The times., 1897-06-27

| IttdilleO u sHOt OF Two III TeFOlNt tf5
| while fighting Indians, for themselves, Us
| they preferred suicide to the torture that
| awaited them if taken alive.
There was a reunion of tie survivors of
this battle near the ground in 1856. The
Gall, the Sioux chief, who commanded the
Indians, was there. The Calls inter
prefer was white man who had been a
lieutenant in the Army. Capt. Godfrey,
says this interpreter, was incompetent
and untruthful. The same interpreter
interpreted in q conversation OF some two
hours length that / had with The Gall
while he remained at Crow agency. This
conversation was held in the presence of
the Interpreters Wife, who was Sioux
woman. lie also acted as interpreter for
lie in two converse tions had with Sitting
Bull, III regard to the battle. i had no
reason to doubt that he faiIly interpTe ted
my questions to these Indians and also
their answers. His wife corrected him a
few times in imimpOrtant matters. i am
confident that his interpretations were
correct in the main, and that The Gall
understood me and / understood him.
But there is considerable difference in the
statements made to me and those he Is
reported TO have made TO Capt. Godfrey.
Tile Gail said that he was the war chief
of the Sioux, and that the battle was
fought under his direction and orders. The
Indians came TO the Little Big Horn River
to hold sun dance. They had been gath
ering there foi some days. They knew
the soldiers were pursuing them, but they
felt strong enough to resist them. The
Indians were III large numbers, and over
one-haif were armed with Vino hesters and
other magazine gins. There were few
old guns among them, and tie remainder
had only bows and arrows. They had
considerable ammunition, but n OF enough.
The Indian scouts had kept him well
informed as to the movements of the army
He knew When Custer left the Yellowstone
and when GibbOn crossed that river and
started up the Big Horn. He was kept in
formed of the progress of Custer, but he
did not expect an attack Oh the Day of
the battle until about 10 O'Clock tindi-
eating the time by pointing to the place
the sun would be at that tiine), WHEN he
was told custer had divided his forces and
sent part TO the south. Then lie expected
that attacks would be made upon botb the
lower and upper parts of the camp, and
he was of tie opinion that the attack ON
cause the larger force was coming across
The hills. he hid warriors along the ridge
where lie expected the main attack to be
made, so the troops might be surrounded,
and he left small part Of his force TO
protect the camp from an attack On the
upper part. To his surprise, the attack
was made on the upper part of the camp
first. This attack, however, was easily
repulsed and the force compelled 10 take
to the hills, where it remained, making no
attempt 20 come to Custer's rescue.
About two hours after Reno's attack
The Indicated the time each occurredl Gus
ter's force appeared. They Were soon sur
rounded. The whites We're near the sum-
init ofthe ridge, and dsmounted and fought
on foot. The Indians were below theta,
and their balls passed over The heads or
their friends on the other side. 1t was a
quick, fierce battle, the Indians being
the aggreSSDrs. The whites charged. but
as that only exposed the charging column
to fire from 10th flanks, charging soon
ceased. AT one time the smoke so set
Tied over the ground that neither army
could see the other, and firing almost
ceased Until it lifted, when 1t was re-
suI;iad with greater fierceness.
AT another tine the ffe of the Indians
was considerably siaokened, and he feared
the enemy would gain a victory, but
more mmunition was brought Gp, and
the indians renewed the battle with greater
energy. Custer ne yer got nea rthe river In
atIout an hour after Custer was surrounded
tile whites Were all killed. The tattle was
renewed with Reno after Custer's forces
were killed, but not much impression was
Inade upon them 1t was renewed next
noining, nj failed for want Of ammuni-
ton. This was the reason the Indians
when Terry's troops appeare.i.
They would have attacked Terry had
they been better supplied with ammunition.
The Indians lost great many warriors,
and this led many of them to wish 10 re-
treat, for Indians do not think much of q
victory that costs the lives of SO many
warriors. The bodies of the dead indians
were taken to steep banks where the dirt
was caved upon them. The wounded were
numerous Many OF these died in the Big
Horn mountains, and deaths from wounds
occurred until they rea ched the Missouri
)n their way to Canada
Sitting Bulls account of the battle con-
firmed in the main the statements of Gall.
Clusters forces, only he took all the credit
OF the action to himself. He would not
so into particulars, and often answered
evasively or irrelevantly. He evidently
was not near by when Clusters forces were
being destroyed, for he told several things
that were inconsistent with his being ac-
lively engaged in fighting He said some
pack-rnules CAME down to the river. and
the women caught them, and they were
found to lie loaded with ammunition He
unpacked 1t and had il carried to the war
riors, and the cartridges fitted most of their
guns. If there was any truth in this
story, the animals were not horses which be-
loaged to the soldiers of Custer's troops
Tor each soldier carried all his ammunition
Oh MS person or in his sad0le-bugs There
were no pack-mues with Clusters imme-
date force. He also said that Mitch Bot
yer forced his way through the Sioux lines.
ana that he would have escaped had not
his horse been badly wounded He init
mated that he killed Bouyer with bis own
hand. He also said that a soldier forced
his way through the Sioux warriors to
the river. filled several canteens with
water. and made his way back to his own
lines. apparently without injury. His
horse fell d short distance from the line !
OF the whites, and the rider ran the rest of |
the way. He was told that there was a |
sta-einent that soldier in Reno's COM |
nand mad so exposed himself to get water |
for ii wounded comrade, but there was no |
record OF a soldier of Clusters force doing |
the same. He answered that he knew |
nothing OF what had told him, but what |