Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-12-01
CLUSTERS LAST FIGHT.
How the Brave Cavalry Leader end
His Heroic HAND or Soldier Met
Death At Leach Lake.


Death Al Leach Lake.
When the report was reached from
the Leach Lake region that General
Bacon and his little band Of soldiers
had possibly been obliterated by the
Pillager band of the Chippewas, the
mind OF the old-timer turned instinct
i,ely TO the bleak hills and dangerous
gulches of the Little Big Horn. II q
student of Indian warfare. he would
then recur to the slaughter of Yellow
jacket pass. in Colorado, when the
treacherous Ctes ambushed and near
y destroyed the column ,der Thorn
burgh.
Custer dashed TO his death On the
morning of June rs. 1876; Thornburgh
ran lnto an ambuscade on September
-. 1873. Both officers, gallant men,
lost their lives in the fierce battle
which followed. Thornaureh's death
and the manner in which it was ac-
coinpished is known 10 all no sur
vivor or eye witness of Cnster's last
fitlil-unless he be an Indian-has
been discovered to tell the tale 81 The
uIassacre of nearly three hundred
brave soldiers in the mad fight
against Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and
the chiefs of the allied Cheyennes.
No red skin who ever donned war
bonnet hated the paleface with such
bitter luminosity as Sitting Bull,
medicine man, prophet and war
chief. No Indian in the last so years
did more to demonstrate this hatred.
Clusters downfall was the precursor
and prognosticator Of the short,
sharp and bloody fight up near
Standing Rock. when Red Tomahawk
and Bull Head pumped lead into the
vjtals of the leader Of the ghost
dance uprising among the SIOUX
eight years ago Few warriors have
shown the generalship that the great
priest and medicine man displayed
in the Big Horn campaign. He slew
his enemy and went off free.
Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, una
BILE to incite the tribes of Montana,
Wyoming and Dakota to revolt, be-
gan systematic attack upon the
friendlies early in 1876. Crook from
Montana and Terry from Dakota and
the Platte were sent out to suppress
the restless hostiles. With Terry
were Custer and his regiment, the
Seventh cavalry. Though but Sec
ond in rank, the dasihing cavalry
leader was in command of the
Seventh. General John Gibbons, with
400 of his regiment; Custer, with 700,
and Terry with force about as
large, met at the mouth of the Big
Horn ON June g. 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 n. Terry and Gibbons did unite
on that day. but Custer had gone
over the great divide with nearly 300
men of his command. Major Reno,
with the remainder in badly shaken
condition, met the general in his adj
vance. On June %, in the Little Big
Horn country. Custer's scout report
ed a big Indian village, and an i'm
mediate attack was decided upon.
The nnwisdom of this attack is be-
yond dispute. The gallantry and
headlong bravery of officer and man
is equally matter of history Gus
ter divided his command. He sent
Reno with six troops to cross the
river and come in the valley where
the gulch gave him a good opening.
Custer himself, with four troops, was
to dash straight in. Benteen and Nc
Dongall. captains, with troop each,
were to circle to the left and form
junction when the time for attack
had been reached. This is the plan
as related by the three officers in
command after the fight.
Reno essaNed to carry out his or
ders, but was soundly thrashed and
forced to retreat back across the,
river, his men falling at every step.
Benteen and McDougall Joined him
with great difficulty, and the entire
force thus united Ibattled valiantly |
against feaful odds during the entire
day. That night Reno succeeded in |
drawing off his command and hold
ing 1T in safety until joined by Terry |
the second day after the battle. But |
what of Custer?
Silently the little band stole up the |
hill above the Indian camp. Inside
the limits were between 5000 and |
1000 painted and savage bucks. In
the attacking column there we've |
fewer than 400 men, but men eager
for the fray, men who held the red |
foe On contempt, men who had won
with the odds in the favor of the In
dams on many a hot field. When
discovered by the Indians the charge
was sounded and the unbroken line
swept down into the valley of death.
At first the willy Indians, schooled by
Sitting Bull, fell back before that i'm
NOT ,,ottc ohorra Tbao o,,,.o A. -