, 1879-01-13


IIbbon's coHnmn'ld Who ilau been killed a lew
DAYS previous while III camn IN ihc Rosebud.
Here Custer called together his officers and III,
hsrnaa f",%ea on, sne% once o nore that s, were
ages, indginr FROM tho fresh evidences
At hand. A short Init was mado At
noon, and tho Journey. again resumed, and
the regiment had Travelled thirty.nine miles.
They were now efohty-ei9ht miles from tho
po!nt Of departure.
Three hours on1v we're given tho regiment TO
rest and take coffee. At II p. m. al advance
was ordered, and tte maryl,, already wcarisomc
10 man mud bcass, a0ain taken np. The night
was very dark, and It Al almost impossible for
the companies to take tneIr pronet place lit linz.
What aided greatly to the den,oratizctl condi-
tlos, OF the connsand WAS tic report which canlc
up to tic effect that the pack-irafn was far be-
hind, anti that II was imp'ssthle for CAPT.
Kcoaf', WHO commanded three companies Of the
The mules were constantly failing over rorks,
the packs slipping oN anil It was thought ut
ono time that they would hare to be abandoned.
Chatter sent word to KeocA to close up, but tho
latter returned kord that II was impossible to
do 60 a. loug u the command was moving 70
rapidly. " was found necessary late as night 10
halt two hours 10 enable tho train to come no.
Thu trail then had left The Valley uf thc Rosc-
bttA, md ran tlue west over the 'divtlc" scpa-
rating the Rosebud from tlle Little Big llorn
River. before crossing this tdiStdo" halt
was ordered on the cast side to again walt for
the traln+
1t was while this halt was made that Lieut..
Charles Varnum, WHO lad been 10 advance with
Indian (tcc) scouts. came In and seaortetl that
Col. Gutter and his brother, Capt. Tom Custcr,
Charles Reynolds, white Bcotlt, and few ln-
dians, with Bulcr, I Sioux hAlf-brrca Inter.
prefer, went out to uoint some distance bcyuBd
where thc troopa were haltlnH for tho purt.osu
OF making reconnaissance. Tney securetl an
eIcyatel position, anil, as Ia related by one who
was there, could SEC dIstinctly the snnuko arising
from the tcpccs uf all immense Intlan vi'lnHG.
They ctu1h Mao aeu tho tcpees, says the Bame
authority. White tho remainder Of tho conf
n,und we're awaiting custcr's return, Capt, ke-
oRtl cnmc up with Ills train. and reported tint
Indians had been sceu IN bis rear, BY soldiers
who lad Goile hack TO secure pro.teions y hicll
# had been founl necessary to lowe at \ GER
tain potnt. To the officers ibis waa conclusive
evidence That the progress 0f tbs tru,ps lad
lorn r.teea, md i that the Indians Ind meas.
fully.
II was not long before Custer assembled his
officers and informed thcn TINT he had sttn he
tCus:er) had nut been able ~ do so, nj h.s glass
WAS not strong enough. Custer said lie hxd
seen nome 1nllons, VAS certain his troops wero
watched, AMI that NJ surprise could b. given
all events, md trusted Ills Off .crs would do all
they could to co.opetnte with him. "'fhat con-.
pany com,unn4er,n said he, "wto will havo his
troops tcady lrst will l!ave tho honur Of heading
tue colnnn.''
THE r1AsT coMpANr nsADT
wns that hclouKtng to Capt. +. W, Beateen. flo
TOOK thu lend, nnu The Regiment t,ovcd furwa,tl.
ihey had nsarrl'ru perhaps SIX miles, when they
ns 's Rs.v9 9s'Ss .ope . 'sy ~eSs s's sss"
and approaching tho Little Big Horn.
They could now distinctly sec tho
losatioa O. the Indian villsge. q was hcre that
most eeyerelv criticised by nrny oi1cers. lie
divided his regiment into tllrce separate COM
Mands. The iirst, andrr Capt, iIcntccu. corr
sisted of compan'cs Il, D, and 4; tle second.
third, L, l, +, l., and Z. were Reserved fur Col.
Cusser; while Company b (Capt. MrDnuQa.i)
wrfe leit to Euard aud brltg al' tile paek.tratu.
