St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-26
Gall, the Great Sioux Chief, Tells the
Story of the Fall of Clusters
Command.
The Sioux Attacked Reno and the Chey-
SGHes simultaneously Bore Down
on Clusters Men.
Reno Driven Across the River and the
Whole Indian Force Annthila-
ted Clusters Troops.
Keogh's Company Killed in a Bunch
--Proof That Custer Didn't
Enter the River.
The Custer Tragedy.

to-day Gen. Custer and 800 men of the Sew
enth cavalry were annhilated by hostile In
dams. To-day for the first time the story
of the fight has been told by eye witnesses,
and witnesses who enjoyed exceptional facil-
tiles. Chief GALL war chief of the Sioux.
who had direction of the battle, so far as
Indian fights are ever directed, has not told
the story of the manner of Clusters death,
which is still a mystery. Gall does not know
who killed the long haired chief, he says.
Indeed he was told by a survivor when he
fell. He says no one knew which was
Custer, All they knew was that the SOL
diers were those of the long-haired chief
and that he was somewhere amongst them.
1t had been asserted that Custer alone of
the dead
WAS FOUND UNMUTILATED,
and that this proved that the Indians know
ing him and respecting his bravery did not
disfigure his body. Others said the inten-
ton was to take Custer prisoner, and
that he was accidentally shot.
Still another story comes indirectly
from the Cheyennes, which some officers,
who to-day went over the battlefield, are in
clined to accept 1t is that Custer had shot
the brother of the Cheyenne war chief.
who in revenge, despite the order to take
Custer prisoner, killed the general with his
pistol. Any one of these stories
may be true so far Chief Calls knowl
edge is concerned, but nothing new was
developed concerning them. Much
new regarding the fight was learned. 1t was
A NOVEL APPEARANCE
which the Custer battle ground vicinity
presented this morning. 1t was a
sight wildly reminiscent in anecdote
and story. and strongly illustrative
of the changes ten years have wrought.
Yesterday Gen. Dude. commanding
at Fort Custer, fifteen miles away, sent a
Company K Fifth infantry. to camp on
the confines of the battle ground. Last
evening the guests of Capt Baldwin, the
officer in command, arrived. Capt. Godfrey.
one Of the survivors of the Reno fight
and Lieut.. Slocum of the Seventh cavalry
from Fort Yates, OAK, having in charge
Chief Gall from Standing Rock agency,
Oak. There also came several other
SURVIVORS OF RENO'S COMMAND,
DR.. II. r. Porter who saw all the fight and
dressed ali the wounded, Capt Tom Nc
Dougal, Capt Edgerly and gallant Ben
teen. now major Of the Ninth
cavalry. Gall had finally announced
h is readiness after ten years reticence to
tell the tale. This morning calvacade OF
200 horSemen officers and men from Fort
Custer and a handful of visitors from
Helena, Billings. Bismarck and st.
Paul, started over the blood
stained field. The contrast was
marked as the gay throng moved across the
be autifuI bottom land which stretches a
couple of miles across from the low-lying
hills where Cusher and his men met
death. This peaceful aspect of the
present expedition was made notable
by the presence of several ladies. The
only savage character was feebly given by
half dozen
GAYLY DECoRA TED CROW INDIANS
drawn along by curiosity, which Indians
possess to degree. The fair lying
valley of the Little Big Horn. the lively
procession moved until the timber, which
covered several acres, was reached. Here
Reno had taken up his position, about four
miles from Clusters forces under orders from
Custer to charge the Indians while he would
support him with the whole outfit. 1t was
from this position he made instead of
charge his precipitate and, as
many officers claim, disgraceful retreat
Five thousand Indians were in front of
him. but had lost one man up to that
time. Thence across the river half a mile
to the almost precipitous bluffs where
Reno retreated, and where he successfully
entrenched himself, the party took its way.
Their
who had come across the country in
state in a light wagon, was met
and travelling slowly back over the rolling
battle ground to the prOmontory where
the Custer monument stands. pointed out
the different positions taken by the
Indians and soldiers, and related his
story by means of an interpreter.
All sides of him gathered an intensely ill
terested audience. With one exception he
coToborated the accepted version of the
battle. He told how one afternoon, June "a,
his scouts deserted on the Southwestern
horizon a cloud of dust. This he recog-
nized as being made by Clusters advancing
troops. They would not arrive until morn
ing. He accordingly had ample time to
prepare for them. The theory was that
THE INDIANS WE'RE SURPRISED.
Instead it was Custer, who was led
into a cul de sac. Gall then told
how, while the whites were advancing
towards his camp along high side hill of
a wide ravine the Indians poured in
Oh him from side ravines and neghbor
ing highlands, where they were concealed.
Finding himself hot pressed by overwhelm-
ing numbers Custer assumed the defensive
from the start, and pushed up to the top of
the ridge overlooking the Little Big Horn
valley, and 100 steps beneath there his men
twhohad before dismounted in the ravine
belowibegan to drop beneath the
MURDERoUs FIRE
from hundrpdc of Indian rifac Within
an hour thay were completely surrounded,
and as they were without time to en-
trench or otherwise fortify the position,
they were soon all lying dead upon
the field where the granite monu-
ment to their memory new stands.
Not exactly all, for a very few
who had retained their horses
broke away down the ridge to the southeast,
with the intention, presumably. of forcing
their way back to Reno. Before they
had gone one-half mile not man was left
alive. These latter bodies having been
found between Clusters position and
Reno'S it had been supposed
they were the first killed. Instead it was
shown they were last to fall. Calls dis
eription of
THE SNAKE-LIKE WAY
in which the hordes of savages crept up
the slopes until the troops were
within range of their rifles
was exceedingly graphic. He was
able to point out the exact positions of the
contending forces. The battle began,
he said, about IL o'clock noon and
in an hour all was over. Reno's position on
the bottom he explained was first attacked.
While engaging him scout reported that
more soldiers were coming, pointing to the
side of the hill four miles away.