Connecticut western news., 1881-08-17
THE CUSTER FIGHT.
A Sioux ohiet Gives an Account of it.

A Sioux Chiet Gives an Account of it.
 Crow King, one of Sitting Bulls chiefs, gives the following account of the Custer fight :-st We were in camp, not thinking there was any danger of battle, although we had heard that the long haired chief had been sent after us. Some of our runners went back on our trail, for what purpose do not know. One came back and reported that an army of white soldiers was coming, and he had no more than reported when an- other runner came in with the same story, and also told us that the com mand had divided, and that one party was going round to attack us on the op- posite side. The first attack was at the camp of the Uncapapas tribe. The shots neither raised nor fell. Here he indi- cated that the whites commenced firing at about 400 yards distance. The h. dians retreated-at first slowly, to give the women and children time to go to place of safety. Other Indians got our horses. By that time we had warriors enough to turn upon the whites, and we drove them to hill and started back to camp. Then the second band of white warriors came. We did not know who was their chief, but we supposed it was Busters command. This party con- menced firing at long range indicating nearly mile]. We had then all our warriors and.horses. There were eighty warriors in my band. All the Sioux were there from every tribe. We had warriors plenty as the leaves on the trees. Our camp was as long as from the fort to the lower end of our camp here [more than two and 8 half milesl. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were the great chiefs of the fight. Sitting Bull did not himself fight, but he gave orders. We turned against the second party. The great body of our warriors came to- gether in their front, and we rushed our horses on them. At the same time warriors rode out on each side of them and circled round them till they were surrounded. When they saw that they were surrounded they dismounted. They tried to hold on to their horses, but as we pressed closer they let go their horses. We crowded them toward our main camp and killed them all. They kept in order and fought like brave war riors as long as they had 8 man left. Our camp was on Greasy Grass River Little Big Horn]. When we charged every chief gave the cry, 'Hi-yi-yi.' Here Crow Chief gave us the cry in high, prolonged tone. When this cry is given 1t is command to all the war riors to watch the chief and follow his actions. Then every chief rushed his warriors did the same, every one whip ping another's horse. There was great hurry and confusion in the fight. No one chief was above another in that fight. It was not more than half an hour after the long haired chief attacked Is before he and all his men were dead. Then we went back for the first party. We fired at them until the sun went down. We surrounded them and watched them all night, and at daylight we fought them again. We killed many of them. Then 8 chief from the Uncapapas called our men off. He told them those men had been punished enough, that they were fighting under orders, that we had killed the great leader and his men in the fight the day before, and we should let the rest go home. Sitting Bull gave this order. He said, This is not my doings nor these mems. They are fight Ing because they were commanded to fight. We have killed their leader. Let them go.' call on the Great Spirit to witness what say. We did not want to fight. Long Hair sent us word that he was coming to fight US, and we had to defend ourselves and our wives and children. If this command had not been given we could have cut Reno's command to pieces, as we did Clusters. No warrior knew Custer in the fight We did not know him, dead or alive When the fight was over the chiefs gave orders to look for the long-haired chief among the dead, but no chief with long hair could be found" Custer had his hair cut short before starting on this march.
 Crow King said that if Reno had held out until Custer came and then fought as Custer did, they would have whipped the Indians. The Indians would then have been compelled to divide to protect their women and children, and the whites
 would have had the advantage. He ex- pressed great admiration for the bravery
 of Custer and his men, and said that that 1 fight impressed the Indians that the
 whites were their superiors, and it would
 be their destruction to keep on fighting
 them. Both he and Low Dog said they
 did not feel that they would be blamed
 for the Custer fight or it's results. It
 was war they were attacked Custer
 tried to kill them ; they killed him. Crow
 King said he had two brothers killed in
 the fight that from thirty to fifty In
 dians were killed, and much larger
 number who were wounded died after.
 ward.
 The Difference in Time,