, 1879-01-25

atthouah, owing to the broken country, no reg
uar interval could be observed. 1scno reached
lodges. ana where, wisnese Afterwards heard.
Isuno received or,lrrs from Custer to 20 ahcad,
a. tue Indians wero then ruuufnR away down
the valley.
In response 10 Lieut.. Lce'A request that the
witness proceed nnl narrntt
ALL THAT OCCURRED FROM THIS rIAH on,
Cant. Hoslan said fiat, after Keno's battalion
had moved forward md separated rum
CuRtcr'e,. the order "troth WAS Rivan, md tbs
o~ he sa vss1 u tabnts,y sso; e. s hs s
| Big Horn for some thrcc ur three and one.Ealf
miles, until It reached ttr Little Horn crossing.
The command passed over niil tbs companies
closed up, moving forward At trot a1M the
head moVlnE at very fast trot, 30 that tho two
renr companies ucro calopno. About one
third Of nile from the crossing the companies
ground on tint alde Of the river, a,ni IN I'M
nlcnso cloud Of dust was seen dow n the valley
Of the I.ttt!o Horu, and occasionally tlley coull
ecc figures In ,hc inidst mosinE through II. AZ
to reccde until 1t had passed over, probably, a
milo further, when II suddenly stopncd.
| Then they could sec tho Indians coming out
oft'e 1ust, mounted. They were quite numorous,
| Reno thought there uas more Of forge tlnn he
could probably attack mounted, and accordingly
ordered the command to llsnount: 81 thls
the order was given to "halt, dismount, mud
light on fuot.' ILe companies were tlIstnounted,
| tho horse-holdcrs wcro ordered to takc the
horacs Into the timber, md the litmountcd
| portion dtp1Oyel as skfrinishcEs, g Company
to right, witness company Alto the centre. anil
| NJ Company tn the left. III about tcn minutes
afterwards, witness understood, Rcno rot inior-
nation that the Indiana wcro turning hin ritht,
that q 9oine ,p tho lcts bank Of Tic ri,eFan!
threatening his horses. The greater portion Of
q Company was Withdrawn from the line ntld
taken into tho woods. 80, that It lett
open payG and M t.f o sG Gesor q
inqly ordered bis men to extend out to the
right In order to coVer that unprotected space.
lIa7fn9 done this they remained twcnty-!IT. Or
tiers bad been vcry heavy drug golng On. i
had commenced m the part Of tie Indians, Ia
fact, before the commant, dlso,ountcd. und after
the sktrmf.h-lEne had hccu dcp!oysd the firing
scenc.l u Withdraw slightly. from tho trout Of
the ltuc nnl to paas around to tllc left flank,
sor1o passing between tho foothills and the
le!t Of the skirnsh-line, ut.l sotuc bcYoud this
Intervening space.
'.Iieno WAS In the bottou,," continued Capt.
afoylAn. "snperfntendfng the movements OF q
Company. which lie bad taken down there; and.
fearing that the lrdtaus wrre attaining the left
as to close md change front on tho past Of tho
|ine, went to the ridge OF the line ind called
him to come up and lo0k at thc situation Of af-
fairs himself TINT he might sec how tile thing
l NN kVluAf 4AQ CAAlV w h1A
TOOK IN THE drfuATtoN
and ordered the liue to ho withdrawn. That
movement was executed on the part al my
company BY . flnhk movement to the right, aud
thr Same OF the purt OF n Company. l after
| wards understood that ii Company, Of half Of
ii, was first moved md c|,aoRc0 front again to
the lett In order to resist the attack from tl,c
Indians while going to the bills. The order was
then given to mount up the companies. They
any order In The timber, gave ny men orders
to mount up IA rapidly ~ possible, Individually,
md move out of tho timber in or.lcr that they
miaht form there; When b. hst wss s,,s, mounted
formed lilo men Into eoluMns Of
fours, II Company coming up soon Afterwards
mt! forming on my left within 81 interval Of
understood, aid not mou!;t quits q soon a thu
other two companies. Thc companies haTing
been formed, Or during the time thc7 wers being
formed, Col. Reno was there on hs horse, and
wc had better retreat to, as 1t became evident to
him tint our movements would be entirely on
tho defens!ve,-thc movements necessarily
we're then ID tight and coming down. hatc
almost forgotten what reply made, but At any
rato be designated se eeft.in s;,l'a p9'nts p,t.
w ss 'sss could Mt ss"' high Gill;
outtclves there, Il possible, and whit Tor dayol.
opmenta. don't know what Ills Intentions
wore. 1u few !noments hc EaTe the order to
move forward. We moyod forward At tsot, At
first, aud subsequently, 1T a Galiop. After the
command was In motion, TIC indians closed In
very close on the outer flank and on tho Inner
flank towards inc timber alto. a. thers were
number of Indians IN the timber. know thcro
were great nsAuy In there, H. willis mounting
up, ono Of my men was wounded, just after
mounting his ho1sc, BY shot fired from, an In-
about haif tls distanee from vhcfe wo started
to the river dropped back to about the middle
Of the flank, md found that tho rear was yory
b[Sksp nP aa t' sn2'g .n Tas 5ssy
wounded and tons killed, while tho
company wns in motion. 1rodo in that position
river. When zesrhed there myaelf, found It
ular ford, but simply an Indian trail. Wc got
over, and after reacf,iDg tho oiher side, aid un-
der cover Of bank that projected In towar1a
the river, We passed nroaaa 70 ti1e ot',eF sde,
Ind been hit, sone four mud been killed. and
toipls had hye or SIX wounded ncn. After
lilt md llsInounscd, and turned my attention
inee for them.
"Thcrc wero six Of them, and | had Dr..
Porter eone anl attand to item. While aotng
this, heard yo!tc4 saving thers was column
Of cavalry approaching. I didn't pay, much ut
teution to II, slupossng that Il must hAye beeu
l Col. BenteeH'k wheu aREtftaluea the direction
1t was coming from. III tsw moments lie
caule up wifi bis three companies, arA III one'
half or threo-quarter Of m hour afterwards tho
pack-trsfn caule up.h
"Go on" said Lieut. Lee, "and describe
ANT MOVEMENTS THAT wHRx NADx III til 4
TAoorB
sttcr-that had been done-thu1e Of Capt,
Weir'a company. Or the general movements. II
any,"
"soon after Col. Bcntecn's command ea1ut
. NJ, enw Capt. Wclr's company tnuya out aud
s,,oyu toWu the streau,. | didn't know b,
whose yrdcf, or the intention Of It. Soon after
thu rack,t1aan eaine up, aa order Waa given tu
| to prcpars vt onec to move forward. Ia orae,
10 Get my company ready to 10 on, strippce
Sonic Of thu horaes Of their blankets for tht
purpusc OF carrying nv wounded lncn, 1t takln&
nearly al tho men l had left to carry thsul.-
four 10 each blanket: Tile other men wer'
leading thu horses. 1he comtnand moved Tor
.. ward. l attempted to follow with thos.
! | men Of mtne. but progressed 10 slowly thAt