The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-09
THE CUSTER MASSACRE
A ST. LOUIS MANS PART IN THE DIS
AsTRoUS CAMPAIGN OF '76.
The Trip of the Steamer Far West,
the News of the Great Disaster.
St louis Glohe-Democrat.

was Company b. OF the Sixth Infantry, was di-
rected to make the attempt to ascend the Big
Horn as Jar as the mouth 6s the Little Big Horn,
in order that supplies might be near at hand
10 replace the scanty amount of subsistence which
Col Gibbons's pack animals were able TO cay
Thanks TO the zeal and energy display ed by capt
mouth of the Little Big Horn was reached by
her, and she was Of inestimable service in bring
ing down our wounded. They were sent upon her
The above is an extract from the annual
report of General Terry dated Nov. q, 1876,
and the Capt. Grant Marsh referred to is
the longtime and well-known resident of
st. Louis, now the master of the govern
ment steamer Mississippi. while the subject
of the report was the famous campaign of
1876, the feature of which was the terrible
Custer massacre. The story of this disaster
has often been told, but the important part
played by the steamer Far West in that
campaign has heretofore been overlooked.
No one could be better qualified to tell this
story than the master of the boat
$50 many untruths have been published
about that expedition against the Indians
that 1 do not like to talk about it, said
Captain Marsh to a Globe-Democrat report
er. Il have seen but two correct accounts
of the Custer massacre One OK them ap-
peared in the Century five years ago and
the other was that in the Globe-Democrat
VI <A1A II To- ldol htlOW ilONLAiiS cpOuN hilC
massacre, except what heard at the time,
but if can add anything to history by tell
ing of the trip of the Far West 1 am willing
to do So
Il had been in the employ of the govern
ment for some time previous to 1876, ex-
ploring the Yellowstone river the year be-
fore for General Sheridan in preparation
for just such an emergency as arose. L was
at Yankton, N. D., in the spring of 1876
and was not at all surprised when l re-
ceved orders from General Sheridan to pre-
pare for trip into the Indian country. Pur-
suant to instructions l selected the Far
West from among the boats at Yankton, as
the one adapted to the shallow rivers
through which / expected to 60 She was
of light draft and easy to handle, typical
river boat with little cabin room and open
lower decks. The first week in May We
loaded up with supplies and started for
Fort Abraham Lincoln, in the Missouri riv-
er, opposite Bismarck, n. ID. Fort Abraham
Lincoln was the headquarters for the Sew
enth Cavalry, and when we reached the
fort we unloaded the provender we had
brought from Yankton and took on supplies
for the troops. The Seventh Cavalry had
already started up toward the Indian coun-
try and was ten davs ahead of us when I
got orders to follow with supplies. My or
ders were to meet the troops at the mouth
up the Yellowstone We steamed up the
river to the mouth of the Yellowstone,
where SIOOu fOTJ BuIOTu, 80 miles from
Fort Abraham Lincoln. There we took on
board Capt, Stephen Baker and Company
b. of the Sixth Infantry. From this time
up 10 the return Of the expedition. Captain
Baker and his company were the guard and
escort for the boat. and he was in military
command of the Far West.
Carrying out our orders, we continued on
up the river and arrived at the mouth of
the Powder river three days ahead of the
camp there. General Terry came aboard
the Far West, and L took him forty miles
further up the river to meet Gen. John
Gibbons, whom he wished TO see and con-
suit as to the details of the expedition. The
Seventh Cavalry with which General Terry
had BEEN marched across the country and
on the south side of the river. General
Gibbons was in command of the Seventh
Infantry and had come from Fort Shaw to
over the plans for the campaign and then
] took General Terry back to camp at the
Powder river As soon as we arrived orders
We're given by him for a forward movement
up the river. At Rosebud river the last
camp of both the infantry and cavalry
was pitched before the battle with the In
dams.
CORRECTING HISTORIANS.
Nov, right here is where / wish to diff
fer from all historians whose works I have
read as to the date when the move was
made from the Rosebud river. 1 contend
that the troops left there on June rs. The
infantry had orders to move along the
north bank of the river to the mouth of the
Big Horn and the cavalry started directly
inland to the country where the Indians
had been located by General Terrys scouts
Captain Baker was ordered to proceed up
the river to the Big Horn, where we were
TO ferry the infantry across to the opposite
side of the river My reason for being posi-
tive of the date on which the movement be-
gan is my vivid recollection of the events
of that day. With the troops were broth
or nd ,arba Of nh
nephew's name was Reed. Boston Custer
the brother and l were great friends He
was civilian and was going on the expe-
dition for the fun and excitement. | told
him he had better get aboard the Far West
and go to the Big Horn on her, rather than
make the trip with the cavalry, into the
dangerous Indian country. He had come
aboard with a letter for his mother which
! placed in the mail bag After considering
the matter he decided to go on the Far
West. but went ashore to get some tobacco
from the camp. We never saw him after
ward. Soon after he left the boat the cav
airy started from the camp. Boston Custer
Reed and Mark Kellogg, a reporter for the
New York Herald, all civilians. accompa-
MED them and all were slaughtered with
Custer. After the cavalry left camp Captain
Baker ordered three men to take a boat
and start back down the river to Fort Blu
ford with dispatches and the mail. Sergeant
Fox was in charge of the mail. Just as the
boat started on it's trip 1t was capsized and
men were saved and the mail was recovered
from the river at the spot where the boat
turned over. ] dried out the mail on the
deck of the Far West and another detail
was sent with it TO the fort. The mail bags
contained the letter written by Boston Gus
ter TO his mother and she received it. In her
books. the widow of General Custer tells of
the letter and gives it's date as June %, and
this substanttates my assertion that the
troops did not leave camp until that day.
Leaving the mouth of the Rosebud, the
route taken by the cavalry was a Circuit
touS one across the country, and directly
TO the camps of the Indians. The infantry
kept along the north bank of the Yellow
stone until the Big Horn was reached. At
that point we ferried them across and they
pitched camp four miles back from the
junction of the two rivers. Early in the
morning the infantry started up the Big
Horn. Before daybreak Captain Burnett
came to the boat with orders from General
Terry. commanding Captain Baker to pro-
coed up the Big Horn river as far as possi-
Die Up into the unknown river the Far
West plowed her way, lodging around
myriads of little islands and sandbars Ere
quently we met with rapids, which necessi-
tated some great Steambo1rlng. The SOL
dters Helped us under command of Captain
Baker, and the work of laying lines and
running the capstans was thus easy
one. We were frequently obliged to work
the boat along but made good progress that
day and stopped for the night not far from
the infantry camp.
THE next morning. June 2S Captain Bur-
nett appeared on the boat with more orders
for Captain Baker. They directed us TO pro
navigable and If possible make the mouth
of the Little Big Horn and wait there for
the troops. If impossible to get that far we
were TO return to the point where the or
ders had been received
TELLING THE NEWS.