Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-06-15
THE DEATH OF CUSTER.
SITTING BULL TELLS THE STORY OF THE
FIGHT-HE ASSERTS THAT HE WAS
RELUCTANT TO BEGIN HosTILI-
TIES, AND THAT THE GREAT
SPIRIT SENT A FIERCE
THUNDER. STORM
TO AID HIM.

THUNDERSTORM
TO AID HIM.
Correspondence Of the Toronto (Canada) Globe.
WooD MOUNTAIN, Northwest Terri
tory, April I'm q recent interview
with Major Crozier, Sitting Bull said /.
"During the Summer previous TO one
in which Custer attacked us, he sent
letter to me telling me that i'll did not
60 to an agency he would fight me
and / sent word back to him by his
messenger that | did not want to fight,
but only to be left alone. told him
at the same that If he wanted to fight
that he should 90 and fight those In.
dams who wanted to fight him. Gus.
ter then sent me word again (this was
in the Winter). You would
not tako my former offer, now am
going to fight you this Winter |
| sent word back and said Just what |
had said before, that | did not want TO
fight, and only wanted to be left alone,
and that my camp was the only one
that had not fought against him. Gus.
ter again sent a message
Il am fitting up wagons and soldiers,
and am determined to fight against
you in the Spring l thought that |
would try him again, and sent him
message saying | did not want to fight /;
that | wanted, first of all, to go to
British territory; after had been there
and came back, and if he still wanted
to fight me, that | would fight then.
Custer sent back and said: Il will
fight you in eight days l then
saw that it was no use, that | would
have to fight, so | sent him word
back All right; get all your men
mounted and will get all my men
mounted we will have a fight the
Great Spirit will look on, and the side
that is in the wrong will be defeated.
PREPARATIONS MADE.
81 began to get ready and sent
twenty young men to watch for the
soldiers. Five soon came back with
the word that Custer was coming. The
other fifteen stopped to watch his
movements. When Custer was quite
close ten young men came in. When
he had advanced still closer two more
Of them came in, leaving three still to
watch the troops. We had got up a
medicine dance for war in the camp
and just as it was coming to an end,
two Of the young men who had stop
ped ont came in with word that Custer
and the troops were very close and
would be upon the camp in the morn
ing. That night we all got ready for
the battle. My young men oil buckled
on their ammunition belts, and we
were busy putting strong sticks in our
coup sticks. Early at sunrise two
young men, who had been out a short
way on the prairie, came to me and
told me that from the top Of high
butte they had seen the troops advanc.
ing in two divisions. l then had all
the horses driven into the camp and
coralled between the lodges. About
noon the troops camp up and at once
rushed upon the camp. They charged
in two separate divisions, one at the
upper end, while the other division
charged about the middle of the camp
in the centre OF the 250 lodges of the
Uncapapa Sioux and close to the door
Of my own lodge. At the time the
troops charged was making medicine
for the Great Spirit TO help us and
fight upon our side, and as | heard the
noise and knew what it was |
came out. When / had got to the out
side of my lodge noticed that this
livision had stopped suddenly close to
he outer side of Uncapapa camp, and
hen they sounded a bugle and the
.roops fired into the camp. Hero Sit.
ing Bull made n peculiar noise with
his mouth and clapped his hands to.
yether to initiate the firing of the
SAVING THE WOMEN.
al at once set my wife upon my best
lorse, put my war bonnet on her head
md told her to run away with the rest
,f the women. She did so, but in her
lurry forgot to take the baby "a girl). |
After she had gone little she thought
If the child and came back for il. |
gave the child TO her and she went off
lgain. | now put flag upon lodge.
)ole, and lifting it as high as could,
,houtod out as loud | was able to my
,wn men, i am Sitting Bull follow
nc 7 | then rushed at the head of
hem 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 some
ength of time the firing of the troops.
Whom | saw that the soldiers fred
rom their saddles and did but little
lamage to us, ! ordered all my men to
'ush through their ranks and break
hem, which they did, but failed TO
freak the ranks, although we suffered
IS little damage as before. | then
houted TO them TO try again, and put !
ing myself at tho head Of my men we
vent at them again This time, al. |
hough the soldiers were keeping
Up rapid firing (from their
lorses), we knocked away whole |
.orner and killed great many, though |
had only one man killed. After this
We charged the same way several
imes and kept driving them back for
bout half mile, killing them very
asst After forcing them back there |
'nly remained five soldiers of this
livision and the interpreter alive, and |
told my men to let them live.
"Then the interpreter--the man that