Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-04-07

The Bravest Man tho Indians
e Ever Nat or Fought.

= AAO - oVO00 DA04A OAA0 AAkA4684&0
Ever Nat or Fought.
Pion. e Prsss Kdi,qrial.
We have received from military
orioles some important information
throwing light on the following pas
sage from the statement OF Red Horsc,
the Minneconjou sub chief, who wts
witness Of and participant in the ~
tack on Reno, and the massacre Of
Custcr's immediate command in the
fight on the Big Horn. After stating
the hurried preparations BY the 1ndi--
ans on learning that the troops sere
approaching, Red Horse said.
We. gave directions Immediately
for every Indian to get his horse and
arms, for the women and children to
mount :hcir horses and get out Of the
way, and for the young men to 60 and
meet the troops.
Among the latter was an officer
who rode horse with four y hite feet.
The Indians have fought great
many tribes Of people and very brave
ones, TOO, but they all say that this
man WAS the bravest man they had
ever met. | don't know wethsr this
man was General Custer or not.
Some say he was. / saw the man in
the 6ght several times, but did not
see his body. 1t is said he was killed
by Santee, who holds his horse.
This officer wore large brimmed ha,
and buckskin coat. He alone saved
his commsnd number of times by
turning on his horse in the retreat.
In speaking Of him, the Indians call
him the "nan who rode the horse
with the white feet" There we're
two men Of his description, looking
very much. alike, both having long
yellow hair.
This has been supposed to. refer to
General Custer. But this is ali error.
1t is perfectly that certain Red Horse s
heres speakingaf,he attack on l1eno's
detachment, and OF his retreat across
Greasy Grass creek 10 the hill cn It's
eastern bank. There was but one
man in Rcno's three companies who
wore buckskin, and it is needless 10
say it was not General Custer, who
who had gone three miles up the
creek with his detachment. This
unknown oflicerin in bnckskin deliber-
ately abandoned the side Of the COM
manding officer and the head Of the
flying column and fought alone IN the
Gear all the way TO the ford. The
name of this gallant officer. who was
the hero Of the combat, of whom the
Indians "all say tha, he was the brav-
est man they had ever met" and who
salone savedlhis command a number of
tim4ssa shY tuning on his horse III the
retreat" was not mentioned by Col
onel Reno. in his official repor, of the
battle. The lndiuns, ofc ur-e, d nos
know him, but the soldiers IN the rear
of the retreating column knew him,
and it has been for some time known
to xrmY officers who was the yellow.
haired hero in buckskin of this gallant
6ght against the savages in the rear
Of the flying column. His name is
Capt. 7. H. French, now At Fl. Rice.
It 10 not creditable fact that no
mention Of his gallant and HEROIC ser
vice in that days bloody fight was
made in the official report Of the bat
tie BY General Reno, aud that the first
public mention Of his magnificent
bravery was made in narratives taken
from the lips Of the sAvages whose .d-
miration Of his gallant bearing was
one st the most vivid impressions
which the battle made upon them. It
was reserved for Red Horse to rec
tify this omission in the official report
Of General Reno, 90 far ~ to call pub
lie attention to the unknown hero Of
the combat, and It is with great pleas
ure that the Pioneer Press supplies
the one fact lacking to just recogni-
ton Of his gallant scrvice-his name.
We need not say that = service
which undoubtedly saved Reno's
detachment from the fate which
bsfell Clusters il entitled to more
honorable recognition than this tatdy
newspaper disclosure coming indirect.
" to light through the narrative of an
admiring sayags seven months after
The battle, but the rigid rules of Tie
military routine or etiuqe,te require
that any official recognition of dl.tin-
gushed services in the orders or reports
Of the superior officer should be based
on the reports OF the officer directly
in command of the dctach-
ment in action, and who
10, presumed to have all the details oi
the action under his eye. Hence i,
comes, We suppose. that there has
been no official corrections of the
oversight nf General Reno in f.,,;n,,