The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-08-08
THE CUSTER MASSACRE.
How the Only Survivor Escaped on
That Terrible Day.


That Terrible Day.
MARTINSVILLE. Aug. S.-Special-
d. Brown, a native OF the western part
of this county. is the only survivor of
the memorable Custer massacre. He was
in this city yesterday with relatives and
tells the story briefly of his escape.
Brown had been put in BILLY irons"
for some soldier freak. The punishment
was quite severe. as the irons consisted
Of iron bands around the wrists and
around the ankles. The wrists were
connected by a bar of iron six inches
in length attached TO the iron bands.
The feet and ankles were similarly
ironed. From the feet to The hands a
solid bar of iron extended connecting al
either end with the wrist and ankle bars.
The punishment was quite severe. But
just prior to making the attack the
Indians Custer released Brown from his
punishment. Custer and Reno had ar
ranged to attack the Indians in the ra-
vine at the same hour. Reno was sent
in a somewhat circuitous route and was
to cross the river and attack them In
the rear. When Reno had gotten about
half way on his journey Custer ordered
his men up the ravine. Brown and
half-breed Indian We're in the rear and
he SAYS that the Indians came pouring
out of the sage brush on either side of
the ravine in thousands and literally
moved down the soldiers like grass be-
fore a sCythe.
When the deadly vOlleys began pour
ing into us" said he, we (the half
breed and Brown wheeled our ponies and
made a dash for our lives. l was shot
in the shoulder and the heel, but stuck
to my pony and got away The half
nead I 90 wv crafn L ODD
miles in the bad lands, taking the trail
of Reno and his men, wandered about
the bad lands for many days taking
refuge in all sorts of places, and was
compelled once to crawl into a hollow log
to keep from being burned to death. rs
the Indians had fired the prairie grass
1 was there nearly a day and night
IL was sixty days before 1 reached the
fort, 80 miles away. When 1 got there
the army surgeons wrote my folks at
Wilbur, this county, that / had returned,
but could no possibly live, as / had
been shot in the shoulder and the heel
and the wound in the shoulder was seri-
Gus and full Of Yermin. The doctors be-
gan dressing my wounds and in order
TO properly cleanse the vacity about the
shoulder they were compelled 10 cut
Sits across my back, above the hips
pour a solution Of carbolic acid into the
wound at the shoulder which caused
the vermin or maggOts to drop 10 the
Sits across the back by the handful"
He lay in this preCariOus condition with
life hanging by a very brittle thread for
months. During the time the folks at
home were informed as to his condition.
Finally they could hear nothing from
their son and had given him up as dead
Three or four years ago, a little after
dusk, the father and mother and some
Of his brothers had done the chores and
were seated about the table eating
supper when some one knocked at the
door The door was opened and the
stranger invited in He had hardly
crossed the threshold before his mother,
with native intuition, recognized him and
with tears in her eyes folded the son
whom she had long thought dead 10 her
bosom. The meeting was indescribable
Supper was forgotten and the table stood
for hours while the family rejoiced over
the return OF the son.