The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1883-02-22

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review before his superior officers
and started on his last expedition.
Before starting Gen. Brisbin yielding
to the solicitations of Capt. Keogh,
one Of Clusters officers, offered to
take suryice under him with his
force and accompany him, but Gus
ter declined and Was afterwards
heard to remark that "this was a
matter for the 7th Cavalry As
Gen. Gibbon babe him farewell he
told Custer, impressively, to "take
plenty Of time" The General did
not believe that Custer went forward
by forced marches, but that in his
eagelness to meet the Indians he
crossed over from the Rosebud to
the Little Big Horn sooner than he
should have done.
Gen. Terry with the balance of
the force, started forward with all
speed to reach the mouth of the
Little Big Horn, Gen. Brisbin being
in command Of the march during
Gibbons temporary illness. On
the afternoon of June 25th they
were twelve miles from the rende-
zvous, with the infantry worn out
with the long march over the
burning earth and beneath the hot
sun. The cavalry were in a little
better condition, and Terry came
forward and enquired Of Brisbin
if it were not possible to push the
cavalry forward during the night
He said he had promised to be at
the mouth of the Little Big Horn
on the 26th and he wanted to be
there on the morning of that date
if possible. After a short rest the
cavalry pushed forward. No one
who took part in that midnight
march will ever forget it. Through
the pitchy darkness and in the
midst of furious thunderstorm,
the column followed their Indian
guides over the uneven ground and
among the buttes and precipices.
\ column of horses and q battery
Of artillery were lost from the rear
of the column in the darkness, but
still they pushed forward till having
nearly reached their destination,
they lay down in a muddy valley
to take little rest. Early on the
morning of the 26th they rode up
on the hill looking down Oh the val
ley Of the Little Big Horn. The
infantry were rapidly coming up
and the lost cavalry company and
the battery of artillery had found
their way back.
Gen. Terry was much pleased
and hoped that day to encompass
the Indians between his force and
Clusters, and wipe them out. They
went forward up the valley. Soon
some fleeing Grow Indians respond
ed to the signs of the Indian guides
and joined them. They brought
the horrible intelligence that on the
day before, Custer, and every man
of his command, had been killed in
battle by the Sioux. They pointed
to some smokes up the valley which
they said were caused by the Sioux
burning the brush to finish any
wounded soldiers who might be
hiding therein. 1t was a terrible
shock. The command pushed for
ward and that night reached the
edge Of the battlefield. Next
morning they went forward and
viewed the scene Of the awful car
mage. Custer with his officers still
lay there where they had fallen.
Captains Keogh and Yates, and
other comrades with whom the lee
turer had served in the Army Of the
Potomac, were among the slain.
He believed that had Custer follow
ed his orders strictly and waited
one more day before he came up
with the Indians, that officer and
most of the command would still
have been living. The lecturer
spoke of Rcno's share in this cam
paign, and believed that his errors
were those of the head and not of
the heart.
Gen. Brisbin closed his interest
ing lecture with an eloquent allu-
sion to Billings and to the West.
He honored the West because she.
gave such ample returns to those
who sought her aid. He respected
the hardy people of the West for
their energy, their enterprise and
their broad views. In a few
months they had built a city-Bil-
lings-whose name was heralded