davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1906-11-04
Sole Survivor Of Custer Massacre Chops

May j at $50 n. m. Boots and saddles.
was sounded, and at a. m. stand horse
and mount Then We PASSED in review
and bade farewell 10 our friends and
though The band was playing The Girl
4 LeIt Behind Me IL seemed much like
a funeral procession. Later IL played
Clusters favorlte tune. 'Garrion. Afrer
leaving the post the march was taken
up In columns OF fours. route step. Cen
eral Terry and staff in front. followed
by General Custer and stan CMrs- Gus
ter rode on the left Of the generaD. That
day We made Little Heart river and
camped for the night After pitching
camp assembly was sounded Il was a
bugle) and we fell in for payment 1t
was pretty sober crowd. and every
body felt the position we were in. Some
made deposits Of their money, and I. for
one. put $50 with the paymaster. Next
morning general call was sounded at
$50 boots and saddles at 7. and we took
up the march again. But the paymaster
and poor Mrs. Custer went back to Fort
Abraham Lincoln, and il proved to be
the last farewell for her and the general 80
The diary naT.atcs several days of
tiTeless and ceaSeless marching and un-
der date of May - holds the following
Incident: I'VE eamped on the banks
of the Little Missionary In the pad
lands. and while at this place the chief
trunpeter detailed me as mounted or-
derby for headquarters. bat as il was
not my turn / refused 20 do the duty,
and after some words the chief trum-
peter had me tied up on the picket lines
Tor two hours tstrung up by the
thumbs). ! reported 1t TO my captain
who told General Custer. He sent for
me and said he would have II lnvesti-
gated as soon as we got back 10 quar-
ters."
More days of marching. with traces
of Sitting Bull and his terrible Sioux
everywhere evident. nll the next few
pages OF the diary and then comes the
advent into camp OF Bowyer. who finally
guided Custer TO the enemy.
HE came in and went TO General
Custer as soon as we would permit
saying: General, / give myself up
I am a deserter from Sitting Bull $
camp The general questioned him,
The Washington times., 1906-11-04
Took Drastic Mea, ures.

The road took these measures. Il
found that the practice Of providing
special detectives to cooperate with
county sheriTs in the capture OF the
robbers did not answer Hours. some
times DAYS. elapsed before the trail
could be taken, and frequently. the
robbers had by that time made good
their escape and disposed OF their
booty.
Then the road made the innovation
Of bandit hunting II decided that il
was useless to try 10 fight bandits on
the spot Of the hold-up. The odds
against the train guards were too
heavy, and even IL now and then "a
bandit was bagged, the remainder Of
the band. as a rule accomplished
their object what was necessary 10
cope with the situation was a perma-
nently organized. special. mounted
ranger force. kept on instant call. day
and night. like the fire companies in
our big cities Men Of experience. men
bred To fighting, men who would cover
the vast district from cheyenne west
ward through the Bad Lands OF
yomiHg-unendlng miles Of desert
and mountain sparsely settled, aud
fairly fostering with every degree OF
the most savage ouuawry.
The band wss not an imposing one
numerically, consisting Of only eight
men; but it formed a nucleus around
which large posse might be drawn
whenever neccssitv should call. Each
nan hod been tried again and again.
Each was absolutely fearless. Each
was a dead shot. Each possessed in-
innate knowledge Of the intricate ways
of the outlaws. Each knew every traiI
through the Pad Lends from one end
Of the belt 10 the other. Some of then,
The Washington times., 1906-11-04

we hogan the march which tGOk uu 10
the Iop OF high hin. from which we
saw an Of Sitting Bulls village. II
seemed deserted. as We would only see "a
rev squaws. papooses, ponies, and dogs.
t1his was the ruse mat Iured Custer
10 his fate FOR they were really ready
and waittrz for us) Custer thought the
Indians We're out buffalo hunting. and.
after a consultation. he addressed the
men sayiEg: Boys. have courage! BE
brave, and as soon as w get through
with these Indians We VIII go home 10
our winter station
How different from the thrilling
speeches history puts into the mouths
Of its generals!
Three cheers were given and the
march Gown the ravine began.
Here came the turning point in Mar
tins hfe-the luck of chance deciding
he should live-and il was Custer threw
the dice.
Calling to his adiutant. the general
told him to send dispatch to Benteen
and Reno. notifying them of the psoi-
tion at the front Adjutant Cook wrote
on a piece of paper. "Benteen. come
on, Big village, BE quick, Bring packs
tSigned) Cook, adj" General Custer
read it, then called for an orderly. one
man stepped CUT, but the general said :.
NO, no. the other man" So 1 stepped
oIt and was told TO ride as hard as /
could TO Bentten and report To Custer
again on Benteen's arrival. II was the
last word 4 ever heard the general
speak, but az the time I didn't know it,
Riding fast l soon reached the crest
Of the hill and looking back. / could
see that the Indians had already at
tackled and our boys were acting very
eXcitedly. / rested my horse on the
brow of the hin a minute and sat watch
ing the action in the distance. At the
time. L did not think il was The last
time any one OF those men would ever
be seen in life. Turning my horse
hurried away, and though my horse
was wounded and later ! had 10 Kill
him, l finally reached Benteen with the
message. / told him Custer was about
three miles distant, and had already at
lacked the Indians. Benteen hurried
The Washington times., 1906-11-04
ps Tickets for q Living in New York Subw

