The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-29
SOLE SURVIVOR OF
THE CUSTER MASSACRE
Bualer Martin Who Brought Assistance the Critical
Moment Is a "Ticket Chopper" for New York Subway.
Special Correspondence Of The Journal.

SPo~A0A SNA@~SFSAH~SAAS~
NJ EW YORK.. July 26.-The only
IN survivor Of the great Custer
= massacre Of June 25, 1876, IS
ticket chopper, at the 1880 street STA
of the thousands who daily pass in and
out of that station know that the mod
est looking little man who mechanically
raises and lowers the lever OF the glass
topped ticket receptacle is the one man
out of force Of nearly 700 who lives
to tell the story Of that last brave stand
Of Chief Yellow Hair and his devoted
men against force Of Indians ten
times their number led by the blood
thirsty Sitting Bull.
The ticket chopper is John Martin, or
"Bugler' Martin, as he was called dur
ing the twenty-eight Of the thirty years
he served in the. regular army. A tribe
under medium height, with clear. brown
eyes, iron gray hair and short.cropped
mustaehe, he does not look his So years
by half a score. Nor is there anything
about Martin to suggest long service
in the army save two small emblems
pinned to the lapel Of his coat. One
is the blue and bronze badge of the
Army and Navy union and the other
the two letters in brass, GU. s. "
Cleared General Reno
Since taking his position on tho sub
way Martin has missed but one day Of
service, says the Press. That was June
IS last, when he was honored by call
to West Point, there to sound '.taps'
at the grave Of his brave commander,
George Armstrong Custer, who met
death at the head Of his handful Of
men on that bloody day thirty years
ago the Little Big Horn valley of Mon
tana Most cherished among his posses
- MI .oi-rr1 n dor.
eral W. T. Sherman, stating officially
that John Martin was the sole survivor
of that memorable massacre. Most
knowledge that his testimony cleared
Major Reno Of the ugly charges SUBJ
sequently brought against that officer
for his conduct in failing to respond
to Custer's appeal for help in fighting
off the savage horde against which he
was opposed.
Martin IS life hung upon period Of
command Of Major Reno up to the day
before the battle. Scouts had brought
word to- General Custer of the Indian
encampment on the Little Big Horn
river. Their forces were represented to
be Of such a number that the dashing
commander determined to attack them
from two sides and literally crush the
and Captain Beeton were directed to at
tack from the rear, while Custer should
head them off in the supposed fight,
which would follow. It was then that
Martin was ordered to report for or
ders to General Custer, Major Reno hay
ing no immediate need for his services.
The rest is known in history. Reno
by superior numbers. The crafty Sitting
Bull had SO disposed Of his men as to
make them appear less numerous than
Custer scouts had supposed. They
seemed to spring up from the ground
and Custer and his men fell back, fight
ing for every inch of ground; Seeing
m nl aBuglerU Martin, who had been
doing his share Of the fighting.
Rode for Assistance.
"Ride for your life to Major Reno,
and tell him to bring up his men at
once!0 was the general g order.
horse and started, making wide de-
/ tented themselves with firing a few
desultory shots after him. They had
better game in front.
It was only three miles to Reno 8
forces, whittier they had retreated s. from 70 y
order and the troop started to reJoln
i the main body. They were obliged to
go by roundabout way, owing to the
hostiles between them and the men they
were sent to rescue. In trying to make
a short cut he struck an impossible
road and when the command reached
the spot where Custer had been making
/ his last stand the only living thing to
be seen was the generals famous
charger, Comanche, and even the brave
horse had nine bullets in its body. It
was IL o clock in the morning when
Martin rode away from the spot. It
/ was five minutes to 10 when he re-
turned. Yet in that time every man in
Clusters command, nearly 700 IN all,
had gone to his death on that Mon
tana hillside.
Under ordinary circumstances this
would have been the end Of mere
troopers connection with such an en-
gagement, except for the official rec
4 ords Of the case. But there was scan
! dial over the battle and charges were
brought against Major Reno. A court