The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1907-02-09

dead he could not walk among tnem.
He killed a man when he fell. He was
shot in the shoulder, and sat down. He
took his pistol In his other hand and
shot one of my young men. He was
shot again. Then he laughed"
"You mean he cried out?"
II said he laughed. He could not
shoot. He laughed and dropped his
pistol. Then he fell over. His hair
was not long. He was not scalped.
The squaws wanted his long hair, but
l forbade. He was a great chief"
All this corresponds to the well
known fact that Custer had parted
with his long locks some weeks be-
fore, and also to the number of
was shot down not more than a dozen
men Of his command were living. In
few minutes only heap of slain
men and horses remained Then the
bowling squaws moved sver the CORY
mound until nightfall, cutting of fing.
ers to get rings, cutting of the legs
of cavalry boots to get leather for
moccasin soles. and mutilating the
dead horribly.
Dead Lay Under Open Sky.
All that night and the next day and
until noon the day after the mass OF
dead men and animals lay under the
open sky, until Gen. Terry's comman
trotted over the same blur and dirt
covered the horrible scene.
They first found the severed head OF
a cavalryman. A little farther on they
came to some bloody underclothing
stamped with the name of Lieut.. Stur-
gis. Then they found the heap of the
slain, and the tired frontiersmen GOV.
cred their eyes.
Under the bodies of the last dozen
men who died they found Gen. Custer,
with peaceful smile on his lips. He
was buried on the field and afterwards
in West Point.
The only white man living who may
have been a witness to the massacre
has recently came forward to describe
1t. 1t was one j. w. Drane, of Peters
burg, Tenn, who states that he wen,
west In 1875 to avoid the consequences
Of dangerous feud in the mountain
districts where he lived, and engaged
IS hunter for the White Horse Rancf
In Arizona. The story of the noun
taineer will be read with thrilling in
terest In the letter written to Mr.. ]
M. Buckley. OF Monroe, at his request
which is given below:
Mr.. Buckley was close friend ant
associate Of Gen. Custer and ha,
traced every clue that promised in
formation regarding Clusters last ter
rible fight The story of the Tennes
see man:
Dear Mr.. Bulkley-Will say I lef
my shack on the Arkansas river II
the early spring of 1876 to hunt cat
tie In the hills Of the Upper Yellow
stone river for the White Horse rancl
located on the southeast border O
Arizona, near the ella river. In tn,
middle of the afternoon one day will
party of cowboys we ran into
band Of Comanches returning from
a thieving expedition in the Sfou.
country with some ponies and a car
tive. After a lively brush with then
In which no one was hurt we scattere,
the ponies and rescued the captive
who proved to be young son of Sit
ting Bull.
Against the protest of my com
panions, took the young Indian an,
set out to restore him to his tribe
Just before shutdown of the third da,
we rode into the upper village OF tn
Sioux in the Big Horn valley. Whel
we reached the center of the village
the war cry rang out and l was quick
ly surrounded by yelling Indians.
wished then l had needed the advic
OF my companions, but the boy KEEP
making signs and jabbering to tn
warriors and they Gained down.
was still quaking from my experience
when a tall. feathered Indian walke
up and took the boy in his arms
asking him questions and pointing t
me. Then he turned to me and said
! How, how, white brother"
| learned then he was Sitting Bull
ION June 25, / was with those In
dams when they killed Custer an
his men. saw the entire battle
Reno had made a detour to attack tn
upper villages of the Sioux and driv
them down the valley towards Gus
ter, but he was repulsed by Blac
Dog, and driven far back among tn
hills. The Indians by some mean
knew of the nature of the attack t
be made on them, and Black Do
called off all his warriors, excep
enough to keep Reno on the move, an
took them down the valley to hel
Crazy Horse against Custer at tn
lower village.
They feared Custer with tire
companies more than Reno with sever
Just below the lower village in
cedar thicket near the trail over 100
warriors went into ambush to awai
Custer. The last Indian had hardl
crawled into the thicket when Gu.
ter appeared trotting down the trai
When they arrived opposite the an
bush, the Indians fired on then
emptying many saddles and killing
number of horses.
Battle Was Very Short.
| THE whole command was throw