theH wanted TO hire him. but he said IL
WEs no use. cause Sitting Bull had
placed reward of 100 ponies on his
head. But the general toll him If they
tooS him they would have TO take us
all. ana not To bc afraid. lie then con-
sented 10 go. and after the contract
was made he said he would guide Us
10 Sitting Bull IN three or four days.
After this news spread through the
camp everyone looked gloomy. and
Colonel Keogh made his will"
Several days Of drearY. heart break
ing marches are recorded, with a hot
sun and dusty plains as constant
sources Of discomfort to the men Then
the diary proceeds to the events Just
preceding the engagement.
General Custer mounted his horse
at a m. June e3. and started up
the Rosebud, followed by two ser
geants; one carried the regimental
standard and the other the general S
headquarters flag. This was the sig
nal to mount. eve We're not allowed TO
sound the buglcs) Next day we pass
ed through many Indian camping
places. in one Of which we found the
scalp of white man. Here We halted,
one Of the scouts having reported the
discovery OF large fresh camp. About
h1S time the headquarters flag was
stuck I'm the ground but the wind blew
II down three times and many OF us be-
lieVed Il TO Toe a warning of disaster -
Cfhat prophecy came true only too well
and today the Seventh Calvary is known
as the "coiorless regiment" having lost
all its standards in the engagement OF
the Little Big Horu)
Referring TO the battle itself. which
took place next day. Martin writes:
The orders for the movement were:
Major Reno 10 march down the Little
Big Horn valley and charge everything
before him, keeping well 10 the left.
Colonel Renteens battalion was ordered
70 the left and front-to line Of high
bluffs about three or four miles dis
tgnt, and to attack all he came across
'Trumpeter Vose called back to me
to report as orderly 20 General Custer,
and although, again, IL was not my turn,
I did as ne commanded General Custer
told me 10 keep close behind him, and
The Washington times., 1906-11-04
4 Rattle of Six Shooters.

Even before the train comes TO a
standstn there is rattle of sN
shooters mingled with threats and
curses. You see flashes as flames leap
from steel muzzles through the dars-
ness The scFeech Of the steeI-nosed
bullets warns you TO lay low. For
moment you are bewildered. almost as
II paralyzed, and. if you know any
thing. you keep stIn. So does every
body else, from the passengers to the
trainmen. Each instant you wonder
what will happen IN the next. Then
you realize with a start Of relief that
IL Is not you at all but the money IN
the safe OF the express ear that the
men are after
In the express car. that travelling
arsenal OF siX-sh00ters and magazine
rifles. CONSERVATION reigns even as Il
does in the sleepers and the day
coaches The men In it know how to
fight they are hired and are instructed
10 fght-but they are at a dreadful
disadvantage. Fuslllades OF bullets
from unseen foes are ready 10 rake
the car AZ the first sign OF resistance
\ single stick OF dynamite hurled
against the car would blow every man
within to pieces without giving even
a sight of the hand that hurled the
dreadful charge. Surrender. or fight
unto death with odds OF ten to one
against them. is the alternative. Rare.
" the expressmen fight Within from
two to five mirutes Of the first screech
of the whistle the safe has been
broken open and the bandits are in
fun retreat.
The Washington times., 1906-11-04

