Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-10-17
MADE HIS HAIR GRAY,
A THRILLING ACCOUNT OF THE
BLOODY CUSTER MASSACRE.

A THRILLING ACCOUNT OF THE
BLOODY CUSTER MASSACRE.
This Man Was Forced to Remain Thirty
Indians-His Hair Was Turned by His
Awful Experience.
Well, l don't mind telling you the story,
though l seldom repeat it, as the memories
it calls up are the most painful that can
ever come to me. One year ago I was
down in the Big Horn country, where I
had gone early in the spring, along with
fifteen companions, who, like myself, had
been raised here in Montana, to enlist as
scout in the United States army. The In
dams had been up to all sorts Of deviltry
and scouts were in demand. In that month
I passed through just a little bit more than
l bargained for, and a great deal more
than / ever var to again. Hostile In
dams had been gathering on the railroad
all spring, and the department. at Wash
ington had given orders to bring them in
or give them such a terrible licking that
they would come in voluntarily. To that
end a big campaign was organized.
On June II | was out scouting with a
party that discovered that Sitting Bull had
moved his headquarters from the Rosebud
over into the larger valley of the Little
Big Horn, the next stream to the west.
Their ponies had eaten all the grass in the
Rosebud, which was the cause of the change.
AS soon as we reported back to Terry he
decided to send Custer, the head of the
cavalry, to scout the trail"
Custer was willing and ready, and imme-
diately started on the trail with h Seventh
cavalry. Abattalion of the Second cavalry
was offered him, as was also a battery of
two field guns under Lieut.. Low, but Gus
ter wanted his own people, that he knew
and had proved. He rode sixty miles in
twenty-four hours, riding day and night,
and Sunday morning, the 25th, we trotted
in sight of a village in the valley of the
Little Big Horn.
CUsTER's PLAN L RIGHT.
It was then that Custer divided his
forces. He kept five companies with him,
and then divided six between Maj. Reno
and Capt. Benteen, with the intention Of
partially surrounding the village and at
lacking at different points. ! was in the
division commanded by Custer himself.
We galloped ahead, every man eager for
the desperate fight we knew was coming,
but only when we came around the bluff
at the ford, about the center of the village,
did we realize the extent Of it, and the un-
told numbers that were in waiting for us.
Our commander took in the situation at
a glance, and l and five others were or
dered to attempt to make u way to Reno
and urge a hasty attack on the lower end
of the village. Before we had hardly
turned our horses the firing began and
T-l:o-r ls&,,n11r o1ru~pooI p,% - thu
brush. l saw my companions fall out of
their saddles in less time than I can tell it,
and I fell, too, but unhurt, and crawlcd
into the brush down on the east side of
the creek, across from the village, and in
the excitement l managed to get, without
being seen, where it was SO thick chat I
wasn't discovered.
From q gully up on the side of the bluffs
I could see plainly the beginning of the
fight, and the start to retreat to higher
ground, but the end I couldn't see, al
though I knew when it came and What it
meant, when l saw those red devils return
ing from the slaughter. I could hear firing
down stream about the same time, but as
it was scattered and soon over l didn't
know but what Reno had suffered the
same fate. The Indians swarmed all over
the bluff where l was secreted that day
and the next morning, and several times ]
thought l was discovered.
was in that gully under the brush two
nights and one day. When Terry came up
the valley | heard the bugle calls, and
finally becoming convinced that the In
dams had left l crawled out, and when |
got with the command my hair was as you
now see it. When that fight began my
4 hair was as black as yours.
MAI. RENo GUILTY.
Out of the fifteen of us that had enlisted
as scouts together only three of them were
left, and two of them were with Reno. I
thought l had about enough, and I left the
command Immediately on getting back to
Fort Keogh and came back up here. After
my release, through the appearance of
Terry, and l had joined him, we followed
the creek south about four miles, and l
found Reno strongly e~ntrenched with the
remaining seven companies, all the ammu-
milton and supplies. The story 1 heard
from my companions and the soldiers who
dared talk strongly impressed me with the
needless sacrifice of Clusters command.
When Reno first made the attack it
threw the Indians into the widest excite
ment, as Custer had calculated it would,
and a large portion of the village made
nasty preparations TO get out OF the way
and back to the protection of the reserva-
ton; but his hasty withdrawal before the
scattering shots of a few old men and
boys, which scared him into a panic, re-
assured the Indians.
He himself led the retreat and made no
attempt to cover it. The column rushed
pell-mell back to the stream and across it.
The Indians saw that he was scared to
death, and rushed right up on both tanks
Of the column. Benny Hodgson and Don
aid Mcintosh, two of the best loved and
bravest officers of the regiment, tried to
rally the men and face about and cover the
retreat. but with the major IN the run
what could they do?
What Custer expected of Reno was a
bold, dashing charge into the heart of the
village, but Reno had no dash to speak of.
Had he obeyed orders I firmly believe =
panic would have resulted to the Indians,
; and the outcome would have been an en-
tirely different story. Yes, I know Reno
was whitewashed by a court martial, but
know, and the soldiers under him know,
that he was guilty Of the most arrant cow
ardice and direct disc bedience of orders on
that fateful day.-Interview In Chicago
Times.