The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-07-02
THE CUSTER MASSACRE.
Standing on the Battle Field, the Lead
er of the Attacking Sioux Corrects
Historical Errors.
A Flood of Light on the Conduct of
Reno-How Clusters Men Fought
Bravely Till the Last Fell.
GALL DESCRIBES THE MASSACRE.

GALL DESCRIBES THE MASSACRE
CUSTER BATTLEFIELD, Mont, Special Tele-
yram, June 25-The tenth anniversary Of
ihe dark and bloody tragedy which will be
gloomy page in American history was TO-
lay appropriately celebrated by few sur
Tivors OF that dreadful June day. Early in
he day the great Sioux chief, Gall, went
over the entire field and described in an in
elligeut and straightforward manner the
exact manner in which the Custer command
VAS destroyed Curlev, the Crow scout who
vas in reality the only survivor Of all who
marched into the valley Of the Little Big
Horn with Custer, was also present, but Gall
;urned his back on Curiey and said "he ran
away too soon in the fight" Gall is a power
.ul, fne-lookiug specimen of the red race, for
Y-six years old and weighs over 200 pounds
lie first appeared retcent and was inclined
20 act sulleu, but when he stood on the spot
which saw the last hight of Custer on earth
lis dark eyes lighted with fire, he became
earnestly communicative and he told all he
Gnew without restraint His dignifed coun-
ienance spoke truthfulness, and there is lit
lie doubt that the true history of that dread
tul day is at last made known.
~ AS GALL TOLD IT.
Calls narrative was as follows:
We saw the soldiers early in the morning
,rossing the divide When Reno and Custer
separated we watched them until they came
down into the valley A cry was raised that the
white men soldiers were coming, and orders were
given for the village to move Immediately. Reno
swept down so rapidly on the upper end that the
indians were forced to fight. Sitting Bull and
we're at the point where Reno attacked. Sitting
Bull was big medicine man. The women and
shildren were hastily moved down stream where
The Cheyennes were camped. The Sioux at
lacked Reno and the Cheyennes Custer, and
then all became mixed mp. The women and
children caught the horses for the bucks to
mount. Then the bucks mounted and charged
back on Rero. checked him and drove him into
The timber. The soldiers tied their horses TO
trees and came out and fought on foot. As soon
As Reno was beaten and driven back across the
river, the whole force turned upon Custer and
iought him until! they destroyed him Custer
did not reach the river but met about half
= mile up raYine. now called Re- creek. They
fought the soldiers and beat them back step by
step.
UNTIL ALI, WERE KILLED.
Zone OF Renos officers confirms this by saying:
After we were driven back to the hill where the
stand was made, there was an interval of over
an hour tbst we had no fighting This gave us
an opportunity to shelter our horses in rayine
ably during this interval of quiet on Reno's
part that the Indians massed on Custer and an
uihilated him. y Tho Indians ran out OF ammu-
nitlon and then used arrows. They fired from
behind their horses. The soldiers got shells
stuck in their guns and had TO throw them
away: they then fought with little guns tpis-
tolsl The Indians were in couees behind and
In front OF Custer as he moved up the ridge TO
take position. and were just as many as the
,.Ns., -
Calhoun's, dismounted and fought on foot.
They never broke, but retired step by step until
forced back to the ridge upon which all finally
perished. They we're shot down In line where
they stood. Keogh's company rallied by COM
pany and were all killed in a bunch. IThis
statement seems borne out by facts, as thirty
eight bodies of Keoghis troops were found piled
in heap.l The warriors directed special fire
against the trooper who held the horses while
the others fought: as soon as holder was killed,
by waving blankets and great shouting the
horses were stampeded, which MADE it impossi-
BILE for the soldiers to escape afterward The
soldiers
FOUGHT DESPERATELY AND HARD
and never surrendered They fought standing.
They fought In line along the ridge. As fast as
.tzise men fell the horses were herded and driven
toward the squaws aud old men, who gathered
them up. When Reno attempted to find Custer
DY throwing out SKisullSu lfne, custer ana all
with him were dead. When the skirmishers
reached high point overlooking Clusters field,
the Indians were galloping around and over the
wounded. dying and dead, popping 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. ]
then fought with the hatchet (which means. OF
course. mntilating the soldiersl The soldiers
ran out of ammunition early in the day. Their
supplies of cartridges were in the saddle pockets
OF their stampeded horses The Indians then
ran up TO the soldiers and butchered them with
hatchets- A lot OF horses ran away and jumped
into the river, but were caught by
on Reno creek, and several Indians fell over and
died. Only forty-three Indians were killed alto
gether. but great many wounded ones came
across the river and died in the bushes Some
soldiers got away and ran down q ravine. crossed
the river. came back again and were killed. We
had OgallaIias Mineconjous, Brule Teton. Unca-
papa Sioux, Cheyennes, Arrapahoes and Gros
ventres. When the big dust came In the air
down the river lmeaning Terry and Gibaonl we
struck our lodges and went mp creek toward
the White Rain mountains. The Big Horn ranges
were covered with snow. We waited there fouf
days. and then went over TO the Wyoming
mountains.
This ended Calls narrative. II brings out
many new facts and corrects some others
IL has been popularity supposed that Custer
entered the river. but such was not the case.
as the bodies found on the Little Horn were
those or few stampeded soldiers There
were no ceremonies or exercises g0ns
through with--simply an attempt. which wa,
successful. 10 correct history.
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