Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-11-26
THECUSTER MASSACRE.
A ModOc Indian Participants Acc
count frhe Fight.
licago Journa

count ofthe Fight.
Chicago Journal.
A gentleman of Kenosha, Wis. for
many years connected with the Unit
ed States army. and more recently
Gin the fair of 1884 engaged in trap
ping and shooting near Cottonwood
Greek, Northern Wyoming, found an
opportunity to interview one Of the
Indians who participated In the terri
bic fight in which Gen. Custer and
his brave companions persisted. The
interview took place, through an In
terpreter, in a Sioux teepee, and was
few days ago reported in Kenosha
newspaper-JheC Courier.
The information received from the
Modoc warrior was freely given, and
bore the semblence of truth. In sub
stance he said:
Sitting Bull was not their chief
when Gen. Crook struck their trail
and chased them across the Rose Bud
River, but Rain-in-th Face, a warm
friend of Sitting Bull, was in com
mand. After crossing the Rose Bud,
council Of chiefs was held to decide
whether they would fight Gen. Crook
or run to the Big Horn Mountains
and make stand. Some of
the warriors wanted to fight at once,
and while the council was IN session
Sioux scout brought in word that
Gen. Custer was advancing into the
Big Horn country. This intelligence
naturally created an excitement.
Rain-in-theFace made a great speech,
telling the chiefs that they were be-
tween their white enemies Crook and
| CUSTER, and eloquently urged them
to march across the country as rapid
Iy as possible, kill Custer and then
turn upon Crook.
After this ''big talk" the Sioux war
riors were ready to go anywhere with
Rain-in-the- Face, who told them that
Crook was walk-a-heap and very
bad man"
If the above statement is true, !"
adds the correspondent, 'it is evident
that RaiE-in-the-Face, although an
unlettered savage and scarcely know
ing the difference between a paraphet
and Calling gun, had grasped the
situation, and with the intuition of
military genius had determined to
destroy his foes in detail, and that he
went to his task with the cunning of a
wolf and the ferocity of tiger. The
necessary delays of Crook, the rapid
advance of Custer into the valley, and
the division of his command almost
within sight of the battle ground,
aided the Indians design, and when
the blow came 1t was crushing"
The warriors further stated, in an
swer to questions, that in the fight
with Clusters force q party Of about
twelve soldiers shot their own horses
and fought behind them in bunch !"
that Gen. Custer was one of that
party, and that they all fought like
great soldiers, and would not give up
the struggle.
In reply to the query whether Gen.
Custer was the last white soldier kill
ed, the warriar said that the smoke of
the contest was so dense when the In
dams rode rapidly around the bunch"
and finished their bloody work they
could not see whether Custer was
then killed or not. When asked how
many Indians were killed In the fight
the warrior declined to answer. TIE
interpreter said, In reference to
this. that although he had been with
the Sioux several years he could get
no definite idea of the number of war
riors' killed in the Custer battle; that
the Indians are superstitious and do
not like to speak about their dead,
but he thought their loss was small,
as the Indians chad the drop" and
the fight lasted only twenty minutes.
The correspondent referring to the
censure which was passed upon Maj,
Reno, for his part in the unfortunate
affair, defends the course of that offic-
er, and says: 'That Maj. Reno saved
any of his men, environed as he was
by a horde Of savages flushed by vic
tory and eager for revenge, should
rebound to his credit"
At this late dsy no one will wish to
disparage the valor, the judgement,
aud the military skill of the lamented
Custer. That he should fall into a
fatal ambush is q mistake that an
officer with less bravery would be
likely to make; but Custer was daring
and impulsive. It is said that Rey-
nolds, his scout, told him to ''go
slow;" that the valley was full of
Indians, and that they were in the
bush. The opportunity for fight
overrulei all other considerations,
and the brave soldier rode gallantly
to his death.