Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-07-18


Some little time ago your correspond
ent sent you an account of Custer's
death, which now turns out TO have been
erroneous. An Indian represented TO
him that Custer shot himself when he
saw his troops abandoning him. Con-
vorsation with several warriors who
were present at the fight, and with Obo,
brother of Little-Knife, demonstrate
that the suicide was accidental, and
that the officer was not Custer. Obo
says he saw the officer and attacked
him. The officer turned his horse and
fled, shooting at Obo over his shoulder
as the Indian pursued. One of the shots
intended for Obo, instead of passing
over the officers shoulder, pierced his
breast, and he fell dead at the redskin' S
feet. Three or four warriors corroborate
each other in their description of Gus
ter's fate. He was cheering on his men
and firing his pistol in the air-the
cavalry signal to charge. From the
start in he was in advance of his COM
mand, and, when he fell, was between
the Indians and his flying squadrons.
While trying to restore some kind of
order in his broken ranks, q stray shot
killed young buck not far from the
Generals position. The bucks brother,
lad fifteen years of age, seized the
dead warriors gun, and, taking delib-
crate aim, shot Custer dead, and the
battle was finished. My informants
describe Custer accurately, as they saw
him before and after the shot. They
knew him well; and there was a great
rejoicing in the camp that night over
the death of the terrible enemy. The
boy is still in the camp, and there is a
deep notch in his coup-stick" to rep
resent the taking off of one of the best
Indian fighters the plains ever knew.
After the battle they gathered around
the remains of Long-Hair," rs they
called him, and loud and jubilant was
the requiem they sang over the dead
soldier.
In describing the battle, the more
sagacious warriors contend that Custer
erred in dividing his force. They are
afraid of an army bunched," rs they
term arranged compactly; and they
claim ability to whip any army which
divides to attack them. They say they
saw another force not far off (presuma-
bly, Reno's command); but they say it
took no part in the action, and never
made movement toward the support
of " Long Hair" Then they criticise
severely the conduct of the Seventh
Cavalry. Little-Knife tells me that, as
soon as the soldiers struck the camp
and the battle opened, the Indians saw
they had an inferior force to contend
with. The men were poor riders, and
were easily shaken from their horses.
In firing they were wild; and in re-
treating they fired over their shoulders,
killing their comrades as they went.
Their horses and themselves appeared
to be unmanageable from the onset,
and they fell prey to the steady f .
of the Indians, and careless and reckless
shooting among themselves. Some,
who were thrown from their horses,
approached the Indians with their hands
up; but they were shot down remorse-
lessly.
The only prisoner taken was captured
by Rain-in-the-face, who says he had
stripes On his arm. This was probably
Corporal Ryan. He was bound hand and
foot with "shag-a-nappee" (stripped
buffalo -hide), and left in a lodge. There
was wild dance that night, and few
young men, drunk with the excitement
of the shin-dig, sought the lodge and
killed the poor fellow with a knife
Chicago Tribune Far West Letter.