Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-10-15
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
SIX HOURS IN THE BRUSH SURROUNDED
BY INDIANs-HTs HAIR WAS TURNED BY
HIS AWFUL EXPERIENCE.
Well, I don't mind telling you the story,
though | seldom repeat it, as the memories
1t calls up are the most painful that can
ever come to me. One year ago was down
in the Big Horn country, where 1 had gone
early in the spring, along with fifteen com.
panions. who, like myself, had been raised
here in Montana, to enlist as scouts in the
United States army. The Indians had beer
up to all sorts of deviltry and scouts were
in demand. In that month I passed
through just little bit more than I bar
gained for, and great deal more than ]
ever want to again. Hostile Indians had
been gathering on the railroad all spring,
and the department at Washington had
given orders to bring them in or give them
such terrible licking that they would come
in voluntarily. To that end a big campaign
was organized.
On June II I 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 Rose
bud, which was the cause of the change.
AS soon as we reported back to Terry he de-
cided to send Custer, the head of the cav
airy, to ''scout the trail.''
Custer was willing and ready, and imme-
diately started on the trail with the Seventh
cavalry. A battalion of the Second cav
airy was offered him, as was also bat
terry of two field guns under Lieut. Low, but
Custer 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 village in the valley of the
Little Big Horn.
CUsTER's PLAN ALL RIGHT.
1t was then that Custer divided his forces.
He kept five companies with him, and then
divided six between Maj. Reno and Captain
Benteen, with the intention of partially sur.
rounding the village and attacking at differ
ent points. was in the division command
ed 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 GEN.
ter Of the village, did we realize the extent
of it, and the untold numbers that were in
| waiting for us.
Our commander took in the situation at q
glance, and | aud five others we're ordered
to attempt to make our way to Reno and
urge hasty attack on the lower end of the
village. Before we had hardly turned our
horses the firing began and Indians literal
ly sWarmed out Of the brush. saw my
companions fall out of their saddles in less
time than l can tell it, and l fell, too, but
uDhurt, and crawled into the brush down
on the east side of the creek, across from
the village, and in the excitement manag.
ed to get, without being seen, where it was
so thick that wasn't discovered.
From gully up on the side of the bluffs
l could see plainly the beginning of the
fight, and the start to retreat to higher
ground, but the end / couldn't see, al
though | knew when it came and what it
meant, when 1 saw those red devils return
ing from the slaughter. could bear firing
down stream about the same time, but as
it was scattered and soon over didn't know
but what Reno had suffered the same fate
The Indians swarmed all over the bluff
where was secreted that day and the next
morning, and several times thought 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 final
ly becoming convinced that the Indians had
left crawled out, and when got with the
command my hair was as you now see it.
When that fight began my hair was as
black as yours.
MAI. RENO crrITy
Out of the fifteen of as that had enlisted
as scouts together only three of them we're
left, and two of them were with Reno.
thought had about enough, and left the
command Immediately on getting back to
Fort Keogh aud came back up here. After
my release, through the appearance of
Terry, and had joined him, We followed
the creek south about four miles, and
found Reno strongly entrenched with the
remaining seven companies, all the ammu-
milton and supplies. The story l heard from
my companions and the soldiers who dared
talk strongly impressed me with the need
less sacrifice of Custer's command.
When Reno first made the attack it threw
the Indiana into the widest excitement, as
Custer had calculated it would, and large
portion of the village made hasty prepara-
tions to get out of the way and back to the
protection of the reservation but his hasty
withdrawal before the scattering shots of a
few old men ard boys, which scared him
into panic, reasgured the Indians.
He himself led tho retreat and made no
attempt to cover it. The column rushed
pell-mel back to the stream and across it.
The Indians saw that he was scared to
death, and rushed right up on both fanks
of the column. Benny Hodgson and Donald
Mcintosh, two of the best loved and bravest
officers Of the regiment, tried to rally the
men and facs about and cover the retreat,
but with the major on the run what could
they &c?
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 1 firmly believe a
panic would have resulted to the Indians,
and the outcome would have been an entire
ly 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 cowardice and
direct disobedience of orders on that fateful
day.-Intercieac in Chicago Times.