Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-07-14
CLUSTERS DEATH.
Particulars Of the Fight Derived From
Indians who Participated.

Wood Mountain British Ter Correspondence
ef Chitsg9 TFipunc-l
Three or four warriors corroborate
each other ia their description OF
Custer fate. He was cheering on
his men aud firing his pistol in the
air-the cavalry signal to charge.
From the start in he was in advance
of his command, and, when he
toll, was between the Indians
and bis flying squadrons. While
trying to restore some kind of order
in bis broken ranks. 2 stray shot kill
ed q young buck not fsF from the gen.
erals position. The bucks brother, a
lad of fifteen years of age. seiEed the
dead warriors gun, aud 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
great Feieicing in the camp that night
over the Gesth Of a terrible enemy.
The boy is stiH IN the camp; aud
there is a deep notch ip bis coup
stick ~ represent the taking 9f Of
one Of tbs hest Indian fighters the
plains ever knew. After the battle
they gathered around the remains Of
Long Hair" as they called him. and
loud and jubilant was the requiem
Gang over the dead soldier.
III describing Che battle, the more
sagaciQgs warriors contend that Gus
Ter erred ip dividing be force. They
aFs afraid Of ap army punched, as
they term arranged compqctIy. qpd
they claim ability 10 WHIP any army
which divides to attack them. They
say .they saw another force mol far of
presumably Reno's command); buI
they say it took no part in the action
end never made a movement toward
The s.te9rt Of Long Hair" Their
they eriticiss severely the conduct o
the Seventh cayaifS. Little Knit,
tells me that, as soon as The soldier.
Struck the camp and the battle opened
tie [BdigDs saw they had an inferior
force 70 eoapBa Fith. The men wer'
poor rideFs, and %.e&, Egly shaker
from their horses. IL iriDg Mses SqgJ
wild, and in ~retreating they fred oye'
their shoulders, killing their owl
! comrades as they went. Their horse
aqd tAeWselyeS appeared to be unman
t ageable FROM the 9Fset md they fel
= a prey to the steady hre Or lG6 w
!, dams, aud careless and reckless shoot
!. lag AMONG themselyes. Some VIII
9 were thr6yB ffgm their horses, ap
prOaehed the indians With their hand
aRi but they we're shot remorseissS,;
fhs 0Rly prisoner captured w3
| taken by Rails iR-they Face, who Say
he had stripes on the afsa, This wa
a probably Corporal Ryan. Re wa
bound hand and foot with a "snag-a
4 g9ppee' stripped buffilo. hide). an
Ief ~ q lodge. There was a viii
0 dance tb% Bigbt ard a few youn
y W6a, drunk With TIE excitement 4
the sbiR. dig, sought The lodge 2D
" "hNNN w HRbN NNitNW NffFt = khNANs
last Sunday | paid DC lodge
d Little. Knife a visit, aud dootored III
/. sprained foot of that gentleman an,
while ! was there, a woman belongir
D 10 BIZ 6mily told me that she wi
e Ressed Ryaig death.
20 He cried hard and begged for h
r. life, said she; but III Meir FIN
in they killed him." y"
I'd There has been a tradition in II
Us Seventh cavalry ever since that fgh
10 Ms sFsct that Ryan is still he
Or captive ~ TIE sqis9 of the Uncapapa
ppt the old woman seems 10 Dlay Il
ID bittsT ieoOoclast in her weird Desert
is ton Of Ga corporqTs death. III
10 dame lost her husband and a fe
" other spperauous members &C h
re fg@iyiu the battle but. when / sa
her, she seemed to think that RYAN
~ murder bad agply compensated i
- tbs loss she sustained. Ldtle-Kn mi