The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-12-09
Wanderings OF q Watch, Lost at the
Custer Massacre.

Strange things happen in this life.
Here is curious story of a watch.
General Thomas L. Crittenden, who is
well known in Washington, was United
States Consul at Liverpool in 1850.
While there he bought watch for him
self and one for his wife. His only son,
John j. Crlttenden, entered the army.
To him General Crittenden gave the
Liverpool watch. Young Crittenden
was not in the cavalry, but volunteered
to Join General Custer. He was at the
disastrous fight on the Little Big Horn,
and was among the many who died
there. His parents recovered no trink ct
or anything that he had about him. All
who fell were plundered by the Sioux.
By strange and unexpected means the
watch which General Crittenden gave
his only boy has Just been returned to
him. Under date of Portage La Prairie,
April %. E. w. Gigot, Of the Home
Bay Company, wrote to General Sher-
man. In that letter he said: "Some
time in July last a gold watch was Of
fered for sale to me by q French half
breed by name of Scadieux. This man
stated that he had purchased the watch
from Sioux Indian, who told him that
he had taken the watch from an Amer
ACth1 OAhC0k WhOlh AC hou AlhCu. 0C6-
deux was not sure whether it was at
the Custer fight in the Rosebud Valley,
or at one of the many skirmishes be-
hunting watch and bears the name of
the manufacturer, Robert Roskeu.
Liverpool, and is numbered 81, 7S9.
Thinking that might be the means of
returning this watch to the relatives of
the poor fellow who had been killed, /
purchased it, paying therefor only the
small sum of three dollars, this being
the same amount as the half-breed paid
to the Sioux. The watch is more or less
battered and the works are partly de-
stroyed, still the case is of eighteen karat
gold and the gold value OF it is from
$25 to $780," Mr.. Gigot also said that
he at once wrote to Rosken & Co., to
find out If possible to whom they sold
the watch. He received q reply say
ing: 1--WE have referred to our books
and find that the gold hunting watch
named Robert Roskell, Liverpool, and
numbered 81, 4,789, alluded to in your
letter of the 18th ultimo, was sold by
us to q Mr.. Crittenden, July Is, 1850,
and he bought a lady's gold watch at
the same time. No address, unfortu-
nately, is given in our books with the
purchaser name. he mentioned the
circumstances and showed the letter
from the Liverpool firm to the Rev.
Henry George. That gentleman told
him that the name Crittenden seemed
familiar, and that of some distinguished
officer in the United States army dur
ing the late civil war. He next looked
up the United States Consul at Winni-
peg. who told him that either q son of
Colonel or General Crittenden was
killed by the Sioux at the Custer mas
sacre. General Sherman was away
when the letter from Gigot detailing
these circumstances was received.
Colonel John NJ. Bacon, his aide, re-
piled. stating that q son of General T.
L. Crittenden was killed, with General
Custer and others, in battle against the
Sioux, on the Little Big Horn River,
Montana, June, 1876. General Critten-
den was written to. He was happy at
the prospect of regaining the watch at
any expense. There was no doubt of
it having been his sons. These facts
were known to Gigot. On the 18th of
October last he forwarded the watch to
army headquarters, and it was deliv-
cred to General Crittenden. Upon Cen
eral Sherman's return he wrote very
handsome letter to Mr.. Gigot-Wash-
ington Star.