Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-07-05
A Diary in the Possession Of Jonn
?. Dunn Recalls the Cnster
Massacre, June 26, '76.
Nineteen Years Ago Last Wednesday
Since the Command Was Mas
sacred by the Sioux.
A Resident Tells How the News Was
Received in Bismarck a
Week Later.
The Custer NJ assacre.

oho UP VI OusGof6 up to
within two days of the last fight and the
massacre, and which was brought direct
from the battlefield by the steamer Far
West, is the diary of Mark H. Kellogg,
the TRIBUNE special correspondent with
the expedition. Kellogg was the only
accredited correspondent with the Terry
expedition, and he was given all facili-
ties for obtaining news. He wrote in
teresting letters to the TRIBUNE through
out the whole trip, which lasted from
spring until that fateful Goth of June.
and his last letter was dated June 81.
when he wrote: "We leave the Rosebud
tomorrow, and by the time this reaches
you we will have met and fought the
red devils, with what result remains to
be seen. [ go with Custer, and will be in
at the DEATH" His words were prophetic.
On June % Custer took up the line of
march for the trail of the Indians. and
that march ended June %, and with it
the lives of Custer and his entire COM
mand. Verify, Kellogg was in at the
death. A non-combatant, it is probable
Kellogg was started back by Custer.
either out of regard for his unarmed
condition, OF with a message of some de-
scription, for his body was found some
distance from the main command. But,
in all their savagery and %barbarity, the
Indians appeared to appreciate the fact
that be was not a combatant. For of
all the dead, his body alone was un-
stripped, and, with Clusters, had escaped
mutilation. His pockets had been riaed,
but otherwise he fell as he lay. Eager
for an accurate account of the battle, he
met the fate of the command, and went
to death at the post of duty.
His valise, which contained his diary.
written with pencil upon loose sheets of
paper, and embodying an account of the
trip Of the expedition up to the time
Custer took up the trail on the 22d, and
containing also his tobacco and some
other little articles of personal property,
was brought from the field, and turned
over to John P. Dunn and his wife with
whom Kellogg took his last dinner in
Bismarck before leaving with the expedi-
ton, and to whom it is probable he d.
rected the article to be sent in case of
his death. The diary has become
somewhat illegible IN the course of
years, and has been copied by the own
ers, and it contains perhaps the most &C.
curate account in existence of the, trav-
els of the command up to within a few
days of the massacre.
While the battle took place on June
rs, The news was not received in Bis
marck until July 5. Grant Marsh, n
of the noblest characters of the cam
paign, pressed his boat, the Far West. a
700 ton vessel, up the Big Horn, an Ut
terly unexp]ored river, to the mouth of
the Little Horn, 81 miles, taking position
where he believed he could do the most
good. He was within fifteen miles of the
battlefield and received the wounded of
Reno's troops at about 2 O'Clock in the
morning. The night was so dark fires
had to be burned to light the way of
litter bearers, and the wounded were
thus transported fifteen miles along the
Little Horn Valley. While the Far
West lay there on the morning of the
9th, Curly, the Grow scout, came out of
the bushes near at hand, and with a
pencil and paper he made a rude sketch
of the battlefield, and in broken English
conveyed the information that the entire
command of Custer had been massacred.
It seemed at first Incredible, but it proved
to be true, and Curly's was the only
escape Of the whole number Of combat.
ants. 4
On Monday, at noon, the Far West
left the Little Horn with the wounded.
reaching Bismarck July s, at about 10
p. NJ, making a run of 900 miles in 50
hours. Upon the boat were 80 wounded.
three OF whom died on route. With them
was DR.. Porter, who afterward located
in the city, and left about two years ago.
How the news was received in the CITY
is best told by Mr.. Dunn, who was one
OF those persons who was here when the
news was received. 'Its was a moonlight
night" says the doctor, ga full, harvest
moon, and very yarn. I should judge it
was about midnight, when l heard a
voice out in front. The front door Of orr
house was open, and there was a screen
door between us and the speaker in
front. "Doc," called the voice, several
times, and I wakened and answered.
The other speaker was Ed hackett. and
the next words / heard were, "Custer
and his whole command has been mur-
dered, to a man" 1 was stunned
for a moment, absolutely. 1t seemed
incredible. I got up and dressed, and
although it was the middle Of the night.
the streets were soon crowded with nan.
pie, for confirmation Of the dreadfnl
news. The excitement was intense. and