Mohave County miner., 1890-10-11
rnE pIArn of GENERAL CUSTER.
An Intsrestlna DsscriBilon of the LAs'
Hours OF the Brave Leader.


Meter realizing. rs 1 believe. the
fearful odds against him, believing
that be would fni the village ION the
rum" and that between himself and
Reno he could F" double them up" ia
short order, Custer had jauntily trotted
down b, his death II was long five
fnile ride from where he sighted the
northern end Of the village TO where he
struck its tGptfs around that bold
point OF bluff, and from tho start "a, tbs
moment his guidons shirled into view.
aud his troopers came galloping front
into line down near the ford, he
never fairly saw the great village
never dreamed VI its depth and extent.
Rounding the blEd. hs Suddenly found
himself face 10 face with thotisand- Of
the boldest and most skilful warriors
Of the prairics. He had hoped 10
charge Mt once Into the heart Of the
village. TO hear tho cheers Of Rsno's
men frOm the south. Instead he was
greeted with perfect fury Of fame
and Kissing lead from the dense
thieket Of willow and cottonwood,
fire that had 10 be answered at 0hce.
Quickly he dism0unted his men and
threw them forward on the run. each
fourth man holding. cavalry fashion.
the horses Of the other three. The
line seems 10 have swept in parallel
very nearly with the general course Of
the stream, but TO no purpose. The
foe waH ten 70 one In their front Boys
and squaws were shooting from the
willows ooh, we had plenty guns!"
said our stury.tellers); and worse than
that. hundreds Of young warriors had
mounted their ponies and swarmed
across the stream below him. hum
dreds more were following and eir-
cling all about him. And then II was
that Custer, the hero OF a hundred
daring charges, seems to have realized
that be must cut his way out. "Mountm
rang the trumpets, and leaving many
a poor fellow on the ground, the
troopers ran for their horses. In-
stantly from lodge and willow Ogalallas
and Brules spraDg TO horse and rushed
TO the ford in mad pursuit. Make
for the heightsf' must have been the
order, for the first rush was eastward;
thth w EGlAB rs tuCl
their progress barred. Then, as they
reached higher ground, all they could
see, far as they could see, clrcling.
swooping. yelling like demons, and all
the time keeping up their furious fire,
were thousands Of the mounted Sioux.
Hsmmsd in, cut of, dropping fast from
their saddles, Clusters men saw that
retreat was impossible. They sprang
to the ground. turned their horses
loose" said the Indians, and by that
time half their number had fallen. A
skirmiBh line was thrown out down
the slope, and there they dropped at
five yards interval; there their COM
rades found them two days after.
Every instant the foe rode closer and
gained in numbers; every instant some
poor fellow bit the dust. At last, on q
mound that stands at the northern end
Of little ridge, Custer, with Cook,
Yates and gallant Brother Tom
and some dozen soldiers. all that were
left by this time, gathered in the last
rally. They sold their lives dearly,
brave fellows that they were; but they
were as dozen to the leaves of the
forest at the end Of twenty minutes,
and in less than twenty -five-alI was
oyer.--Capt Charles King IN HarPer'i
Magazine.