The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-07-08
CUSTER'S LAST FIGHT.
Chief Gall. Who Commanded the Hos
tiles, Describes the Terrific
Slaughter.
Soldiers Killed While Fighting
in Line Against Vastly
Superior Force.

June day. A special correspondent tele-
graphs as follows from the scene of that
dark and dreadful tragedy:
Early in the day the great Sioux Chief
Gall went over the entire field and described
in an intelligent and straightforward man
ner the exact place in which Clusters COM
mand was destroyed. Curley, the Grow
scout, who was in reality the only survivor
of all who marched into the valley of the
Little Big Horn with Custer, was also pres
ent, but Gall turned his back on Curley,
and said: He ran away too soon in the
fight" Gall is q powerful, fine-looking
specimen of the red race, 46 years old,
and weighs over two hundred pounds. He
first appeared reticent, and was inclined to
act sullen, but when he stood on the spot
which formed the last sight of Custer on
earth his dark eyes ightened with fire, he
beca,ue earnestly communicative, and he
told "a. he knew without restraint. His
digniied countenance spoke truthfulness,
and there is little doubt that the true
history of that dreadful day is at last made
known. Calls narrative was as follows:
1--WE saw the soldiers early in the morning
crossing the divide. When Reno and Gus
ter separated We watched them until
they came down into the valley. A
cry was raised that the white men
soldiers were coming. and orders
we've given for the village to move
mmediately. Reno swept down so rapidly
on the upper end that the Indians we're
forced TO fight. Sitting Bull and l were
at the point where Reno attacked. Sitting
Bull was big medicine. The women and
children were hastily moved down stream
where the Cheyennes were camped. The
Sioux attacked Reno, and the Cheyennes
Custer, and then all became mixed up
The women and children caught the horses
for the bucks to mount them: the bucks
mounted and charged back Reno, and
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
fought him until they destroyed him. Gus
ter did not reach the river, but was met
about half a mile up a ravine, now called
Reno Creek. They fought the soldiers and
beat them back step by step until all were
killed" One of Reno 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 that we had no
fighting. This gave us an opportunity to
shelter our horses in a ravine and partially
intrench ourselves" 1t was probably dur
ing this interval of quiet on Reno's part
that the Indians massed on Custer and an
initiated him. THE Indians ran out of
ammunition and their 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 eglns-Ipistolsl. The Indians were in
couples behind and in front of Custer as he
moved up the ridge to take position, and
were just as many as the grass. The first
two companies, Keogh and Calhoun, dis
mounted, and fought on foot. They never
broke, but retired step by step until forced
back to the ridge upon which all finally
persisted. They were shot down in line
where they stood. Keogh's company rail-
lied by company and were all killed
in q bunch" This statement seems
borne out by the facts, as thnty
eight bodies of Keogh's troopers were
found piled in heap.l 1.-The warriors di-
rected a special fire against the trooper who
held the horses, while the others fought.
AS soon as a holder was killed, by moving
blankets and great shouting the horses were
the soldiers TO escape. Afterward the
soldiers fought desperately and hard, and
never surrendered. They fought strong
they fought in line along the ridge. 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 with him were dead.
When the skirmishers reached a 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. l then fought with the Ratchet"
which means, of course, mutilating.
"The soldiers ran out of ammunition
early in the day. Their supply of cart
ridges was 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 the squaws. Eleven Indians were
killed in Reno Creek, and several Indians
fell over and died. Only forty-three In
dams were killed altogether, but a great
many wounded ones came across the river
and died in the rushes. Some soldiers got
away and ran down a ravine, crossed the
river, came back again, and were killed. We
had Ogallalas, Minneconjous, Brules, Te-
tons, Uncpapas, Sioux, Cheyennes, Arapa-
hoes, and Gros Ventres. When the big dust
came in the air down the river [meaningTerry
and Gibbonl, We struck our lodges and
went up a creek toward the White Rain
Mountains. Big Horn ranges covered with
snow. We waited there four days and then
went over TO Vol Mountains"
This ended Calls narrative. 1t brings
out many new facts and conects some
others. 1t 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 of few stampeded
soldiers. There were no ceremonies or ex-
ercises gone through with, simply an at
tempt, which was successful, to correct
history.