The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-05-26


| the Big Horn as Ear as the mouth OF the Little
Big Horn in order that supplies might be neal
4 at hand to replace the scanty amount OF SUD
/ sistence which Colonel Gibbons pack animals
| were able 10 carry. Thanks TO the zeal and
| energy displayed by Captain Grsnt Marsh.
| the master of the steamer, the mouth OF the
| Little Big Horn was reached by her, and she
was OF inestimable service in bringing down
| our wounded They were sent upon her 10
| Fort Lincoln.
The above is an an extract from the
annual report Of General Terry, dated
November q, 1876, and the Captain
Grant Marsh referred to is the long
time 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 cam
paign 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 pub
lished about that expedition against
the Indians that do not like to talk
about it," said Captain Marsh to a
Globe-Democrat reporter. 81 have
seen but two correct accounts of the
Custer massacre. One of them appear
ed in the Century five years ago, and
| the other was that in the Globe-Dem-
ocrat of April Is last. i know nothing
| about the massacre except what
heard at the time, but if can add any,
thing to history by telling of the trip
of the Far West | am willing to do so.
al had been in the employ of the
government for some time previous to
1876, exploring the Yellowstone river
the year before for General Sheridan,
in preparation for just such an emer-
gency as arose. / was at Yankton, y.
! d., in the spring of '76, and was not at
all surprised when / received orders
from General Sheriden to prepare for
trip into the Indian country. Pdrsu-
ant to instructions / selected the Far
West from among the boats at Yank-
ton, as the one adapted to the shallow
rivers through which expected to go.
She was of light draft and easy to ham
die, a typical river boat with little
cabin room and open lower decks. The
first week in May We loaded up sup
plies and started for Fort Abraham
Lincoln, in Missouri river, opposite
Bismarck, y. ID. Fort Abraham Lin
coin 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 Sew
enth cavalry had already started up
toward the Indian country and was
ten DAYS ahead of us when | got my
orders to follow with supplies. My
orders were to meet the troops at the
mouth of the Powder river, in Monta-
ma, $50 miles up the Yellowstone. We
steamed up the river to the mouth of
the Yellowstone, where stood Fort Bu-
ford, 275 miles from Fort Abraham
Lincoln. There we took on board
Captain Stephen Baker and company
b, of the Sixth infantry. From this
time up to 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 contin-
ued on up the river, and arrived at the
mouth of the Powder river three days
ahead of the troops, who, when they
arrived, established a camp there. Cen
eral Terry came aboard the Far West,
and l took him forty miles further up
the river to meet General John Glib
bons, whom he wished to see and con-
suit as to the details of the expedition.
The Seventh cavalry, with whom Cen
eral Terry had been, marched across
the country, and was on the south side
of the river General Gibbons was in
command of the Seventh infantry, and
had come from Fort Shaw to join the
expedition. The generals talked over
the plans for the campaign, and then
I took General Terry back to camp at
| the Powder river. AS soon as we ar
rived orders We're given by him for a
forward movement up the river. AT
Rose Bud river the last camp of both
the infantry and cavalry was pitched
before the battle with the Indians.
"Now, right here is where wish to
differ from all historians whose works
move was made from the Rose Bud
river. l contend that the troops left
there on June %. 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 Terry's 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 rea-
son for being positive of the date on
which the movement began is my vivid
recollection of the events of that day.
With the troops were brother and n
and a nephew of General Custer. The
nephew's name was Reed. Boston
Custer, the brother, aud L were great
| friends. He was civilian and was
going on the expedition for the fun
and excitement. 1 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
dangerous Indian country. H. had
come aboard with a letter for his moth
er, which 1 placed in the mail bag.
After considering the matter he decid-
ed to go on the Far West, but went
ashore to get some tobacco from the
camp. We never saw him afterward.
Sovn after he left the boat the cavalry
started from the camp. Boston Custer,
Reed and Mark Kellogg, reporter for
the New York Herali, all civilians,
accompanied them, and all were
slaughter with Custer. After the cav.