The New York herald., 1877-11-16
Custer and Sitting Bull-The Truth
About the Rosebud Battle.

darkly picturesque narrAtlVeS ~nicn ~ cNel
fell to newspaper to publish appears in
our columns this morning. 1t would be
difficult to find either in history or fiction
anything more romantically tragic in its
substance or more graphically vivid in the
mode of presentation than the long and
deeply interesting letter from Fort Walsh
which occupies so much of our space. The
time which has elapsed since the fall OF
Custer and his command without q single
survivor to tell the tale will soften the i'm
preston made by recital which is painful
now and would have been torturing while
the events were fresh.
mere interview with Sitting Bull, even
though it had related to subjects which do
not so touch public scnsibilities to the
quick, would have had curious interest
when done by competent hand. This
singular and surprising son of the wilder
ness, whose deeds have long been terror
though his person was hardly known, is
wonderful specimen of Indian character
If this interview had contained nothing
beyond the life-like piece of portraiture
with which it opens, followed by col
loquy on comparatively Indifferent topics
it would hnve been worth the pains it has
cost to get it. But besides lifting the cur
tain on the appearance, dress, bearing, Ian
guage and personal eccentricities of this
swarthy and most remarkable individual it
lifts the other and thicker curtain which has
hitherto concealed one of the darkest and
most wildly thrilling tragedies in tho whole
history of Indian warfare The impenetra-
BILE veil of mystery which has 50 long
hung like pail over that terrible
and fatal afternoon on the Rosebud
when every white man perished has
at length been penetrated. The most
competent Of oil witnesses on the Indian
side, Sitting Bull himself, tells the whole
bloody story with Minute particularity He
tells it under such circumstances and amid
such surroundings that if the most skilful
dramatist had known all the facts he could
not have put this awful tragedy on the stage
with more impressive effect.
Our correspondent was indebted to Major
vellous tact has given him great ascendancy
over the Indians, for the opportunity Of
this picturesque interview with Sitting
Bull. It took place after nightfall
of the same day on which the confer
ence was held with our commissioners,
when their mission was treated with SO
much indignant contumely by the derisive
savages. The representations made by
Major Walsh prevailed on Sitting Bull to
consent to the proposed talk, and he was
conducted by that officer to the quarters
which had been assigned to our correspond
ent No other persons were present except
the interpreters and a stenographer en-
ployed by the representative of the HERALD.
The portrait Of Sitting Bull as he appeared
by lamplight on that evening is sketched
with distinctness which almost enables
us to see him, few descriptive touches
bringing out, in all its wild and savage no
bleness, picture as faithful rs u photo
graph, but with more life than photograph
ever attains. The "eyes which cleaned
like black diamonds" the 'jaw like bull
dogs" the setting of the remarkable fea-
lures in ''the long black hair which hung
far down his back, athwart his cheeks and
in front Of his shoulders" with the pictu-
rescue decorations of his costume, and the
native pride and ease Of his manners, make nm
impression that cannot easily be forgotten.
The far stretching wilderness which sur
rounded the camp, the overhanging dark
ness Of night, the fresh memory Of that
days abortive conference, and the more
back to that fearful massacre on the Rose
bud, of which Sitting Bull was the ruling
spirit and whose history he was about to
relate, invested this occasion with every
accessory which could contribute to hcighten
the interest Of narrative which makes
us forget these weird surroundings in the
thrilling interest Of the facts. Although
the greater part Of the interview is mere
literal transcript of the questions and an
swcrs which passed between our correspond
ent and Sitting Bull it has all the liveli-
ness of rapid dramatic dialogue. But such
is the deep interest of the story itself that
readers will hardly think of the manner Of
telling.
This first description Of Clusters fight on
the Rosebud ministers to quite a different
feeling from mere historical curiosity re-
specting memorable event. 1t will excite
indignation that the heroic Custer and his
men should have needlessly perished by
wholesale savage butchery, because he was
not properly supported by Reno. curious
mistake made by Sitting Bull both authen-
ticates the chief portions Of his narrative
and explains why the massacre of Clusters
men was SO complete. Sitting Bulls
error grew out of his ignorance Of
Clusters plan of battle. Clusters plan
WIS to attack the Indian camp simultane-
ously on two sides and thereby fill it with
confusion and terror. In point Of fact
Reno attacked first and was driven back,
and Clusters attack followed after an inter-
val. Nothing could be more natural than