Omaha daily bee., 1888-07-05
A New Yer sion orthe Custer Massacre

Fremont Tribune: DR.. David Tall
chiff, who was mentioned as being in
Fremont II few days ago, gave u re-
porter an interview regarding the ter
rible battle between Sitting Bull and
General Custer on June 25, 1875, which
resulted in the death of that fauIous
cavalry commander and all but two of
his subordinates and soldiers.
brief biography of DR.. Tall1chiff
will go far toward establishing his re-
liability and opportunity for an un-
biased version of that battle. Tallichitf,
who is full blooded Indian, having had
the advantage of six years of schooling
in the cities of Washington and Phila-
delphia. is an educated man and gentle
man with large experience, both in
eastern society and in frontier life. In
1861 he was selected and placed in the
union army as spy where he con-
which capacity he became acquainted
with Major Showalter, whose firm
friend he still remains and whose guest
he always is when visiting Fremont.
For the past six years he has been liv
in5 at Bassett, Brown county, Neb., and
has won a desirable reputation as IA
physician and as truthful, honorable
and well respected man.
After the war Tallchiff was employed
by the government and stationed at the
Sac and Fox agency in Indian territory
as an interpreter and when he was
taken by Mr.. Meecham, the govern
ment peace commissioner in the early
part of the season of 1876 to assist in a
settlement of the growing hostiities
between the whites and Sitting Bull on
the Big Horn river in Montana. I'm
about two weeks after the arrival of the
party at the Indian camp, Sitting Bull
received a nOJice from General Custer
to remove his women and children as it
was his intention to attack him. To
this Tallchitf claims that Sitting Bull
at once sent his women and children
into the British dominions, and sent
word to Custer that he was not a fight
ing man nor could he see the necessity
of battle while Meecham, the peace
commissioner, was in his camp TO effect
a compromise.
To the surprise of all the next report
from the Indian scouts was that the
''long-haired warrior" was upon them
and the battle of Uray or the big horn"
was on in earnest. Here commences
the marked feature of Tallchiff's report.
With the opening of the battle began
one of the tiercest thunder storms ever
witnessed in that country of mOuntains
and the home of mountain storms. The
WIS Ilt lhtbS5dilb L
lightning was binding while the lain
and wind We'd with each other in their
efforts TO produce confusion and destruc-
tion. After the storm set in neither
party were visible to the other aud with
the cessation Of the storm ceased the
human strife which in comparison
to the raging elements was
simply puerile. The ground
was strewn with the dead, but
not with the dying for at least from
| forty to fifty of both whites and Indian
with equally us many horses were killed
| by the fatal bolts of lightning with not
| mark OF wound upon their persons.
Tallchifr showed us the scar of wound
| which he received on his leg from u
stray arrow and which prevented him
| from making "A tour of the field, but
says the Indians told him that it was
| the lightning that did the most of the
death work ana that Clusters body
| showed no wound or scar. 1t is his
| opinion that but for the storm, the fight
which at first was far more savage from
| the surprise of the Indians than from
their natural bravery. would have soon
| terminated in complete surrender to
| General Custer and probably in "A cessa-
| tion of hostilities, which he is not alone
in thinking WAS not entirely the fault
OF the Indians.