Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-11-26
THECUSTER MASSACRE.
A Modoc Indian Participants Ae-
count ofthe Fight
'hicaco Journa

count OF the FiEht
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, Nerthen Wyoming, found an
opportunity TO interview oRc Of the
Indians who participated in the terri
BILE Eight in which Gen. Custer and
his brave companions persisted. The
interview took place, Through an in
terpreler, in Sioux teepee, and was
a few days ago reported in a kenoSha
newspaper-the Courier,
The information received from the
Modoc warrior was freely given, and
bore the semblence of truth. In sub
stance he said:
Sitting Bnll was not their chief
when Gen. Crook struck their trail
and chased them across the Rose Bud
River, but Rain -in-the Face, warm
friend Of Sitting Bull, was in com
mand After crossing the Rose Bud,
a council Of chiefs was held 10 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
a Sioux scout brought In word that
Gen. Custer was advancing into the
Big Horn country. This intelligence
naturally created an excitement.
Rain-in-thC Face made a great speech,
telling the chiefs that they were be
tween their white enemies Crook ana
CUSTER, and eloquently urged them
to march across the country as rapid
ly rs possible, kill Custer and then
turn upon Crook.
After this "big talk" the Sioux war
riors were reaoy TO go anywhere with
Rain-in-the Face, who told them that
Crook was walk-2-heap and very
bad man.
"If the above statement tx true,
adds the correspondent, lit is evident
that RaiH-in-tho- Face, although an
uulettered savage and scarcely know
ing the difference between q parsphet
and a Calling gun, had grasped the
situation, and vita the intuition of
military genius had determined tc
destroy his foes in detail, and that he
went to his task with the cunning Of q
wolf and the ferocity Of tiger The
necessary delays Of Crook, the rapid
advance Of Custer into the valley, anc
/ the division of his command almost
within sight of the battle ground
aided the Indians design, and wher
the blow came 1t was crushing"
The warriors further stated, in an
swer to questions, that in the tigh
with Clusters force party Of abou
twelve soldiers shot their own horses
and fought behind them in bunch !
that Gen. Custer was one OF tina
party, and that they all fought like
great soldiers, and would not give vi
the struggle.
In reply to the query whether Gen
Custer was the last white soldier kill
ed, the warrlar said that the smoke o
the contest was so dense when the In
dams rode rapidly around the bunch
and finished their bloody work the.
could not see whether Custer wa
then killed or not. When asked how
many Indians were killed in the figh
the warrior declined to answer. TIE
Interpreter said, IN reference e
this, that although he had been witt
the Sioux several years he could ge
no definite idea of the number of war
riors killed in the Custer battle; tia
the Indians are superstitious and Dc
not like to speak about their dead
but he thought Their loss was small
as the Indians "had the drop, anC
the fight lasted only twenty minutes
The correspondent referring to thu
censure which was passed upon Maj
Reno, for his part in the unfortunate
affair, defends the course Of that oiiic
err, and says: THAT Maj Reno save'
any of his men, environed as he wa
by horde Of savages flushed by vic
tory and eager for revenge, shoult
rebound 10 his credit"
At this late day no one will wish u
disparage the valor, the judgement
and the military skill of the lamoutet
Custer. That he should fall into
fatal ambush is mistake that al
officer with less bravery would b
likely to make; but Custer was daring
and impulsive. 1t is said that Rsy
nolds. his scout, told him to ''g
slow;" that the valley was full 0
Indians, and that they were in tn
bush. The opportunity for a figh
overrule1 all other considerations
and the brave soldier rode gallant
to his death.