The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-05-26
WHOLE NO. 1891.

n dispatch, il being Captain Bakers in
tention to follow him with an escort
bat Curley refused to leave the boat
refused to eat, and began mourning fol
The dead in true Indian fashion, for h'
was much attached TO some of the 'Ob
so-ri-kee,' as he called Custer's troop
ers. However, We did not have Ions
TO wait for the confirmation of Curley's
account. The next morning, just a
day was breaking, we saw hOrsemaI
galloping toward the boat from the
north, while behind him was pack OF
red devils yelling like fiends. The
horseman was able to gain the boat, as
the Indians gave up the chase as soon
as they saw the steamer. The rider
proved to be Muggins Taylor, one Oi
General Terry's scouts. Taylor wa
nearly exhausted from his hard ride,
but when he recovered sufficiently gave
Us the first news we received from a
white man of the Custer massacre He
told Us how Custer and his men had
been defeated and exterminated; how
Major Reno's command had been sur
rounded by Indians for two days, and
finally rescued by the infantry under
General Gibbons. He then told how
the bloody field had been visited, and
the bodies of Clusters men found strip
ped naked, and each bearing the Sioux
death marks, slit to the bone from
hip to knee, and among them was the
body OF General Custer, his two broth
ers and the New York Herald cores
ponGent, men from whom We had part
ed but few days before.
"Muggins said after the battle Cen
eral Terry had sent two scouts to the
mouth of the Little Big Horn and two
Others to the old camp further down
the river, but had failed to find the Far
West. As his orders had been for Us
to remain at either one or the other of
these places, he came to the conclusion
that we had been cIp:ured b. the In
dians. The scouts must have reached
the mouth of the Little Big Horn while
we were journeying on up the Big Horn
after Captain BIker made the mistake
rs TO the mouth of the stream. Taylor
was carrying dispatches from General
Terry to Fort Ellis, and when chased
by the Indians found the boat by aeei-
dent.
''That night two scouts came to the
bat from General Terry. They had
been sent out to follow the river and
try to locate us. They returned to
General Terry's camp at once and re-
ported our location. At that time We
had on board the supplies Of both the
cavalry and infantry. The pack ami
mails had all been shot to form bar
ricade, so our safety was 4 matter of
considerable interest to the troops.
''The following morning two more
scouts came 70 the boat and brought or
ders for US to prepare to carry the
wounded down to Fort Lincoln. Men
were put to work at once cutting the
tall grass which grew along the shore.
The lower deck of the Far West was
open from the boilers forward, and it
WAS ON its level surface we laid the
grass To a depth of eighteen inches.
Around the edges We placed the medi-
cine chests. When our work was done
Dr.. Williams said We had arranged the
best field hospital he had ever seen.
Just about darz We saw a strange cav
aieads approaching along the river
banks some miles away, but darkness
shut out our view. / sent out some of
my men to meet what proved To be the
wounded men from Major RenO's COM
mand, with their escort The ground
was 50 mirshy aud uneven that they
were unable to proceed further by night.
[ ordered my men out, and the built
fires along the route from the boat TO
the eavalcade, a distance of three miles.
fne spectacle about midnight, when
the boat was reached, was most wier-
ed one There were fifty-two wound
ed troopers being brought to the boat
by their comrIdes of the Seventh.
EIeh wounded soldier lay in an i'm
provised ambulance. This was made
by joining two tepee poles together
with tent canvas, rigging mule be-
tween the ends of the long projecting
poles, then placing the wounded men
ON the end thus formed. Each of the
wounded had an escort of four of his
comrades. Reaching the boat the men
were laid in rows on the grass which
covered the boats lower deck, and were
given medical attention. Some limbs
nad TO be amputated, and many of the
po)r fellows suffered intense agony
Five of them died on the way to Fort
Lincoln and were buried along the
shores If the Yellowstone.
The trip to Fort Lincoln was without
incident We brought to the fort the
first authentic news of the massacre.
Oar wounded were taken from the boat
and given medical care.
81 remained at the fort until Colonel
Smith and his troops came from ST.
Paul and thea We started back with
the Far West into the Indian country.
Ol the way, ut the Rose Bud river, We
found General Crooks command with
BIfia,o Bill as chief of scoIts. \ few
days later General Miles cane to the
camp there with the Fifth infantry,
from Fort Leavenworth. Crook aud
Terry started bIck down the river, but
General Miles, with his men, remained
to- patrol the river and prevent the In
diaus crossing to the southwark. The
Far West was held by General Miles
and used as his headquarters for weeks,
forming part of the river patrol. / was
thus given an opportunity of becoming
well acquainted with both the general
and Boffalo Bill. 1 got to be an ardent
admirer of the great scout, and saw him
go off on many expeditions from which
it was thought he would never return.
General Miles told me one day, in an
swer to a question, that Bill was the
greatest scout and the bravest man the
west had ever seen. / was in charge of
the Far West with General Miles until
September o, when the water began to
fall and was forced to take the boat
back to Yankton.
at was some years after the events