was put to rout. and the mueh-loved
prince recaptlred.
After the dlsbanding OF Garibaldi ;
troops M-rtin returned TO his parents
and spent three years Of peace. until
i'm 1873 he was drafted into Victor
EmanueTs army. where he passed the
examination. but was finally rejected
because of the italian conscripuon law
which forhids the taking Of an only
son into the service. Disappointed al
his failure 10 get into the fray once
more, he turned his gaze To the West.
and took passage for This country as
an immigrant. enlisting in the cavalry
OF the United States, In 1874 From
that time until he was retired. in
1894, he was In continual service under
the Stars and Stripes. and IT is of that
period OF his life that he speaks with
the greatest pride and happiness.
His diary contains an accurate and
detailed account of his entire service.
and although he prizes Il next to the
saber on the wall of his little room land
more about that saber later. he per-
mitted its use for the purpose of veri-
flying the facts OF his story, and GER
tain extracts from IL will be Of interest
AZ thtlA bAlF AlNFl y NttN u ttlf- hRfeAt y
is keenly interesting. and only lack Of
space forbids its reproduction in full
Referring to the battle OF the Little
Big Horn and the incidents that led up
to IT, nothing can be more concise than
his Gown words. which are reproduced
here from his own entry:
I'VE are at Fort Abraham Lincoln.
Dakota Territory. and it was the first
time in years that the Seventh Cavalry
had been united. General Terry and
STAFF arrived and the general took COM
mand about the 18th OF Nav 1876.
General Custer came from Washing
ton. but did not have much to say. for
at that time he was in trouble with
General PRESIDENT Grant But he had
the spirit.
The troops for this expedition con-
sisted of twelve troops OF Seventh Cav
airy. four companies OF infantry, ten
or fifteen Indian scouts. and twenty-five
OF thirty civilians. We took the field
The Washington times., 1906-11-04

StTeet-sEAWay station as ticket chop
Ter, with the company Identification
"GateTa1 f-1tl"-the only way ne Is
DISTINGUISHED from his fellows But.
though re IS 'rty-trEse wears OF age. he
is STRAIGHT ard sturdy as ever. and rises
with a merry twinkle and a regulation
military salute for every one OF the
many patrons ot The subway who
know him personally. and who never
fail 10 stop for d minute with the old
veteran OF al least three active cam
paigns.
His room is modesuy furnished
many people would say poorls. Yet
John Martin would not like kings
ransom for some of the aruCl,5 that
decorate his walls one is his bugle-
il went through the entire th.rty years
with him-and another is a battered
and slightly tarnisaei sabre. whose
history lie gave me in somewhat these
words
When we were mustered out. after
Clusters diastcr. I'm 1879. we all turned
in our equipment. and I gave up every
thing except the bugle, which was my
own personal property. Twenty-one
years later I was s. Cuba during the
Spanish war when my sergeant called
me into his tent and said sc, n, you
were with Custer. I have "a relic from
his command. and Tam going TO give It
10 you Then he brought out this sa-
bre. and I took and looked at IL care
fully, and then OF tHe hilt up under
the handle, ! found my initials. J. D.
n. with the date. June 1876 where I
had scratched them with a nail years
ago. 1 was mighty glad TO get II back
and il VIII never have 10 be given us
again. II Clusters men had been carry
ing sabres that day, instead of just
Carbines and pistols. the story might
have been different"
4 slightly taTnished cornet hnr % on
posite the bugle. and Martin explained
that II had been the property OF a
Spanish bugler, who gave II to him
after peace vas declared because Mar
tin could play 1t better than its owner.
Among his other relics hangs a. pho
tOcraph OF General CUster-yellow- and
my with age and eNposure-taken IN
The Washington times., 1906-11-04
Rest That Money Could Buy.

Each % these men was presented
with horse. the best that money
could buy. Tall. Suunt, wiry Western
horses were used, animals that could
travel mile after mile in a swinging
lope and could continue this pace from
sunrise tiH sunset and stHI be IN con-
dition when. night came More, ar
rangements were made nj various
ranches 70 provide remounts whenever
these should be needed.
As FOR fre-arms. each man had his
own repeating rifle and his own six
shooters. weapons which more than
once had saved tie lives Of their own
The Washington times., 1906-11-04

