Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-13
CUSTER AND HIS COMMAND
Recollections ofthe Terrible Tragedy on the
Little Big Horn.
GEN. NILES DEFENSE OF GEN. CUSTER
Captain GIbson's Share in the Battle
ns Told by Himself-Whnt
the Survivors owe to
Captain Benteen.


The massacre OF General Custer and five
companies of the Seventh cavalry by Indians
at the battle OF the Little Big Horn, twenty
years ago, has become a topic for pubic
discussion. especially among military men,
from the fact that General Nelson A. Miles,
in his recently published recollections OF
army life, vigorously defends the brave put
il-starred Custer from the charge OF i'm
prudence and reckless disregard oil military
strategy in his preparations for the battle
General Miles claims that custer talleu
TO defeat the Indians because he was MOI
adequately supported by the seven companies
OF cavalry that we're to act in concert with
him and which were under the m OF
Major Reno and Captain Benteen.
No one is more interested in any discus
sion OF the Custer massacre than Deputy
Commissioner Francis NJ. Gibson OF the
Street Cleaning department OF this city,
saws the New York Evening Post. Many
who have met him in his official capacity
are aware that he is a retired army oihcer'
but few of them know that the polite, quiet
hammered, smooth-voiced deputy commas
sioner was with the vanguard OF the troops
under Reno and Benteen, when they mad 10
light with the desperation Of despair to
save themselves from the fate OF custer
and his men after those u~nfortunates hau
been wiped OUT by an overwhelming force
OF Indians.
CAPTAIN Gibson seldom speaks of that stir
ring episode in his military career, put IN
Justice to the reputation OF his old comrade
in arms. Captain Benteen. he has written
out for the Evening Post the Following mar
rative of the events that led up to ana fol-
lowed the Custer massacre, and he has told
IL 49,, ,p n uyap that 10 lmnrpgslNG DIV lIS
quaint simplicity:
CAPTAIN GIBSoN'S STORY.
The Seventh cavalry, under the command
OF its lieutei ant colonel, General George A.
Custer. left its winter quarters on May H.
1876, for the Yellowstone country, from
which section. in conjunction with other com
mands-the Second cavalry and Seventh IN
fantry-it was to operate against large panus
of hostile Indians, then on the warpath. inc
Seventh cavalry was divided into three pat
talions for this service. The frst was COM
manded by General Custer himself; the sec
ond by Colonel Reno, one OF the majors, and
the third by Colonel Benteen, the senior
captain Of the regiment.
These three officers possessed very differ
ent characteristics Clusters gallantry and
dash have gone down to history. He was
also a man Of extreme nervous energy; his
untiring activity was boundless, and so also
was his intensity of purpose. He was ut
terly fearless, always sanguine of success,
had an Abiding Ialtn III the dDlllly VI MS
regiment to succeed when others would fail,
and reposed absolute confidence In his
chosen friends. His daring exploits attest
his bravery, and his fighting qualities should
stamp him an able officer. He was a thor
ough cavalryman from top to toe.
Colonel Reno was regarded as an able OIL
Ger, but he lacked the dash, the energy, the
determination and the ambition of Custer.
Benteen is a man Of many noble charac-
t~eristics. He is as brave as was Julius
r-~-A. a~1 IN -nnnl ttn1ar fro nc tho nrn-
verbal cucumber. In a tight place his cool
ness is reassuring, and his judgment can al
ways be depended upon, and all the sur
vivors of the battle of the Little Big Horn
are very glad he was there to exercise his
superior il dgment. Colonel Benteen is a
man of stolid determination, and when he
takes up a position, either on the field of bat
tie or in the midst of peaceful pursuits, 1t is
next to impossible to move him. He is
generous to a fault, and most charitable, and
places his principles of honor on the very
highest plane. | speak thus of Benteen
knowing whereof l speak, as my relations
with him were most intimate, having been
his first lieutenant for a lumber of years.
He Is now a brigadler general by brevet,
this honor having been conferred upon him
for his distinguished services at the battle
OF the Little Big Horn.
THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.
The three regiments / have mentioned
were brought together on the Yellowstone,
at the mouth of the Rosebud, and General
Terry, the department commander, was there
in supreme command. While the exact loca-
tion of Sitting Bulls camp was a matter OF
conjecture, the neighborhood of his where
abouts was pretty well known. From the
mouth of the Rosebud, Colonel Reno's bat
talon was sent on a reconnaissance, and
about twenty miles from our camp he found
a very large and fresh Indian trail leading
toward the Little Big Horn river. After
submitting his report to this effect, Genera
Terry held a council of war with General
Gibbon, colonel of the Seventh infantry
General Custer of the Seventh cavalry, and
General Brisben of the Second cavalry, at
which the plan of campaign was discussed
and decided. 1t was arranged that the
Seventh cavalry was to proceed up the Rose
bud river until it struck the trail discov-
cred by Reno and follow 1t up. The other
commands, which General Terry and staff
accompanied, proceeded to the Big Horn
river, followed it up to the mouth of the
Little Big Horn, thence up the latter, with
the purpose Of cooperating with the Seventh
cavalry.
In conformity with the plan adopted, the
Seventh cavalry broke camp at the mouth OF
the Rosebud on the afternoon of June %,
and marched up that stream for seven or
eight miles, and made camp for the night.
Here General Custer disclosed a part of the
plan agreed upon at the council of war. On
the 23d we marched about twenty-five miles
On the morning or the 24th, after marching
six or seven miles, we came upon the re-
mains of a very recently deserted Indian
village, and also struck a very large trail
leading toward the Little Big Horn. W.
lost no time in taking up this trail and fol.
lowing 1t rapidly. After making a good
days march we went into camp, but broke
camp in a couple of hours, and resumed the
trail until nightfall. We them biyouacked
for another couple of hours to give the men
and horses a little rest and something to eat
A PROPHETIC REMARK.
Just as we went into bivouac / passed
very near Colonel Keogh, who told me hC
was going to have some beans cooked, ant
asked me to come and take some with him
saying at the same time that 1t might be ouI
last meal together. | told him | doubted II We
would be there long enough to cook beans
but II we were, | would come. 1t was In
deed poor Keogh's last meal. he being killed
In battle next day. We left this blyouaC
after about two hours rest and pushed on In
the direction Of the Indian village. Soon
after daylight we discovered small punches
OF Indians some distance from our tanks
1t was not long after this that We halted