The Dickinson press., 1902-07-19
SHAM BATTLE
Fourth of July Celebrated at
Sheridan, Wyo., With Re-
production of Custer Mas
SaCre.

Asa Fisher sends the Tribune a copy
of a Denver paper with the following
dispatch from Sheridan, Wyo. showing
how the Fourth of July was celebrated at
that place:
The widest sight and equally as wild
noises which have been seen and heard
in the west since that fearful day twenty
six years ago when the Cheyenne, Crow
and Sioux Indians attacked and COM
pletely wiped out of existence General
Custer and 400 men of the Seventh
cavalry, took place here today, when
many of the same Indians, reinforced by
every warrior on the Grow and Cheyenne
reservation, reproduced that famous
massacre in a sham battle, Custer and
his men being represented by Major
Saunders and 200 United States soldiers
from Fort Mckenzie.
All the old leaders were represented,
Custer by Saunders; Gall, the leading
Indian in the field, by Spotted Horse;
Rain-in-the-Face by Iron Thunder. and
old Sitting Bull, high chief of the Sioux
nations, by Medicine Crow. Every In
dian OF the reservation has been camped
around Sheridan for the past three weeks,
making ready for the sham, and for two
weeks daily rehersals were held under
the supervision of o. P. Hanna, formerly
a scout connected with Clusters command
and familiar with all the details of the
battle. Probably $50 of these Indians
took part in the real fight, and each OF
these repeated in today's battle, as nearly
as possible, the part he took in the mas
sacre. They also did everything possible
to instruct the other Indians, as we'll as
to teach the soldiers their parts.
The smaller details of the battle have
never been brought out so clearly before
Every white man connected with the
massacre was killed and the Indian!
have always refused to talk or have tolt
untruthful stories of the affair. There
fore, the work of the braves was watched
closely, and, when sifted down. the stor,
told today in action, may some day ap
pear as the most authentic history of tina
battle.
1t has always been said that all q
Clusters men were killed, although i,
Sitting Bulls camp in after years, tn
story was told that a half-breed scou
managed to escape. Some of the Crow!
their tongues at last loosened on the sui
ject by the excitement of the past tw
weeks of rehearsing, confirmed that re
port, and say that a half. breed Grow, VIII
was scouting for Custer, was amor
those who entered the ravine in whic
the massacre occurred. Custer expecte
to find 1000 Pawnees; instead he was a,
tackled by 5000 Sioux, Crows and Chey
enne warriors as we'll armed as his ow
men. When this scout saw the crow!
and before the other Indians rounde
the hill in view, he guessed that the tire
tribes had consolidated against the troop
and knowing the band to be doomed, re
treated before the real battle begun. H
never returned to the whites, and tn
Indians say he wen westward after tn
battle.
Today the Indians fought like demon!
and woe unto the soldiers had they bee
supplied with ball cartridges. The re
men were excited beyond description
The crow reservation, until a few year
ago when the Burlington bull. its Pacifi
line in the territory, was SO Inaccessible
that few visitors and tourists came thu
way. There are, therefore, probably til
least used 10 civilized ways of any of til
northwestern Indians, and are held j
subjugation o by the fear than til
love of the whites. In the excitemer
of the sham battle, they would probabl
have forgotten this fear.