The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-01-03

from the under side of the river bank
taking the soldiers so by surprise that
they fell back toward the peak OF the
ridge. the Indians continuing their fire.
Still without any intimation Of the dan
ger behind them. the troopers mounted on
their horses and left q number of dead on
the field. with the Indians still under a
perfect cover. the soldiers had no chance
crest of the hills and were headed toward
the protection of the ridges and gullies
at a gallop. when the concealed Indians
| opened a murderous fire upon them, d.
rectly in front. Nearly a whole company
was moved down at the first fire and the
column fell back. as the Indians had
planned. once more into the jaws of the
trap.
Ended His Own Life.
"Now right here is where one of the
most startling parts of this Indian version
comes in. You recoliect the big bay
thoroughbred the Indians called Gourard
and which raced an through the North
west for years after, The massacre? Well.
one of Clusters young lieutenants was
ounted on that forse hat day. When
the column fell back under the fire the
big bay took the bit between his teeth
and laundering down right into the midst
of the redskins, burst sayagely through
their lines. his head down. squealing with
rage, a diabolical incarnation of equine
fury.
"A number of Indians Immediately de-
tachej themselves from the rest and gave
chase. They were hopelessly' dlstanced
from the first. Nothing an Indian ever
rode could beat that horse. Finally, as
he streaked 1t out across the plateau near
ly q mile in the lead the Indians gave Il
up and sitting back on their ponies
watched the dying horse in a fury of dis
appointment. Then they witnessed an
amazing thing, something which they.
with no conception Of the code Of honor
which actuates officers in the United
States army. could not understand. They
saw the young lieutenant look back. and,
finding himself hopelessly out Of the fight,
deliberately draw his revolver and
Shoot Himself Through the Head.
The horse stopped at once, and the In
dams, continuing the chase, captured him,
leaving the body of the officer lying alone
On the sands. The first report of the
fight reported him missing, but a stone
was erected to his memory on the field.
I'm the meantime Clusters men met in
front and on the river side by the same
deadly Are. were compelled again to re-,
treat, this time down the second side of
the fatal triangle. as you can see. SO
they were driven again to lower ground,
fighting desperately all the while. The
troopers, having disnounted from their
horses, were now proceeding at a walk,
,,,,.- tlly. ..,... -. 1901 an ,al--fAIa
for cover.
Custer's Death.
the spot where Custer met his death
there was a rally and a last stand. for
the Indians, bursting out of cover from
the front, swept down on the little band
like a lot of yelling fiends. The combat,
waxing into an incredible fury, was
waged almost hand to hand. The rife
ammunition was exhausted, revolvers
were emptied, and the troopers, drawing
their sabers died lighting to the last
breath. s
Standing untouched through all
the melee. Custer must have be-
gun TO guess that the Indians
were making an. effort to capture
HIN alive. Expecting nothing but the
cruelest and most inhuman tortures
from their hands, he fought until they
had closed In about him on every side,
until all the men Immediately about him
were down, and then turned his revolver
against himself.
after that the end was not long in
coming. The scattered survivors were
driven back along the third side Of the
triangle, so that when the last men fell
he died within a hundred yards of the
place where the first was killed.
An Interesting Characters,
To one fami lar with the sanguinary his
tory Of the plains from 1872 until the up
rising at Pine Ridge, eliminating in the
death of Sitting Bull in 1891. Gourard
stands as one of the most unique In
teresting characters surviving. Capt.
Arrasmith. who has known him for years.
declares that as a scout he had no equal,
not even In the famous Kit Carson him.
self.
To-day fifty years Of age, Gourard Is in
appearance a type of the full-blooded
Sioux. Not a drop Of Indian blood flows
in his veins, however. A Sandwich ISL
ander by pa~ren.age, a Californian by birth.
he was endowed by nature with the phys
zeal, hardihood of a young mountain lion,
and the instincts of the most willy of
forest creatures. Captured by the Sioux
when but a child, he was reared as one
of them. From his captors he learned all
that nature and circumstances had taught
the crafty savage. He learned the Ian
guages of the plains and became a master
in the sign code. His roaming with the
/ restless tribes gave him knowledge of
the topography of the country, which
served him well in after years.
Practical Curiosity.