Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-04-08
ONE OF CUSTER'S MEN.
aole Survivor of the Expedition Tells
of His Escape.


of His Escape.
John Thomas, the sole survivor Of
General Clusters expedition up Big
Horn, which was completely annihllat-
ed by the Indians, is resident Of
Minneapolis. He is fifty-eight years
old and lives at 25O1 Aldrich avenue.
After reading dispatch in the Trib-
une stating that William Mckee Of
that city claimed the honor Of being the
last white survivor of the massacre
Mr.. Thomas talked Interestingly of the
events leading up to the massacre and
those which followed.
81 knew Mckee we'll. said Mr.. Thorn
as. "He was not member of General
Clusters expedition, but was in Gen
eral Reno's detachment. There was
but one person who escaped alive. and
that was an Indian of the name of
Curley. who is now with the Buffalo
Bill show. While l was in the expedi-
ton under command of General Gus
ter, l was not In the massacre. 1t was
only by accident. however. that was
not. When young man / joined the
Indian fighters under command of Cen
eral Terry.
MY duty was that Of saddler. I
cared for all of the harness, saddles
and sometimes made myself handy as
q shoemaker. With the other warriors,
l was supplied with horse. About a
week before the massacre the entire
expedition was camped on Tongue riv-
er. General Terry decided that the
forces were to be divided. and 666 men
were placed under the command of
General Reno. General Gibbs OF Mon
tana was in command of much small
er detachment.
81 was placed under General Custer,
and everything was in readiness for
the party to start when General Custer
came to me and said:
"'John. who is using this horseY
81 replied that l intended to use the
horse, to which he said that he wanted
the horse for a Chicago newspaper re-
porter. / insisted on using the horse.
when the general declared that he
would consider his men a poor lot IL
they would not know enough to take
care of their own saddles and harness
for five or six days. These were the
last words he spoke to me. l gave up
the horse to the reporter and was sent
to the boat under one of the captains
Of General Gibbs army Of scouts.
''The reporter did not return; neither
did any OF the men under General Gus
ter. All were killed in the massacre.
and with the exception OF the newspa-
per man and General Custer the men
were all scalped. The Indians had great
love for General Custer. and for that
reason it is believed that they they did
not scalp him. AS for the reporter.
they found the papers on his body and
were civilized enough to know that he
was not their enemy, but was courier
of news.
''The Fall West, the name of the
boat, made Its way up Big Horn and
then up the Little Big Horn until the
water became so shallow that 1t was
dangerous to attempt to 20 farther.
The boat was run ON to a sand bar, and
we camped there for several days. We
had nothing to eat but dry bread and
meat, and all of the men were growing
hungry. Before the captain was up
one morning l took down my gun and
started out for hunt. / had Just shot
three elk when l heard two reports
from guns in different directions.
made my way back to the boat, and the
men were almost panic stricken. The
news of the massacre had been receiv-
ed from some of General Reno's men.
81 would have been In the massacre
had ii not been for General Custer TAX
ing my horse and giving it to the re-
porter. After the massacre 1 was I'M
der General Gibbs. General Miles was
then assigned to succeed General Ter
ry. While I was out hunting one day
/ met General Miles, en- route to Ter
rvs camp. He was lost, and directed
him. We afterward became well ac-
quainted. Almost the first words spo-
ken to me by General Miles after we
were en- route to Terry's camp was to
request me to fix his boots. He said:
My great toe is sticking out of my
boot. Can you fix it? Sew 1t up with
any kind of leather. / am not partic-
ular.' fixed the generals boots with
red calf leather.
There is one remarkable occurrence
which happened that shall always re-
member. One of the Indians was shot
fifteen times, and all of the bullets re-
manned in his body. Five days after
the massacre he jumped upon the back
Of a horse and with the fifteen bullets
in his body rode to his home, a distance
Of 200 miles. minneapolis Tribune.