The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-08-26
FROM CUSTER EXPEDITION
TO THE PHILIPPINES.
Captain Godfrey Killed by a Filipino Bulet-His Story of the
Custer Massacre.
WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.

WRITTEN FOR H SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Captain L. S. Godfrey of the Seventh
Calvary was recently killed in the Philip
pines. With 4 small detail of his command
he was ambushed and fell dead at the first
fire. He was one at the brav.st and most
intelligent officers OF The army. and in his
death the United States loses another of its
best and most experienced soldiers.
captain Godfrey was a member of the ill.,
fated expedition that went out in 1876. under
General Custer. 10 punish the hostile In
dams, and to him more than to any other
The country is indebted for the details of
that disastrous campaign. Clusters Last
Battle a. 1t has been appropriately
termed. will always be a source of discus
sion. 1t has been much written about, and
no two writers have ever agreed on many
of its essential details. Captain Godfrey
Uhen Lieutenant) commanded a troop, and
was with the battalion under Captain Ben
teen. He visited the battle-ground in 1856
and had the testimony of Chief Gall, one of
the Indians who directed the battle. He
~tsxe the matter a great deal OF thought and
attention, and his description of the en-
gagement is considered by many to be the
best and most authentic that has ever been
written.
Il is not the purpose of this article to go
into the details of that sanguinary and mer-
CHESS combat. in which the foothills OF the
Little Big Horn ran red with some Of the
best blood of our army. But to the stu
dent of our military history it will always
remain a marvellous and entertaining SUBJ
ject.
The Sioux War of 1876 originated in a re-
quest by the Indian Bureau that certain
wild bands OF Indians be compelled to set
tie down upon their reservations. The cam
iaigh opened in the winter. General Sher-
man thinking that was the season of the
year in which the Indians might best be
handled. General Custer was sent against
Sitting Bull, and General Crook was or
dered to move against Crazy Horse. Gus
ter was prevented from moving by bad
weather, but Crook advanced on March !,
struck Crazy Horses band of hostiles, was
defeated and returned to his base. In the
meantime, General Custer had incurred the
displeasure of President Grant, and he was
only allowed to accompany the column,
which was placed under command of Gen.
eral Terry. On the 2lst of June. Custer.
in command of the Seventh Cavalry (about
600 mem, with Crow and Rec scouts. start
ed out from the main column to find the
hostiles. who were said by the scouts TO
be in the valley OF the Little Big Horn
River.
On the oath the command found plenty OF
Indian signs, and some Indians were seen,
but IT does not appear from any information
obtainable that Custer knew just where
they were or how many he would meet. 1t
seems everybody thought 800 the highest
possible number of warriors the hostiles
could number. The command was ignorant
Of the fact that on June II Crook had struck
Crazy Horses band on the Rosebud, and
was so badly defeated that he was COM
PEELED TO return to his base. The defeat of
Cook enabled Crazy Horse to join Sitting
Bull at his camp on the Little Big Horn.
The command. under Custer. marched to-
gether until about noon on the 18th. Custer
then concluded to divide the into