Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-10
THE CUSTER MASSACRE.
Chief Gauls Story of the Desperate
Struggle,

Chief GauPS story OF the desperate
Struggle.
CUSTER BAT TLEFIELD Mon June 18th.
The celebration of the tenth anniversary of
the Custer massacre by a few of its sur
vivors took place yesterday. The Sioux
Chief Gaul went over the field and de-
scribed the manner in which Clusters COM
mand was destroyed Gaul is a fne-look-
ing Indian, 46 years old, weighing over 200
pounds. He was reticent at first, blt finally
told his story with dignity and emotion.
He said " We saw the soldiers early in
the morning crossing the divide. When
Reno and Custer separated We watched
them until they came down into the val
ley The cry was raised that the white SOL
diers were coming, and orders were given
for the village to move, Reno swept down
so rapidly upon the upper end that the In
dams were forced to fight Sitting Bull and
/ were at the point where Reno attacked
Sitting Bull was the big medicine man
The women and children were hastily
moved down the stream where the
| Cheyennes were encamped. The Sioux at
tackled Reno and the Cheyennes Custer,
and then all became mixed up. The
women and children caught horses for the
| bucks to mount and the bucks mounted
and charged back on Reno, checked him
and drove him to the timber. The soldiers
tied their horses to trees, came cut and
fought on foot AS soon as Reno was
beaten and driven back across the river the
| whole force turned on Custer, and fought
him until they destroyed him. Custer Gid
not reach the river, but was met about half
mile up the rayine, now called Reno
creek, They fought the soldiers and beat
them back, step by step, until all were
killed"
One of Reno's officers confirmed this,
saying 4" 1t was probably during the in
terval of quiet on Reno's part that the
Indians messed on Custer and annihilated
him" Gaul continued: The Indians
ran out Of ammunition, and then used ar
ro-gs. They fred from behind their horses.
| The soldiers got the smells stuck in the
| guns and had TO throw them away. Then
they fought with little guns [pistolsl The
| Indians were in couples behind and IN front
! of Custer as he moved mp the ridge and
were as many as the grass on the plains
| First two companies tKeogh's and Cal
| houndsl dismounted and fought on foot.
They never broke, but retired, step by step.
until forced back to the ridge, upon which
all finally died They were shot down in
| line where they stood. Keogh's company
rallied, and we're all killed in a bunch
This statement seems borne out by facts,
as thirty eight bodies of Keogh's troopers
were found piled in heap.I The warriors
directed special fire against the troopers
who held tbs horses, and as soon AZ
holder was killed, by waving blankets and
great shouting the horses were stampedeti,
which made it impossible for the soldiers
to escape. The soldiers fought desperately
and hard, and never surrendered. They
fought standing along the line on the right
AS fast as the men fell the horses were
herded and driven toward the sqUaws and
old men, who gathered them up. When
Reno attempted to find Custer by
throwing out skirmish line. Custer and
all who were with him were dead. When
the skirmishers reached high point over
| looking Clusters field the Indians were
galloping aroun and over the wounded.
dying and dead, hopping bullets and
arrows into them. When Reno made his
attack at the upper end he killed my two
/ squaws and three children, which made
| my heart bad l then fought with Ratchet
| [meaning mulhlated the soldiersl. The
| soldiers ran out of ammunition early in
| the day. Their supplies of cartridges were
| in the saddle-pockets of the stampeded
| horses. When their ammunition was gone
! the Indians killed the soldiers with
| hatchets A lot Of horses ran away and
! jumped into the river, but were caught by
sguaws. 0nly forty-three Indians were
| killed altogether, but great many wound
ed ones came across the river and died in
the bushes. We had Ogallalas, Minecon-
/ jous, Brules, Fetons, Uncapapas, Sioux,
Cbeyennes, Arapahoes and Gros Ventres.
/ When the big dust came in the air down
| the river [meaning Terry and Gibbonl we
| struck our lodges and went up q creek to-
ward the white mountains The Big Horn
ranges we're covered with snow. We waited
there four days, and then went over to the
! Wolf Ii1Ouptainq ~ kaS bePp r7Or1iriarIv
supposed that Custer entered the river, but
such was not the case. No ceremonies or
exercises we're gone through with yesser-
| day