The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-07-12
LIGHT ON CUSTER MESSAGE.
Time Worn Document Found Among
Effects of Col. ID. w: Benham.

Effects of Col. ID. w: Benham.
From the New York Times:
A time-worn document, the authen-
ITCHY of which Is regarded as beyond
question. and Of which the following il
a copy, was found T. day or two ago by
| Colonel D. w. Benham, United States
army (retired), among his effects at
Tlfhn, O. 1t is Of great historic value,
as 1t is the first message from the
| battlefield to the outside world con-
| veying an account Of the massacre of
| General Custer and his command at
/ Little Big Horn, Mont, June g. 1876.
The message was penciled on Sheets
torn from notebook by General John
Gibbon, who relieved General Reno, and
was written in the trenches in Reno's
position on hill Immediately after
Gibbons arrival and repulse of the be-
sieging Iadians. A courier escaped with
message to Major Benham, who was
in command at Fort Ellis, and the lat
ter gave the news of Clusters fate to
the nearest telegraph office.
The message has never before been
published, because, as alleged at the
time 1t was written, Reno was accused
of deserving Custer in the hour of need
The story that Gibbon gives is probably
inspired by Reno, but the interior
evidence of the letter throws hitherto
unpublished light on the event.
The message is legible and is as fol-
lows:
Camp on Little Big Horn, June % 1876
Dear Major:-We will start down the
river today for the steamboat with the
wounded Of Clusters command, and
from the mouth Of this stream move
down to the mouth of the Big Horn.
General Clusters command met with
terrible disaster here on the 25. Custer,
with five companies, was, so far as we
can ascertain, completely annihilated,
no living man OF them having yet been
found, and probably, none with them
escaped except two Of our Crow scouts,
who were lent Custer by me and
brought us the first news.
mitch Bowyer was killed, and the
bodies of General Custer, Colonel c.
(his brother) and another brother
(citizen), Kaptains Keogh and Yates
and Lieutenant Cook, Adjutant CAL
houn, Porter, Riley, Sturgis (son of the
generaD. Crittenden. (Second infantry,
son Of the general, Hodgson, Mcintosh
Harrington, Acting Assistant Surgeons
DeWolf and Lord have all been ident-
flied positively, except Lord, Porter and
Sturgis.
ION the 26th we made a long march
till dark, came in sight of some few
scattered Indians, and the next day
yesterday reached Colonel Reno's
command, fortified on hill. They were
in a desperate strait until o'clock the
night before (26th), with very little
water and fifty. wounded men, and the
Indians decamped in very great haste
at our approach, leaving an immence
shall destroy today.
1.-THE delight of the poor fellows when
ehey discovered us to be friends was
IRENE. Roughly stated, the loss of Gus
ter's command is about one-half, say
$50 men. The Indians were in great
strength and were estimated at from
1900 to $500 warriors.
my command is intact and in fine
order, and I wish you would telegraph
the commanding officers at Fort Shaw
and Camp Baker that we are all we'll,
to alley the anxiety of friends, I wish
T knew where Mrs. Gibbon was that
you might telegraph her, but I do not.
At venture yqA. might telegraph Mr..
Henry Moale, Is Commerce street, Bait
more: Tell Fannie myself and COM
mand are all well. J. G. Date it Camp
on Little Big Horn, June %.
when the fight commenced, Colonel
Reno, with three companies, charged,
had quie heavy fight, was overpow-
cred and driven back, and took to the
bluffs, where he met four other comp
anies, and they had heavy fighting all
the rest of that day and all of the Goth,
and knew nothing Of the fate of Custer
and his five companies until we arrived
and Informed them of it.
80 .. m.-We have buried all the dead,
and hope to have filters for the
wounded finished in time to go a few
miles down the river today, camp near
the site Of the1ndian camp, and destroy
the property deserted by them.
when you read this send it to Gen.
eral A. J. Smith, who will please to
give it to Colonel Broadwater, at re-
| quest of Carroll. who is with US here.
Yours truly. ]. G..
Major Benham, Fort Ellis"