The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-27
PILOT FOR GENERAL CUSTER.
WAS FOURTEEN MILES FROM THE
FAMOUS MASS ACRE.
David Campbell. old Missouri River
Captain. the First Man TO Hear of
the Slaughter. Stin Lives in south
DanOfa.

AdHkt0fs = H.. -14- '-r--
town Of Covington. few miles down lhe
Missouri from this city. al the advanced
age Of "A years resides David Campbell
the first white man outside Of the military
service who heard of Clusters massacre
The old maa.s once bright uro@n eyes are
growing dim with on-creeping years aud
the once erect form is stopped and M
steady. but his mind is Stu bright and
the events OF the twenty-five years OF the
most exciting times in the history OF ths
Dakotas. when ne Was one OF the leading
pilots on the Upper Missouri. are recalled
with as much vividuess a. II they occurred
only last month.
So long was ne upon the steamboats, Of
the Big Muddy and 80 devoted was h TO
the art Of navigating its shallow waters
that even now. he says, when he gets 10
thinking OF the events Of his earlier lie
on the river and among the Indians sol
diers ana froutieTsmen he hnds himself
thinking that he can hear the sWlsn OF
the Missouri as he used 10 hear it as IL
was beating his boat He was one OF me
first pilots 10 come onto the Missouri aft
er traffic became sufficient with the upper
forts and trading posts TO engage boats al
this work exclusively. Countless tunes
he has run the sandbaTs between ST Louis
ana this city and a. many times has he
ascended the dangerous rapids Of the eN-
IRENE upper part of the river a. Il ume
when ehipwreck meant sure death az the
hands of the savage ana ever watcnfll
Sioux. Many times di1 he pilot Gen
Custer Gen. Terry and Gen. Miles up the
tortuOus Missouri and its naVigable trlo-
utaries when the Indians were bent on re-
eisting the slow but sure encroachTnent OF
h. rfrul- did
necessary for him 70 desert MS post a pl-
lot ana defend his boat aud his passengers
with the rife.
Though bent with years the old man
likes 10 dwell Oh his early river a1ven-
lures ana especially does he TAX PRIDE
in ating the events connected with me
great Indian generals who were sent int
the land OF the Dakotas ia the COS ana
'7os to put down the frequent Indian up
Iisings H was a personal friend of Gen.
Custer. ana never tr OF telling Of The
lad news OF that fatal hot afternoon
June IS, 1876, when his soldier idol fell a
prey to Sitting Bulls 400 savage war
rIors.
Pilot for Gen. Terry.
Il was plotting on the staunch old Far
west in 1876 when We were directed to
take on a cargo at Yankton that would
be distributed at several points up the
river, and then proceed to Bismarck 20
take on Gen. Terry and his command,
thcn 20 on to Fort Buford, two hundred
miles farther up the river. For ally
two years. news had been coming IN
from the Indian untTy q al 'tae lei
faces were making rr paratons for tn
annihilatio of all the whites in tn
Northwest Gen Custer had gone up in
1873 with a regiment of cavalry 10 make
general inVest igation of the situation. He
had returned to Fort Abraham Lincoln
across the Missouri from Bismarck where
he had spent the winter of 1895, and
had started early in June for the Big
Horn country. where Sitting Bull, the
great medicine chief was gathering
around him a large number of warriors.
and was preparing TO swoop down en- all
the whites in the Dakotas. Gen. Terry was
in command Of the department cf the
west, with hta quarters at st. Paul He
met us at Bismarck with a company OF
infantry. some artillery and a quantity
Of suppl s We took these on board and
proceeded up the Missouri to Ford Bd-
ford. and then up the Yellowstone TO the
mouth Of the Big Horn. As soon as We
landed, Gen. Terry sent parts of his COM
rnand cue in different directions 10 as
certain The whereabouts Of Gen. Custer,
ana to let him know. whore he might
10 for assis. ance, and, if necessary, for
supplies.
hot days that frequently come to the Da-
kotas in early summer Custer had re-
celyed intimations that the Indians were
not far distant. and he accordingly was
proceeding slowly Charley Reynolds, his
chief Of scouts. brought Custer word early
in the forenoon that the Indians, from
800 to 400 strong. were encamped on
range of buttes on the west side OF the
Little Big Horn four or five miles from
its mouth, and that their camps were so
drawn up as TO indicate thar they knew
OF his approach and were prepared for
battle. On receiving this news Gen. Gus
ter halted. and. with his staff officers,
guides and scouts. rode 10 the top Of the
divide. On the other side were two miles
OF the slope Of the divide down TO the Lit
tie Big Horn. which. on account Of recent
rains. was running full. and extending up
and down the west side of the river for
a distance of two miles and back onto a
range OF buttes was Sitting Bulls camp
a formidable array Of 300 or 400 Indians.
In order to get a closer view. the horses
were left on the east side of the brow
OF the divide. and Custer and part OF his
men crept into ravine that runs down 10
the river and made their way down until
they could take in the whole situation.
Indian Camp Discovered.
That Is the biggest camp I ever saw"
said Custer 10 his staff officers. and we
are in luck" They returned to their
horses and prepared for an attack in the
afternoon Clusters command consisted
Of 100 or 800 cavalry, as fine lot OF men
and horses as ever graced battlefield
These were divided, one-half being placed
under Mai Reno. and the others remain
ing under the direct command of Custer
Ii was understood that Mai. Reno was 10
proceed south about three miles and then
descend the western slope, cross the river
and attack the south end of the Indian
camp while Custer would cross the river
and attack he north end.
The plan was an excellent one, but II
was destined never 10 be executed. In
less than an hour after Maj Reno's com
nand left for the point OF attack the bat
tie OF the Little Big Horn was over and
Custer and every one Of his command
except Curly, the Crow Indian lay dead
in the burning hot sun OF that hot June
afternoon Under the protection of the
heavy growth of timber which grew along
the river. 1000 Of Sitting Bulls best war
riors. all well mounted aud armed with
Winchesters. descended the Little Big
Horn to a point where dry creek empties
into the river from the opposite side.
Crossing the river al this point and de-
scending the creek bed under the protec-
ton Of the growth Of timber usually found
along creeks in that region, they came
up onto the prairie Immediately In Gus
IA " waiting for Mai.