The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1906-02-10

were begging piteously for it. The
tongues of the men were swollen and
their lips parched, and from lack of
rest they were almost exhausted. So
bold attempt was made for water. Men
volunteered to 60 with canteens and
camp kettles, though to 60 was almost
certain death. The attempt succeeded,
though in making it one man was killed
and several wounded. The men were
relieved and that night the horses were
watered. The fight closed at dark, open
ing again next morning, and continuing
until the afternoon Of the 27th. Mean
time the men became more and more
exhausted and all wondered what had
become of Custer. A panic all at once
was created among the Indians and they
stampeded from the hills and from the
valleys, and the village was soon de-
serted. Reno and his brave band felt that
succor was nigh.
Gen. Terry came in sight and strong
men wept upon each others necks, but
no word was had from Custer. Hand
shaking and congratulations were scarce.
ly over when Lieut.. Bradley reported
that he had found Custer dead, with one
hundred and ninety cavalrymen. 1ma-
gine the effect! Words cannot picture
the feeling of these, his comrades and
soldiers. Gen. Terry sought the spot
and found it to be too true Of those
brave men that followed Custer, all per-
ished; no one lives to tell the story Of
the battle. Those deployed as skirmish
ers lay as they fell, shot down from every
side, having been entirely surrounded in
an open plain.
The men in the companies fell in pla-
toons, and like those on the skirmish
line, lay as they fell, with their officers
behind them in their proper positions.
Gen. Custer, who was shot through the
head and body. seemed to have been
am ing the last to fall, and around and
near him lay the bodies of Col. Tom and
Boston, his brothers, Col. Calhoun, his
brother-in law, and his nephew, young
Reed, who insisted on accompanying the
expedition for pleasure, Col. Cook and
the members of the non-commissioned
staff, all dead-all stripped of their
clothing and many of them with bodies
horribly mutilated. The squaws seem
to have passed over the field and crushed
the skulls of the wounded and dying
with stones and clubs.
The officers who fell were as follows:
Gen. G. A. Custer, Coils. George Yates.
Miles Keogh, James Calhoun, W. w.
Cook, Capts. Mcintosh, A. E. Smith.
Lieutenants Riley, Critenden, Sturgis,
Harrington. Hodgson and Porter, Asst.
Surgeon DeWolf. The only citizens
killed were Boston Custer, Mr.. Reed.
Charles Reynolds, lsiah, the interpreter
from Fl. Rice, and Mark Kellogg, the
latter the Tribune's correspondent. The
body of Kellogg alone remained un.
stripped of its clothing, and was not
mutilated. The wounded were sent tc
the rear some fourteen miles on horse
litters, striking the Far West sixty ode
miles up the Big Horn, which point they
left on Monday, July 3, at noon, reaching
Bismarck, nine hundred miles distant, a,
II p. m, Wednesday, July 5.
The Indians numbered at least eigh
teen hundred lodges in their permanent
camp, while those who fought Crook
seem to have joined them, making theil
effective fighting force nearly four thou
sand.
The Indian dead were great in mum
Der, as they were constantly assaulting
an inferior force. The camp had the
appearance Of being abandoned in haste
The most gorgeous ornaments were
found on the bodies of the dead chiefs
and hundreds of finely dressed anc
painted robes and skins were thrown
about the camp. The Indians were
certainly severely punished.
We said that none of those who wen
into the battle with Custer are living
one Crow scout hid himself in the felc
and witnessed and survived the fight