The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-19
SPENT THREE DAYS In HELL.
A Story Told By the Only Survivor Of the Custer
Massacre.

San Francisco Examiner: George
Benjamin spent three days in hell-the
hell of Calvin and the old theoIogues-
where one torture followed another,
where the only sounds we're the shrieks
of the agoniZed and the mockings of
the flends. Yet Benjamin was a brave,
good. true man. and his sufferings,
which We're such as no man ever en-
dured and survived, were brought upon
him only because of his gallant nature
and of his desire TO help others and
avenge unreliable crueIties.
Benjamin is the only surviving white
man of those who went into battle on
the Little Big Horn with Custer on
July IL, 1876. And the he'll he lived in
was the camp Of the Sioux. into whose
hands he had fallen after the stragedy.
and with whom he remained until he
was recaptured by Buffalo Bill and
Wild Charlie.
He fought as bravely as did the men
of Leonidas at Thermopylae, or the
Light Brigade whom Tennyson immor-
taiized. What he suffered. words and
pen can never make known in all the
hideous, revolving details. For all this.
1t is at once supposed that a. grateful
nation has made some attempt at
recompense; has brought ease to his
latter days. has removed the fear of
want for those dear 10 him and for
himself: that the valor he showed and
the agonies he endured, the dozen or
more honorable scars he bears, would
entitle him to at least a few dollars a
month pension. But no. Because he
was a volunteer and fought from a
sense of duty and not for s13 month,
he has ever since been obliged to earn
his living and that of his wife and chill
dren, by the hardest kind of manual
lapor, though every movement of his
mangled person still causes him pain.
Not many men in this condition
would have the heart to win their bread
by daily toll His feet have not a
whole bone in them; he can walk only
on his heels, and each step, he says. is
as painful as a toothache. His skin
on back and breast bleeds at the
slightest touch, from ravages which
never heal made by red prairie ants
While he was bound, naked, on one of
their hills. His tongue is partially par
alyzed because of the playfulneSS of a
squaw, who seized him by that organ
With rough wooden pincers and dragged
him about the camp.
But his story is too terrible TO tell in
all its details In its essentials it is
herewith given, and into it goes the
hope of the writer that it may come
TO the attention of some one of power,
whose sense of right may be aroused
some relief from nation that should
be proud to count him among its sons.
From the time he was 9 years old
Benjamin's life had been one of hard
work in his mothers home in Wayne
county, Pennsylvania, for his father
had been killed in the war. In 1873 he
found himself in Denver. He worked
in various mining camps, and when
the Black Hills excitement broke out
he formed a prospecting copartnership
With Frank Stone and Curly Kelly.
two we'll known Colorado miners, and
off the three went to the mines.
In the latter part of June. 1885, they
found. their supplies running low and
started for a Mrs. Fosters ranch on
Dirty Woman creek One night, when
they had gone into camp, Kelly and
Benjamin started off after game, leay-
ing Stone to get supper. When the two
returned the pack beasts were slaugh-
tered, the kilt gone, and Stone was
staked out, naked, cut and mangled
beyond recognition The horror of his
death was told by the agony pictured
on his dead face.
Sioux" exclaimed the two; no fur
Their explanation was needed Ben
iamin and Kelly struck out at once
for the Foster ranch. and when thew
reached it the fearsome sight that met
them unnerved them further. The
the horses and cattle wantonly and
cruelty slain and MANNED. and the men
and women lay about staked TO the
earth, done to death by all the most
ingenious and revolving ways that the
vilest imagination could desire.
There was no time to lose then. The
Indian sign was fresh, their camp
fire still smoldering. and they we're liza
BILE to return at any moment, so on the
back track for Cheyenne went the two
men. 4 short distance away they met
a detachment of Clusters scouts and
were asked to join the force. The COM
mander knew that the Indians outnum-
bered his men, and they had picked VI
half a dozen or more cowboys and
prospectors. who volunteered to see the
Scrimmage through
Benjamin, after thinking the matter
over, conceived it to be his duty to helr
fight the wretches who had caused al
the havoc, and he was given a troor
horse Kelly declared he had had
enough and decided to continue his way
to Cheyenne. His mutilated body was
found some days later only few miles
from where he had hidden his comrade
farewell.
Benjamin led the troop back to The
Foster ranch on Dirty Woman creek
and then a small band of Sioux was
found. They were in camp. most Of
them dancing about the mutilated body
on the tree. In few moments there was
not one left, creek, sauaw or pappoose
and the poor body of the white woman
was cut down and buried. The scouts
soon joined the Seventh cavalry under
Clusters command. AS near as Benja.
min recalls. they broke their mair
camp on the morning Of July 10 anc
moved down to the south about three
miles, Custer expecting Reno TO JOIN
him from that direction.
The camp is described as being on
bit of rolling prairie. Just below the
junction of Dirty Woman creek anC
Cow Fork At about O'Clock the In
dams showed themselves on all sides
There was a brief command to sur
render. a briefer refusal, and the bull
lets darted out to meet the whistlins
arrows.
The man who tells the story, the onl,
man who lived in the group after SUI
set that day, says that he was with
band OF 30 old troopers and the COW.
boys. They saw the fight was hope
less, but there was nothing to do bu
play the game out like men. At las
the order was given to kill the horse;
and use their carcasses as breas
works. The animals We're formed int
a circle about the men and shot. Mos
of them were not killed at once. anC
some, notably the big gray horse tina
had been assigned to Benjamin, kicked
and struggled in their death agonie
until the fight was over It was TO thi
fact that this man owes his life.
Crouched behind his dying steed, h
kept his Winchester busy. Finally h
was reduced to three cartridges On
he held in his teeth. This was to b
for himself, when ne had sent TIL
other two where they would do tn
nd 6ae =