MODEST man is John Martin.
n retired army veteran of thirty
~ years American service. and
the sole survivor Of the Custer
massacre of 1S76-uow passing his days
as a ticket chopper in the employ of the
ln-erboTough Railway Company in this
city, says "a writer in the New York
Eyening Post. 4 true soldier Of for
time, too, is Martin. iu spite Of the
fact that his hOuoTa bic discharge as
an artillery sergeant on three-quarJers
pay would indicate otherwise For
with the liEht of battle I'm his eye ne
declares that should war break out
once more he viii he In the ranks as
soon as he can get there. At the age
of hfJy-three he is stiu an active, clear
eyed man, whose strong face and per
feet poise clearly indicate the active
and perfect training he has had since
infancy,
Tie is Of italian birth. and the name
M4rtiu was originally Martini. Yet
the only possible way OF detecting the
fact is ia the slight Italian accent to
his English. Many a hard campaign
has he seen and many hard battle in
the various wars he has been through,
but 70 Is mainly hts connection with
custer tnlt is or interest, since the
diary he kept OF the events of that
campaign forms the only account. from
an eyewitness, of what happened
among the 2t6 men of Clusters division
who We're slausntered at the battle Of
the Little Big Horn
At the age of fourteen he ran away
from home and enlisted In Garibaldi.s
army as a drummer boy. remaining IN
the service four years until that gem
erals army was finally disbanded.
His diary in tLat period refers to the
battlc OF ''Vmafraut5-" which was
fought against the Austrians and In
which a fierce onslaught Of the enemy
made prisoner OF Prince Amadeo Of
italy. The news of the capture put
fury into the hot-biooded Garibaldians,
and such an onslaught was made as
no equal force cOJld hope to with
stand, with the result that the enemy
The Washington times., 1906-11-04

the engine, sharp and piercing come
the shrieks for down brakes" The
click and rhythm Of the on-rushing
wheels are checked. As the air-brakes
bite there is a squeal and a grind of
steel against steel Wheels locked.
the train stiffens and slides over the
rails as a boy slides over ice, The
engineer has sighted a red light. BY
tie glare OF the headlight he sees the
obstruction beyond, From the first
le is helpless. He knows chat trap
has been set Desperate men. bent
on murder. are in waiting TO dis
regard the lantern means certain de-
struotion. He must stop and deliver
his train.
The Washington times., 1906-11-04

the rangers horses. a car used as an
arsenal for the storing OF arms and
ammunition. and "a comfortable sleep
ing car.
Thes- cars are hauled by the swift
est engine on the road and, once the
alarm has been given, the track IS
thrown onen TO IT,
The results have justified the road in
going to She expense Of keeping ard
equippiug q regular bandit-huuung
train.
The Washington times., 1906-11-04

Hnuu lue WoISl typo "
Western bandit, the train
robber. is a possession the
Union Pacific Railroad Com
pany jealously guards.
It is a unique engine of warfare
primitive. and yet fitted mp with
an the modern appliances for deal
ing death. 1t has been found hy
the railroad officials II be more rife
fective than county sherifs, more ter
rffyi~g uhan the offer of large rewards
for the capture of the bandits. and a
more -gacdy means of wreakins ven
eearc, on the thieves than any other
method of bandit hunting yet con
trived.
So well has this train been used that
the road is seldom. if ever. bothered
ny train robbers in these days. So
often has fl rushed across the great
American Desert TO the wild lands of
Wyoming. carrying a band Of expert
bandit hunters, that those who pom
der on the advIsabnity OF seeking
treasure in the express cars hesitate
and, as a rule. shrink from the under
taking in terror.
Omcials OF the road now make the
proud boast that there are no train
robbers along its line. They are in
the penitenuaries or the cemeteries"
But the train stands ever in readi-
ness in case there should be need OF
the rangers hired TO hunt the ban
dts. In case there should ever be done
deed of robbery calling for the
avcnging bark of the rifle.
This. train came into existence in the
comparatively early days of railroad
ing. Then. as now. the greatest prob
lem the roads had to deal with was
how 10 preserve the money and valu-
ables IN its express cars. how to carry
TO its destination safely the wealth in
trusted TO the care of the company. To
estimate the danger caused by a sen
sat!oual train robbery is well-nigh i'm
possible. because often the indirect
losses following a hold-up are greater
than the booty actually secured by
the plnasers OF trains.
For months following a train rob
berry. the business of the road is stag
mated. The confidence Of the travel
ing public IS shaken; hundreds of
passengers abandon their Journeys or
turn their fares into the Golfers Of rival
companies.
The ordeal OF a hold-up is some
thing that must be experienced TO be
appreciated: The night is dark as
pitch. the train rumbliug and groan-
ing and the wheels moaning as they
reel of swift miles and annihilate
distance. Like the other passengers.
you are asleep IN your berth The
lights are turned low for the night
ard all Is peace and quiet. Suddenly,
without an nstants warning, from
The Washington times., 1906-11-04

had been Indian scouts In the early
days or the West and had done val
uable service. Taking them together
they formed one ofthe most efficient
fighting forces that could have assem-
bled. even in the West.
The Washington times., 1906-11-04
BA|VDV'V

