The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-23

From the Chicago Chronicle.
When the report was received from
the Leech lake region that Gen. Bacon
and his little band of soldiers had pos
si'bly been obliterated by the Pillager
band of the Chippewas, the mind of
the old-timer turned instinctively to
the bleak hills and dangerous gulches
OF the Little Big Horn. If a student
OF Indian warfare. he would then re-
cur to the slaughter of Yellow Jacket
pass in Colorado. when the treacherous
Utes ambushed and nearly destroyed
the column under ThOrnburgh.
Custer dashed to his death on the
morning of June 25, 1876; Thornburgh
ran into an ambuscade on Sept %, 1879.
Both oflcerS, gallant men, lost their
lives in the fierce battle which followed.
IhCrnburgh's death agd the manner in
which 1t was accomplished is known to
all no survivor or eyewitness Of Gus
terS last hght-unleSs he be an Indian
has been discovered to tell the tale
OF the massacre of nearly 800 brave SOL
dlers IN the mad fight against Sitting
Bull, Crazy Horse and the chiefs Of the
allied Cheyenncs
No redskin who ever dOnned war bon
net hated the paleface with such bitter
animosity as Sitting Bull, medicine
man, prophet and war chief. No Indian
onstrate this hatred. Clusters down.
fall was the precursor and pr0gnosti-
Gator or the short, sharp and bloody
night up near Standing Rock, when
Red Tomahawk and Bull Head pump
ed lead into the Vitals of the leader of
the ghost dance uprising among the
Sic TX, eight years ago. Few warriors
have shown the generalship that the
great priest and medicine man display
ed in the Big Horn campaign. He slew
his enemy and went off free.
Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, unable
to incite the tribes Of Montana, Wyo-
ming and Dakota to revolt began a
systematic attack upon the friendlies
in 1876. Crook, from Montana, and Ter
ry, from Dakota and the Platte were
sent out to suppress the restless hos
tiles. With Terry was Custer and his
regiment, the Seventh cavalry. Though
but second in rank, the dashing cav
airy leader was in command of the
Seventh. Gen. John Gibbons. with 400
of his regiment, Custer, with 700, and
Terry, with q force about as large. met
at the mouth of the Big Horn on June
9. From this point Terry decided on
his campaign
Gibbons was to course to the north
and west. Terry was to follow on a
shorter line and Custer was to plunge
INTO the Bad lands leading from the
Rosebud westward. The three columns
were to unite on or about June q. Ter
ry and Gibbons did unite on that day.
but Custer had gone over the great
divide with nearly 800 men of his COM
mand. Maj Reno, with the remainder
IL badly shaken condition, met the
general in his advance. On June 20,
in the Little Big Horn country, Gus
ter's scout reported big Indian VII
lage and an immediate attack was de-
cided upon
7
yOnd dispute. The gallantry and head
long bravery of officer and man is
equally a matter of history. Custer di-
vided his command. He sent Reno
with six troops to cross the river and
come in the valley where the gulch
gave him good opening. Custer him
self, with four troops, was to dash
straight in. Benteen and McDOugan
captains, with a troop each, were to
circle to the west and form a junction
when the time for attack had been
reached. This is the plan as related
by the three officers in command af-
ter the fight
Reno eSsayed to carry out his orders.
was sOundly thrashed and forced to
retreat across the river, his men fall
ing a every step. Benteen and Nc
Dougall Joined him with great difficulty
and the entire force thus united bat
tied Valiantly against fearful odds dur
ing the entire day. That night Reno
succeeded in drawing off his command
and holding it in safety until joined
by Terry the second day after the bat
tie. But what Of Custer?
Silently TIE little band stole up to
the hill above the Indian camp Inside
the limits were between 5000 and 1000
painted and savage bucks. In the at
lacking column were fewer than 400
men, but men eager for the fray, men
who held the red foe in contempt, men
who had won with the odds in the
favor of the Indians on many a hot
field When discovered by the Indians
the charge was sounded and the I'M
broken line swept down into the val