Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-08-19
THE DAY CUSTER FELL.

Boston, Mass, August 9.-The real
facts about the death of General Custer
were brought out day or two ago in an
interview here between Sitting Bull and
Sergeant John Ryan, of Newton, who
foug under General Reno in the last
battle between Clusters regiment and
the Indians. When Sergeant Ryan was
introduced to the chief, Sitting Bull
showed DO disposition to talk, but pres
emily Ryan drew from his pocket blood
spattered cavalry guidon and asked
Sitting Bull whether he had ever seen a
flag like that before. The Indian showed
a sudden awakening Ct interest.
eyes," he said.
"Wben was it?" asked Sergeant Ryan.
"When we had the fight and killed
Clusters men," said Sitting Bull through
the interpreter, 'we got number of
them. Where did you get it?'
"On the second day Of the fight" am
swered Ryan, II saw an Indian riding
up and down in front Of our lines
displaying this flag. Another man and
myself, who had long range rifles, fired
at him repeatedly, and finally cropped
him off his horse. When night came
crawled out and brought the flag in.
When we struck your trail,'' Sergeant
Ryan continued, land just before the
fight, we found four lodges with dead
Indians in them"
"Who were they?"
"They were Sioux Shawnee scouts
replied Sitting Bull, "killed by men of
General Crooks command on the Rosebud
on June II. On the first days fight, do
you recollect an Indian mounted on
black horse who was armed with camp
stick Gan Indian lance), and was cheer
ing and urging on bis men?"
That was when you were trying to
break our skirmish line" said Ryan.
"The chief was 200 or 300 yards away,
and fired on him number of times"
Sitting Bull with much merrimenD
said: THAT was l. Soon after that
went to the scene of the fight with Gus
ter, and was not in the battle after that
day. [ remember when two of your
pack mules charged down to the water
from your camp on the bluff. They were
loaded with ammunition, and we used
that ammunition, as well as what we got
from Custer, in the second days fight.
When l went to take charge of the battle
at the other end of the valley, where
Custer made his attack, | left Crazy
Horse in command Of my young men
who were fighting you and Reno
"Was the fight going on when you got
there?" asked Ryan.
"Oh, yes; we had them surrounded" "
cit has been said that Rain-in- the
Face asserted that he killed Custer. Did
he?''
mo There is no truth in it. So
many were firing at Custer at the same
time that no one could tell whether be
hit him or not"
"You are telling the truth there, p"
said Ryan. | was in command Of the
detail that buried Custer after General
Terry came up There were number
of bnllets in Clusters body, and he and
a newspaper man named Kelly were the
only ones who were not mutlated. Who
was it that crushed the head of Captain
Tom Custer, and what became of the
prisoners?"
Il don't know about that answered
Sitting Bull. "The young meG and
squaws had to do with that. There were
1000 warriors and there were in the
camp from 5000 to 1000 women and
children, and the camp was four or five
miles long. all in the valley of the Little
Big Horn
"How many men did you have?"
''Six hundred all told, OF whom 2O7
We're killed with Custer
The two men exchanged many cam
paign "reminiscences. Ryan was iD Gus
ter's regiment on the plains for ten years,
and often skirmished with Sitting Bull
and his tribe when they were on the war
Dath