The star of Pascagoula. [volume] (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1873-1878, 1877-08-31
BONE HEA PS

DOLNi
extend to the right and left in a regular
line from Keogh's " grave" and in many
instances human bones lie behind horse
skeletons, indicating that here a deter
mined but fatal stand was made. Fol-
lowing up the line to the top of the divide
we find a well-worn trail leading north
to " Custer hill" where the last shot was
fired, and the last man was killed. The
position is an elevated one, overlooking
the entire field, the river below,
and the site of the village opposite,
and was doubtless selected as a
dernier les0rt for the salvation OF
the handful of men who, with Custer es-
capped the destructive FIRE encountered
at the other side of the field. Accord
ing to hostile reports, Custer had about
a hundred men when he fell back to this
point, and by the same authority, as well
as by the evidence OF the field, we know
that here occurred one of the most ter
rible conflicts known to mankind. 1t
was literally war to DEATH" Mug
gins" Taylor, the first white man on the
ground after the massacre 1.-TWO days la
teri, says that the horses were all shot
DbDlUu IUt ltlb SuOullCiy anu tudI Vic
hair was singed and full of burnt powder,
which statement, with certain Indian
reports that the soldiers killed their
horses, proves that the poor brutes were
| sacrificed to make breast works for the
men.
The fight at this point lasted not to
exceed twenty minutes, and at its close
the entire command was eXterminated.
Custer fell upon the most conspicuous
portion of the knoll, and the locality is
still well defined by the carcass Of his
horse, whose beautiful sorrel-cclored hide
is still recognizable. In close proximity
are four heaps of bones, or graves"
and the skeletons Of twenty horses, and
just over the crest, upon the side facing
the river, are twenty.eight graves"
with, probably, three or four human
skeletons, or portions thereof, in each,
and fourteen horse skeletons. These are
all huddled together in a very small
space, and, as they are supposed to be
where death Frustrated them, the posi-
lions are suggestive of the appalling ter
ror that must have possessed the remnant
at bay as the thousands of relentless saw
ayes anu lu6NlldDlt hGdIu plGoSVu ClOotl
and closer. The ground for many yards
around is strewn with bones, torn from
bodies by beasts of prey, and clothing, a
noticeable condition o. the dead soldiery
being its nudity, the bodies having all
been stripped of clothing Immediately
after the battle, except the feet, the In
dams not caring for boots or shoes but
they have cut the tops from the boots,
probably to convert them into gun slings
and thongs. Further down the hill are
| several remains, both human and animal,
and at a distance of three hundred yards,
and very near the river, one solitary skel-
eton of a man, with three b~ullet-holes,
and a sickening cut as with an axe in the
skull. This poor fellow evidently tried
to escape, and succeeded in running the
gauntlet as far as this point, where he
was laid low by a savage shot, and death
insured by some miserable squaw, mum.
bers of whom came over, and with clubs,
rocks and hatchets brutality placed the
wounded out of misery.