The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-26

hearing the firing he rushed back and
joined US. We fought there the re-
mainder of the day, surrounded by 5000
savages, while there were only 800 of
US, all told. The men dug rifle pits with
their knives and tin cups. At dark
the Indians stopped firing. Some of
the men then crawled down to the river,
and secured water. We had been fight
ing in the broiling sun all day without
a drop of water, and the wounded were
begging for a drink. l had some
brandy with me- but l told them it
would make them worse. They insist
ed on having it, anyway. Next morn
ing the Indians again opened fire on
US. Although Reno was the ranking
officer, Col. Benteen was really in COM
mand and to his GOODNESS and bravery
those of us who we're saved owe our
lives. With the air thick with bullets
he stood calmy directing the troops
and some Of them piercing His clothing,
Occasionally band of savages would
dash up to within two or three hundred
yards of us, and our men would then
charge them. Several Indians were
killed in these charges and finally one
of the soldiers killed and scalped an
Indian in plain view of the others.
This frightened them, and they kept a
safe distance away after that. A per-
feet storm of leaden hail was poured
in on US all day the 26th until about
4 o'clock in the afternoon when the
firing gradually ceased. We were then
frightened, as we thought the Indians
were up to some bloodier mischief.
Finally we saw them moving off in
body. That night most of the soldiers
slept, and were much refreshed in the
morning. After the Indians left we
were able to procure water. We had
all been nearly famished. During the
morning Of the 27th Gen. Terry and his
command came up. He and his staff
were all crying, and Gen. Terry said:
Custer and his whole command are
killed. We thought you were, too
During the two days we were sur
rounded by the Indians the inquiry
among our men for Custer was loud,
and that generals court-martial was
freely specialized upon. After seperat-
ing from US, Custer had gone through
a rough country for q distance Of four
or five miles and attacked the Indians
in the rear. AS soon as we could, sew
eral Of the officers and myself went
over to where Custer had fought and
found that what Gen. Terry had re-
ported was only too true. We found
Clusters body stark naked, as white
and clean as a baby's. He was shot
in the head and breast. The body of
Capt. Tom Custer, Gen. Clusters broth
er, was horribly mutilated. He was
u.
crushed in by a blow from a stone
hammer used by the Indians. The
only arrow wound l found was in his
head. He had the Sioux mark of death,
which was a cut from the hip to the
knee, reaching to the bone. His heart
was not cut out, as has been reported
by n-the-face, one of the Sioux
chiefs who took part in the fight. /
cut a lock of hair from the head of
each officer as he lay, and gave 1t to
their families on my return home. The
steamer Far West was moored at the
mouth of the Little Big Horn. She
was the supply boat of the expedition,
and had made her way UP the Big
Horn farther than any other boat.
After burying the dead we took the
wounded on filters ten or twelve miles
to the boat, and / was detailed to go
down to Fort Lincoln with them.
Col. Smith. Terry's adjutant general,
was sent along with the official dis
patches and he had a travelling bag
full of kilograms for the Bismarck Of
fee. Capt. Grant Marsh, of Bismarck,
was in command of the Far West, and
the steamer performed a feat unequal
ed in Western steambOating. Marsh
put everything in the most complete
order and took on a large supply Of
fuel. His orders were to reach Bis
marck as soon as possible The steam
er never received the credit due her,
nor did her gallant captain The Big
Horn is full of islands, and a success
full passage is not an easy feat, but
the boat made it without an accident
after a thrilling voyage. At Fort
Buford and Fort Stevenson we stopped
a minute to tell the news, and at Fort
Berthold a wounded scout was put off.
Two of the wounded died, and we went
ashore to bury them. We approached
home with something Of that feeling
that always moves the human heart.
1t was one mixed with sorrow and
gladness. At II o'clock on the night
of the 5th of July we reached Bis
marck and Fort Lincoln, having made
1000 miles in fifty-fOur hours Col.
Smith and myself hurried from the
landing uptown, and called up Col.
Lounsberry the editor of the "Trib-
une,' and the telegraph operator. J.
M. Carnahan, who took his seat at the
keys and scarcely raised himself from
his chair for twenty-five hours. What
he sent vibrating around the world is
history"
Lieut.. c. L. Gurley, then of the
Sixth United States infantry now of
Washington. tells the story of how
the news was received at Fort Lincoln.
He says: THE news came to US about
2 a. M Capt. w. S. McCaSkey, Twen-
tieth infantry, summoned all the Of
ficers to his quarters at once, and there
read to them the communication he
had just received per steamer Far
West from Col Smith. After we had
recovered from the shock, Capt. Nc
Caskey requested us to assist him
in breaking the news to the widows.
1t fell to my lot to accompany McCaS-
key and DR.. J. V. D. Middleton, our
post surgeon, to the quarters of Mrs.
Custer. Immediately east of those oc-
cupied by myself. We started on our
sad errand a little before o'clock OH
that 9Th day of July morning. 1 went
to the rear of the Custer house, aWak--
ened Maria Mrs. Clusters maid, and
requested her to rap on Mrs. Clusters
door and say to her that she and Mrs.
Calhoun and Miss Reed were wanted
in the parlor. On my way through the
hall to open the front door, l heard
the opening of the door of Mrs. Gus
ter's room. She had been awakened
by the footsteps in the hall. She calle1
me by name, and asked the cause OF
my early visit. I made no reply, but
followed Capt. McCaskey and DR.. Mid
dleton into the parlor. There we were
almost Immediately followed by the
ladies of the Custer household, and
there we told to them their first intima-
ton of the awful result Of the battle
on the Little Big Horn. Imagine the
grief of those women, their sobs, their
flood of tears, the grief that knew no
consolation. The fearful depression
that had hung over the fort for the
last two days had it's explanation
then"
The most reliable story of Clusters last
fight was told by Chief Gall to DR.. Porter.
On the tenth anniversary of the battle, in
1886, DR.. Porter and number Of officers who
were with Reno, together with GALL were on
the ground together. This is Calls story:
I'VE saw the soldiers in the morning crossing
II -