The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-04-06
ONE OF CUSTER'S MEN.
Sole Survivor Of the Expedition Tells
of His Escape.

ONE Or Gus ER'S MEN.
Sole Survivor of the Expedition Tell
of His Escape.
John Thomas, the sole survivor o
General Clusters expedition up Bi
Horn, which was completely annihilat
ed by the Indians. is a resident Q
Minneapolis. He is tifty-eight year
old and lives at 25O1 Aldrich avenue.
After reading dispatch in the Trib
| une stating that William Mckee o
| that city claimed the honor of being tn
| Last white survivor of the MASSACRE
Mr.. Thomas talked interestingly of til,
events leading up to the massacre ant
those which followed.
II knew Mckee WE'LL" said Mr. Thorn
as. HE was not member Of Genera
Clusters expedition, but was in Gen
eral Reno's detachment. There was
but one person who escaped alive, ant
that was an Indian Of the name OF
Curley, who is now with the Buffa Il
Bill show. While was in the expedi
ton under command Of General Gus
ter, was not In the massacre 1t was
only by accident, however, that l was
not. When young man jsined the
Indian fighters under command of Gen
eral Terry.
my duty was that Of saddler
cared for all Of the harness, saddles
and sometimes made myself handy rs
8 shoemaker. With the other warriors
was supplied with a 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 a much small
er detachment.
II 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 horse?
Il replied that 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 if
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 a courier
of news.
'The Fall West, the name Of the
boat, made it's way up Big Horn. and
then up the Little Big Horn until the
water became so shallow that 1t was
dangerous to attempt to go farther
The boat was run on to 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 I'D
one morning took down my gun and
started out for q hunt. had just shot
three elk when / heard, two reports
from guns in different directions. T
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,
Il would have been In the massacre
had It not been for General Custer tax
Ing my horse and giving it to the re-
porter. After the massacre was un-
der General Gibbs. General Miles was
hen assigned to succeed General Ter
y. While l was out hunting one day
met General Miles, EN- route to Ter
Us camp. He was lost, and directed
Inn. We afterward became we'll &C.
1uainted. Almost the first words spo.
Een to me by General Miles after we
we're en- route 70 Terry's camp was to |
'equest me to Ak his boots. He said: |
My great toe Is sticking out OF my
,oot. Can yon tx it7 Sew it up with |
my kind Of leather. I am not partic- |
liar ! fixed the generals boots with
ed 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-
NAMED IL his body. Five days after
be massacre he Jumped upon the back
{ horse and with the fifteen bullets
his body rode to his home, distance
{ 400 miles. - Minneapolis Tribune.
A Dog Hitcling Post.
Every one has seen the dog that rides
ehind his master on horseback, and
he dog that leads the old blind man,
f1A <>nHS %HA& 4 1