The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-13


placed four companies under command
OF Major Reno to move on his left flank
and two companies under Captain Ben.
teen, who was to work around to the In
dian right and was to bag the enemy when
the stampede began. With these dispo-
sitions he moved around the point of the
range which brought him in view of the
| enemy, forded the creek, and was at once
/ engaged. Instead of finding himself con-
fronted by LOO Pawnees under Santana,
he found himself in a death Crap
pie with not less than 5000 Sioux
and Cheyenne warriors. 1t is in evil
| dencc that the Indians had broken up
their villages and were preparing to de-
camp when they discovered that they only
had horse soldiers to deal with. At the
very outset Custer threw out a strong skIr-
mIsh line. Every member of the gallant
band was slam and the little marble
stones which mark the spots where these
brave men fell are beautifully aligned.
As the main body moved into action great
masses OF the enemy rose in front of Gus
ter and swung round to his rear.
On the first hillside he divided his COM
mand and sent two troops, numbering go
men, down the left side of the confronting
ridge, while he kept TO the right on almost
"a
Here he met with terrible opposition,
and from this time on he struggled 10 get
upon the high ground. steadily advancing.
With his thinned ranks-the slaughter be-
came terrible-he reached the spot
where he met his death. Al this point
the separated command could see him.
and the poor, doomed fellows made he
roic effort to reach him. They fell in
groups OF fours, by twos, and singly.
lou can count the little marble stones,
% IN number. Gould anything be more
pitliuIT AT the same instant the little
group rallied around Custer was being
annihilated. From the low ground in
front of the gallant leader rose a thou
sand fierce Cheyennes under the satanic
Rain-ln-the-Face. Not life was spared.
BY Clusters side his brother Tom fell.
Then 1t was that Rain-in-the- Face, who
had sworn to eat Tom Clusters heart be-
cause as officer of the day at some camp
the lieutenant had one day placed the viii
famous chief i'm the guardhouse, ripped
open the poor follows body and, tearing
therefrom the reeking heart, made good
his savage oath.
The Battle Was Over.
All was now silent save for the de-
moniacal and exultant cries of the saw
ages. The remains of the brave Custer
were not disturbed, but every other body |
upon that field was hacked and mutt |
lated in the most horrible manner.
This is the story of the battle as inter- |
preted by the insensible records. 1t was no |
more butchery than was Thermopylae. |
II was battle-a mistaken one, but never |
theless battle fought tactically and with |
on Clusters part. We talk of |
Balaklava and its record of heroism, but |
Of the 400 of the Light brigade who
charged the Russian batteries on
mat day more than one-half |
unscathed. Two hundred
md sixty-two rode with Custer, and 262
With the last shot
was silence. The report might have been
None wounded; none missing;
all dead" No living tongue of that heroic
band was left to tell the story. The
half-brped scout, "Curley,"
Who may yet be seen hanging
around Fort Custer, claims to have
been with Custer when the engagement
'egan, but he pulled Sioux blanket over
lis head, mingled with the enemy, and
an away at the first fire. lie could not
ell that there had been a battle.
As TO the duration of the battle little is
Snown. One Indian told Scout Campbell
hat the fight lasted about as long as il
axes hungry Indian to eat his dinner.
md another said it lasted as long as n
andle would burn about quarter of an
nch. From this 1t is inferred that the
truggle lasted about % minutes. And
very man fought. Tho empty shells
rom the carbincs found around the field
bowed that every trooper fought fiercely
md followed his leader. AT one mart of
he field where Clusters detachment first
'ecome heavily engaged l saw. 100 yards
cross ravine, a little white stone tell
ng where a troopers body had been
ound. 1t was far from the other fallen
omrades, and as horribly lonely as all |
hese white stones seemed this one was
ably SO.
II found a body there" said Mr. Camp !
ell, land il may have been that of a
man trying TO get away. ',
ut | suspect that the man was wounded
nd that the panic-strickcn horse carried
i'm over there
Here Lies the Correspondents
There is no evidence that any body else ,
ried TO get away. Near the high ground
nd not far from where the monument
lands, the body of kellogg, special cor /,
of the New York Herald. was ,
ouhu. he was braNcly following the gal ,
INT Custer, and the guide points out the
pot, for he died like a hero, too. in the I,
ne of his duty.
Ii will always be an open question
neither Major Reno purposely failed !
ulster or erred on the side of caution. lie ;
new that his chief had set out to attack
ne Zoe, and he should have been ready 10
md assistance. 1t is claimed by many
nat he might have heard the firing l do
OF think so. The formation of the hills
ould have prevented that. Had Custer !,
al couple of pieces of light artillery he
hight have notified Reno that The tiyht !
a. on, but, owing TO the bad roads. he =
'rried no artillery. There was no vollcv y
ring, and the Indians did no more shoot
x Than was necessary, for they didn't y
ant 10 Kill or wound the horses. which ID
icy coveted. An Indian told Mr.. Camp-
I'll that both Licutcnauts Critteuden ana l
pDwh WprR killed. NTH Alb