The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-21

THE BILL,
train and horses in the deepest por
ton or the draw, and placing his
troops on the highest hills command.
ing the country. This was about s
o'clock on the afternoon of June rs
1876, the Indians remaining and Civ.
} ing us all the trouble they could until
dark, when they withdrew, leaving
a strong guard around the entire com
mand, while the others went tt their
village to celebrate the victory. We
could see, from II position on the
hills, their fires and dances and hear
their weird cries during the entire
night. During the night Colonel
Reno tried TO send out scouts to
penetrate the Indian lines with dis
patches to General Terry, but all re
turned, none succeeding in gaining
the glory. Captain Varnum volun-
teered to try the task, but was per-
suaded by officers not to try it. The
night proved a busy one for the
troops. EVERYTHING that could be
brought into use such as spades,
shovels, pans, ETC., served in digging
and throwing up entertainments on
AO AAAA0, WILLIE uullA6 tu0 V0ulu ID
the 25th the packs and bedding had
been taken off the animals and used
as breastworks about $50 var is below
the corral, guarded by Captain More
lands A troop to protect an attack
from the Indians from the mouth of
the gulch.
Indians Attack Reno's Camp.
On the morning of the 26th at the
tint of day the attack was renewed by
the hostiles and at about sunup every
portion of the line was tried to be
broken and gained, but in each in
stance the strong line of breast
works and entertainments ~repulsed
the redskins at each point. The troops
were rushed from one point to an
other as it was attacked and in this
way they kept the Indians off. Colonel
Benteen received the hardest rush on
his portion of the hill, but succeeded
admirably in repulsing the enemy.
Battle for Water.
At about 10 a. m., the troops began
to suffer for water and it was decid-
ed to attempt to get water, the men
having had none since the afternoon
of the previous day and but little re-
naming in their canteens. A water
% ~ was " III q 5u1Cu SClCCI-
ed about $50 yards down towards the
river and between Colonel Ben.
teens and Captain French's line, and
while a party armed with everything
that could be utilized for carving wa
ter started out, Colonel Benteen and
Captain French, with a party of SOL
diers on each side of the gulch
charged and drove the Indians back,
Colonel Reno accompanying the first
party. Two wafer parties succeeded
in getting a supply with only one man
wounded.
This disheartened me Indians and
their following attacks were not as
strong as the previous ones.
About 2 o'clock in the afternoon they
again tried to break every portion of
the line, meeting with defeat at each
attack.
Redskins Hold a Council.
They then fell back and formed on
a high hill north and west, where
they held a council, leaving only a
sma4- party to engage us. We after
ward discovered that they then knew
that General Terry was coming with
a command up the Big Horn, for about
5 O'Clock we discovered them taking
down .leir village and at about 6
they moveu out in a solid
square with their squaws and horses
in the center. they moved out over
the fiat south of the Little Horn in
the direction Oh the heauwaters of the
Little Horn or Pass creek country,
Reno's men without further
A False Alarm.
D11rinU tho nioh+ uo boorl q b,rIo
call and Reno Immediately sounded
general call, but no answer being
received it was soon discovered that
Indians had gotten hold of Gus
ter's bugles, after the massacre of
that day and expected to get our
troops in an engagement during the
night and repeat the awful battle of
he day just coming to a close.
General Terry Arrives. {
Colonel Reno remained. in his en-
5renchments, and watering his horses !
the night time, later threw up
better b~reastworks closer to water,
July expecting that another attack +.
would be made on the following morn {
ng. On the morning Of the 9th, at {
about IL o'clock, General Terry ar $
with his staff and escort at l
Reno's headquarters in the {
entertainments, followed shortly by |
ieneral Gibbons command, which |
vent into camp on the south side of
Little Horn and above where the
indian village had stood but the day
previous. c
Reno Ruries His Dead. 7
During the afternoon Colonel Reno
buried his dead, an moved his c
wounded down to General Gibbons /
amp. On the following morning, 1t i
'eing June 2S, at about sunup the
emainder of the Seventh cavalry pro-
.eeded to General Glstar's field Of