The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-27
STORY OF CUSTER MASSACRE.
Col Benteen's Important Aid and How
1t Was secured-A Charge That
Turned the Tide.

it Was secured-A Charge That
Turned the Tide.
The number OF Indians engaged In
the Little Big Horn battle has been
estimated at from $500 to 5000, and we
went into the fight less than 600 men
in all, and as Custer had nearly half
of this number in his battalion, all OF
whom had been killed, consequently we,
about $50 men strong We're battling
with the entire force of Indians.
Against such odds resistance seemed
almost hopeless. 1t must have been in
the neighborhood of noon when we
took up this position, and until after
nightfall the fight ragged furiously, with
constant crash of carbines and mus
kerry on both sides. Reno had lost
considerably while in the bottom, but
our casualties increased greatly during
the afternoon and evening. The next
morning before dawn, at Col Benteen's
suggestion We had a reveille sounded.
This was done to put on a bold front
and impress our enemy with the fact
that We We're ready to resume the con-
test. We knew there was no alterna-
tive but to resume it, so We tried to
make virtue of necessity"
The lost notes of the reveille had not
died away before volleys from the In
dian muskets, from all directions,
crashed through the morning air as If
in answer to our challenge. The fight
all that day was incessant, vicious and
at very close quarters. We were losing
men rapidly, in killed and wounded.
The Indians saw this, and grew holder
from time to time, until they got with
in rs feet Of the right of my line. I had
held this hill in obedience to Col
Benteen's orders until my troop was so
reduced in numbers as to make my
evacuation of it almost necessary. My
men who We're still able to fight fully
realized their peril and remained there
only because they, too knew if that
position was surrendered it would be a
sorry day for us. I was in sore need of
both men and ammunition, but to send
man to the command was almost
sure death. We We're not in communi-
cation with the rest of the command,
and had no idea how it was faring.
Finally our situation became desper-
ate; something had to be done at once
If we hoped to live many minutes long
er. Just as L had decided to send a
messenger to Col Benteen, Private
McDermott spoke to me, and asked if
| would like him to carry a message
to the colonel I hastily pointed a,s4
the danger of his going, but he again
expressed his willingness to go. So he
carried my message to Col Benteen that
l must have men and ammunition at
once McDermott miraculously got
there and back without a scratch. He
said the colonel would be there i'm
medlately with reinforcements. He
did not arrive at once. and McDermott
asked me if he should go back L re-
piled, NO." that if Col Benteen said
he would come, he certainly would
sure enough, he soon arrived with
about ten to twelve men. Considering
the smallness of the command and the
losses it had sustained, twelve was quite
a large number
Benteen took in the situation at once
and said we must charge them. This
we did, and it resulted not only disas-
trously to them, but surprised them, so
that they gave US a wide berth after it,
Subsequently Con Benteen convinced
Maj. Reno that ours was the position
to defend, so We got more troops up
there, and some spades and picks, and
soon threw up very respectable earth
works This strengthened our position
immensely, and, after fighting us until
dark, the Indians with all their be-
longings withdrew and left us in pos
session of the field
This they did for two reasons: they
had had pretty hard fighting had lost
heavily, and their runners had dis
covered Gen Terry's command ap-
preaching in the distance. About s
o'clock on the morning of the 9th,
Terry's command was in sight. and
from it We heard of the fate of Gustav
and his men, They, it turned out, had
persisted in less than half an hour after
they became engaged, and the dead
bodies of our comrades were lying about
two miles from us. Thus the battle of
the Little Big Horn ended. 1T carried
many of our comrades whom we loved
with almost a brothers affection, to
the, happy hunting ground" and may
their souls be at rest. Col Reno is now
dead, but ! do not think I do any
violence to his memory by stating most
emphatica1ly that had if not been for
Benteen's perfect GOODNESS and surpass-
ing judgment, we all would have ended
our careers there.-New York Eyenine 6,
Post.