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

the Leech lake region that Gen. Bacon
and his little band Of soldiers had pos
slbly been obliterated by the Pillager
band of the Chippewas, the mind OF
the old-timer turned instinctiVely to
the bleak hills and dangerous gulches
or the Little Big Horn. If q student
or 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 20, 1875; Thornburgh
ran into an ambuscade on Sept. %, 1879
Both officers, gallant men, lost their
lives in the fierce battle which followed
Tbcrnburgh's death apd the manner in
Vhlch 1t was accomplished is known to
all no survivor or eyewitness of Gus
Ter last hght-unleSS he be an Indian
has been discovered to tell the tale
or the massacre of nearly 800 brave sol
dlers In the mad fight against Sitting
Bull, Crazy Horse and the chiefs of the
allied Cheyennes.
No redskin who ever donned war bon
net hated the paleface with such bitter
anfmosity as Sitting Bull, medicine
man. prophet and war chief No Indian
In the last sixty years did more to dem
onstrate this hatred. Clusters down.
fail was the precursor and prognosti-
Gator of the short sharp and bloody
light 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
Sioux, eight years ago. Few warriors
nave 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 nd q
10 tncite the tribes Of Montana, Wyo-
ming and Dakota to revolt, began a
systematic attack upon the friendlies
in 1876. Crook, from Montana, and Ter
~, 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 force about as large, met
at the mouth Of the Big Horn on June
8. 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
~ and Gibbons did unite on that day
but Custer had "gone over the great
divide" with nearly 300 men of his com
mand. Maj. Reno, with the remainder
If badly shaken condition, met the
general in his advance On June rs,
in the Little Big Horn country, Gus
ter'S scout reported q big Indian vii
lage and an immediate attack was de-
cided upon.
The unwisdom of this attack is be-
yond dispute. The gal1antry and head
long bravery of officer and man Is
equally 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 guIch
gave him good opening Custer him
self, with four troops, was to dash
straight in. Benteen and McDougall,
captains, with a troop each, were to
circle to the west and form 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 at 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 the little band stole I'D 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