The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-08-07

4
tao of the young men who had stop
ped cut came IL With word that Gus
ter and the troops were very close
and would be upon the camp in the
morning. That night We all got
ready for the battle. My young men
all buckled on their ammunition belts
and were busy putting strong etioks
Ia cur coup sticks Early at sunrise
two Young men who had been out
short way Oh the prairie came to me
and told me that from the top of
high butte they had seen the troops
advancing in two divisions. l then
had all the horses driven into the
camp and cerrslled between the
lodges. Abott noon the troops cameuo
and at once rushed upon the camp.
They charged in two separate divi-
slons-one at the upper end whilst
the otner division charged about the
middle of the camp. The, latter
division struck the camp in the CEN
ia OF the $50 lodges of the Uncapapa
Sioux, and close to the door of my
own lodge. At the time that the
troops charged l was making medi-
cine for the Great Spiri. to help US
and fight upon our side, and as l
heard the noise and knew what it
was, I came out. When l had got
to the outside of my lodge 1 noticed
that this division had stopped sud-
denly close to the outer tiie of the
Uncapspa camp, and then they
sounded bugle and the troops fired
into the camp. Here Sitting Bull
made q peculiar noise with his
m5uth and clspping his hands to-
getheI to initiate the firing OF the
soldiers.
81 at once set my wife on my best
horse, put my wsr-bonnet on her
head and told her to run away with
the rest of the women. She did so,
but in her hurry forgot to take the
baby IA girl; after shs had gone a
little way she thought of the child
ana came back for it. I gave the
child to her and she went of again.
81 now put flag upon a lodge
pole and lifting it as high as l could
I shouted out as loud as was able to
my own men. L am Sitting Bull fol
low me- [ then rushed at the head OF
them up to the place where / thought
Custer was. and just as we got close up
TO the troops they fired again. Here
Bull again initiated for soma length
of time the firing of the troops. J
When l saw that the soldiers fired
from their saddles AID did but little
damage to us. ordered all my men to
rush through their ranks and break
them, which they did. but failed to
break the ranks although We suffered
SIS little damage as before. | then
shouted to- them to try again, and
putting myself at the head of my
men ne went at them again. This
time, although the soldiers we're
keeping up a rapid firing (trom their
horses), we knocked away q whole
corner and killed great many;
slough l had only one man killed.
After this We charged the same way
several times aud kept driving them
back for about half a mile, killing
them very fast. After forcing them
back there only remained five soldiers
If this division and the interpreter
alive, and l told my men to let them
i've. Then the interpreter, the man
hat the Indians called The White,
called out in Sioux and said, Custer
is not in this division, he is in the
other l then ordered ell my men
10 come on and attack the other diyi-
sion. They Gid 80 and followed me.
The soldiers OF this division fired on us
Is soon as We got within range, but
lid us but little harm. When ee had
got quite close and we,were just going
to charge them, great storm broke
right over US: the lightning was
fearful, and struck a lot of the
soldiers and horses, killing them in
stantly. [ then called to my men to
charge the troops and shouted out:
The Great Spirit is on our side; look
how he is striking the soliiers down.
My men saw this, and they all rushed
upon the troops who were mixed up
a good deal. About forty of the
soldiers had been dismounted by the
killing aud frightening their
horses and these men were soon
traupled to death. 1t was just at
this time that we charged them, and
We easily knocked them off their
horses, and then killing them with
our coup sticks
SIN this way We killed all this divi-
,ion NTH the exception of few who
.ried to get away, but were killed by |
he Sioux before they could get very
lar. All through the battle the |
soldiers fired very wild and only xii.
ed twenty-five Sioux. I did not re-
,ognize General Custer in the fight, |
but only thought l did, but I would |
not be certain about it. l believe |
Custer was killed in the first attack,
ss VS. found his body, or what all the
Indians thought was Clusters body, |
about the place that it wac made. l |
10 not think there is any truth in the
report that he shot himself. l saw
,Wo soldiers Ehoot themselves. The |
Sioux were following them and in a
eW moments would have caught |
hem. but they snot themselves with |