Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-04-08
ONE OF CUSTER'S MEN.
Sole Survivor of the Expedition Tells
Of His Escape.

Sole Survivor of the Expedition Tells
of His Escape.
John Thomas, the sole survivor OF
General Clusters expedition up Big
Horn, which was completely annihilat-
ed by the Indians, is a resident or
Minneapolis. He is ffty-eight years
old and lives at 2501 Aldrich avenue.
After reading a dispatch In the Trib-
une stating that William Mckee OK
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 WELL" said Mr.. Thom-
as. "He was not a member OF General
Custer's expedition, but was In Cen
eral Reno's detachment. There was
but one person who escaped alive ana
that was an Indian of the name or
Curley, who is now with the Bunaio
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 was
not. When young man L joined tne
Indian fighters under command Of Gen
eral Terry.
INV duty was that Of saddler.
cared for all of the harness, saddles
and sometimes made myself handy as
q shoemaker. With the other warriors,
was supplied with horse. About a
week before the massacre the entire
.expedition was camped on Tongue riy-
er General Terry decided that the
forces were to be divided, and 66o men
were placed under the command or
General Reno. General Gibbs Of Mon
tana was in command Of much small
er detachment.
~ was placed under General Custer,
and everything was in readiness 1or
, the party to start when General Custer
came to me and said:
"John, who is using this horseE
~ 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 q poor lot II
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 bis 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 go farther
The boat was run on to a sand bar, and
we camped there for several days. VIC
had nothing to eat but dry bread and
meat, and all of the men were growing
hungry. Before the captain was uT
one morning I took down my gun anc
, started out for hunt. had just sho'
/ three elk when l heard two reports
! from guns in different directions.
, made my way back to the boat, and th'
men were almost panic stricken. Th'
news of the massacre had been receiv
( ed from some of General Reno's men.
: "I would have been In the massacr'
had il not been for General Custer tax
ing my horse and giving it to the re
> porter. After the massacre l was un
b der General Gibbs. General Miles wa
q then assigned to succeed General Tel
e ry. While I was out hunting one da,
o | met General Miles, en- route to Tel
:. rvs camp. He was lost, and directe
him. We afterward became well at
ouainted. Almost the first words spC
ken to me by General. Miles after W
q were en- route to Terry's camp was I
1 request me to fix his boots. He said
e My great toe is sticking out of m m
q boot. Can you fix It? Sew 1t up VIII
= any kind of leather. I am not parti'
4 ular.' | fixed the generals boots wit
red calf leather
d There is one remarkable occurren'
|, which happened that I shall always r.
) member. One Of the Indians was she
r fifteen times, and all Of the bullets r
! mained in his body. Five days aft'
d the massacre he jumped upon the bac
g Of a horse and with the fifteen bulle
K in his body rode to his home, distan'
NJ 900 miles. s."-Minneapolis Tribune.
The Man Behind the Gun.