Wyoming. have become known the
world over as the haunts OF thieves.
train robbers. and general bad men,"
Throughout this country, towns were
once few and far between. The lone
~ ranch house. the home of the ranch
er and a few cowboys or sheepherders.
comprised about all the civilization. of
which the region could boast. These
few men feared 70 inform the authori-
lies as to the whereabouts Of the des-
peradoes. for the reason that friends
OF the outlaws always remembered
the raneher after the officers had left
tho country.
In the year 1895. when the Union Pa
cifc rebuilt almost it's entire stretch
OF track. especially that running ali
through Wyoming. IT employed in the
work Of grading and excavation about
5000 men, who were IN many instances
of the toughest class, toughs and des-
peradoes being found in the number.
To the usual riff-raff OF the ordinary
Western camp Was added a small
army Of city toughs.
These in some cases were ready re-
cruits TO the Western bad men" in
the waste lands of Wyoming. and the
sequel could be only additional trou-
The Washington times., 1906-11-04

BILE for the road unless heroic meas
ures We're adopted To prevent such
calamity
The Washington times., 1906-11-04

ers to which each man had become
accustomed and which they used with
telling effect in an emergency.
The special train. the bandit hunt
ing train was then provided for these
men who, IfIIe soldiers OF fortune. risk
their lives in making war for money
The train consists Of a stock car for
The Washington times., 1906-11-04
By JAMES HAY, JR.

y arsenal on wheels. a train
equipped solely for warning
upon the worst type of
q Western bandit, the train
robber. is a possession the
Union Pacific Railroad COM
The copper era., 1906-05-17
Butte Copper Output.

The output of copper from the
Butte mines during April aggregated
%, ,5OO,OOO pounds, the quantity being
divided as follows: Washoe plant,
1S,OOO,OOO; Red Metal, 100000 Bos-
ton & Montana in Great Falls, 7,5OO,-
900; Clark's Reduction, 1000, 900.
North Butte's output is figured with
that of the Washoe; in fact, the pro-
duction of the latter takes in all of
the companies and individuals ship
ping to that plant. 1t receives more
than 100 tons daily from the Raven.
100 from the Pittsburg, so from the
East Butte, between 200 and 300 from
the Clark mines, 35 from the Bertha
mine and about 200 from other
sources other than the Anaconda,
Washoe, Parrot, Trenton and Butte
& Boston companies of the Amalga-
mated and the production of the
North Butte. May will be a record
breaker if nothing happens.
The copper era., 1906-05-17
Kelvin Center of Brisk Mining
Activity,

A correspondent of the Florence
Blade, writing from Kelvin, says: ga
tide of prosperity and progress is
certainly flowing this way. A num-
ber of eastern capitalists represent
ing big syndicates have representa-
tives here arranging for the consoli-
dation of several properties and
prospects. Quiet and mysterious ex-
perts and mining men who do not let
their left hand know what their
right hand doeth are here, and out
in hills in every direction. And
while there may not be an earth
quake here, yet all signs point out
that there will be something doing
in Kelvin soon.
The diamond drill crowd arrived
last week for extensive work at the
Ray mines. Several big teams came
in from Mesa to haul ore to the rail
road, where many cars are to be
loaded for shipment to the Humboldt
smelter. Messrs. Elder and Mellin
are also getting several carloads of
ore ready for shipment.
The Ray Copper company have re-
paired their telephone system from
here to the Ray mines, and Tillman
and Mcintyre, practical mine ex-
perts, have for months been sampling
some of the great ore bodies known
to exist in the Ray company's very
extensive and valuable property,
which is being brought to the front
through the very efficient manage
ment of j. M. Gordon, who has sue
ceeded in bringing order out of chaos
and confusion.
The copper era., 1906-05-17

That the blowing in of the Hum
boldt smelter has awakened the min
ing industry in northern Arizona,
perhaps beyond the comprehension
of some old time residents, is appar-
ent in almost every mining district
in Yavapai county, from the number
of prospects that are being devel-
oped and the old time producers of
early days upon which work is being
resumed, says the Journal-Miner.
Even in isolated sections a consider
able distance from railroad COM
munication new spirit of progress
is in evidence backed by confidence
and push which invariably leads to
success. A car load of copper has
been shipped from the new plant to
the New Jersey refneries and the
management anticipates that within
a very short time shipments will be
of daily occurrence.