Capt Dsntecn xas snst1astcd to taks eho LEFT,
NM. Reno was PLACED In tho centre. Col. CIs-
ter .ppk tho right Of the river they wcrc then
GU: Lieut.. Varnum lad command Of the lice
M dsu n ssssa nd .S nns. NE; essm" p9ssS :" Gnt
5Urn tho sIynncs was MntIet The lall.Lree.l
Sioux interpreter spoks to Custer, saying That
ho would find down there enough Indians fur
is sey esss wee Mst into ,s9 CIV ta Woa
Tue eutitc regiment then advanced, and, after
march!ng tlres lnics, the centro taiaj l!ano)
During that time The Indian scouts began 10 tall
back, md nothIug could DO loMe u keep iilc~,
together. The Little Dig Horn Was reached,
and forlcd at trot.
Up u this t!mr, stucu tho breaking Of camp
the prcvious morning. tho regiment had marched
saxHfyzGts ,nifez without rcEulnr rest ur feed &u
ulen OF an!nats. All wero exhausted.
Leaving, tho river. Reno entered q belt OF
emergang from this, hc brought Ills co.nnsnd
Into limo of battle, A Company forming the cen-
tire: A gu'lop was orleEcd and continued fur
fully two milcs, Mhcn tho !nsl!aus l,egan saie!ug
suct cloud Vi uust, evidently to ullc tleit
numbers, that halt was made when within cnr-
bIu0 length OF tlunl. The troops were dis
mounted and depluyc,l ~ skiFlDtsilurs tic right
of tue itnu resting, on the thtstsiy-wootied dry
creek. A moment later the intlFans opeuel lre.
'.ln less than quarter of IN hous,H eaya o par-
tlcipane, tive Wero surrounded by thousands OF
savages, all better armed than NC wetr, nnl
horscs were ofdere4!nto .As shelter 4ksrttu1 the
dry creek, on our right. Soon the whole liuu
WIS forced to the creck-bea. Thu shape Ut this
creek at TINT point wins like ! liorss.shoe. BY
this ttaa thd Indians wetn all ar0nud us, but
they cou1 not harn US much"
Capt. Benteen. 1t Will be remembered, had
been arllcfet 10 the 1cft and therefore, was not
v1thIn reach of lsono at tbs tinu he was making
this stantl. It Was thought hc might comc up ut
any monent. however, ~ hs Ind probably failed
to feel the aayagcs !ro1n hs position. II was
wondered what had bctoas ol Custer, who had
swept o1 to tic rixhi. Ono partlripant With
whether Custcr With hls tse c&,nl;Mnlss was
anywhere ncar, ct coming to our aid wllrt for
au Instant perceived him and two 0t.itrs on
the top Ut tho highest blur, swtnEing hts white
hat aud ehtcriog VI. For n!ou1cnt I thought
he was rouitllg to Us; bnt be souu Disappeared,
and illat WA tbs ia.t thus | saw Custer. Al
thu tt1ne saw him la W&A dsnIouutct." Aican-
tlne, tho Indians vera
CLoslN0 UP ALL AROUND HnNo,
and shortly Afterwards the prdcr was given 10
withdraw Iron. the creck-bcd aud make u stand
OIL tie summit OF hiuH, now called Keno's Hill,
east aud arrosa the Little ,i1 Horn River, and oil
tho saiue side wnere Custer waa operating. As
Keno Withdrew. or retrrated, the sayugss fol-
loved ou sll alies, but had not 0onc lar whsn
tEey halted, poiuttng Up thu river to wheFe tho
tort had been n,ads. They now saw uuother
booy oil troops approaching, snti hcsitatcl to
pursus Reat. 2hss delay cuablcd Reno to
IcacIl the lfll, whrre he Waa soon jolnrl by
Buutecn, anl there the two commands lay iii
Tint day aud night.
Alter Ncnos withdrawal and Bentecn's ap-
peara,ice, tho greater portion Ut the Indians
Withdrew. leaving few hundred only tu watch
and hArass Reno. The body wnIrh lcft swept
oil towards tho vtllagr, and not loaK afterwards