
oil the famous General was pr0pped ny
against The corpse OF two soldiers, and
50 lett to receive the advancing but too
late troops. Poor Tom Clusters hearl
was not cut out, as previously reported,
but he was bdl barously killed win
knives. Lieut.. Slurgess was KNOCKED
off ms horse, shot and knitted, his body
stripped aud tArOWn into the river. II
must be Sturgess' death WHICH is thus
described, as the Indians tell OF This
poor fellow as ayounS warrior who roue
with a buckskin coat strapped 10 h S
saddle, aud IL is known he was so
equipped.
They also relate that two soldiers
who threw down their arms and surren
dered, were turned loose. and advised
$40 return TO LAeir people and tell then
all tue whites would follow Custer un
less they would let the Sioux alone.'
The poor fellows left, but the next day,
probably crazy from fright, attempted
to return, when they encountered some
Indians who had been engaged against
Reno, and were killed. Howard re
cognIzed many Custer trophies in tht
camp, among them Cookies saddle an,
accoutrements. He thinks this camp 0
hostiles must be severely dealt with
that Sitting Bull must be secured ol
kllled, or else the seasons successes ant
surrenders will go almost tor nausht.
am convinced tuat Gen. Miles share
this opinion.