The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1907-02-08

OO VI Hio UldNCo WClO
dead he could not walk among them.
He killed 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
| 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
wounds his body showed. When he
was shot down not more than a dozen
men OF his command were living. In
a few minutes only a heap of slain
men and horses remained Then the
bowling squaws moved over the CORY
mound until nightfall, cutting off fling
ers TO get rings, cutting off 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 command
trotted over the same bluff and dis
covered the horrible scene.
They first found the severed head OF
cavalryman. A little farther on they
came To some bloody underclothing
STAN. Ded 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 a 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 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 went
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 Ranch
in Arizona. The story OF the noun
taineer will be read with thrilling in
terest in the letter written to Mr.. J.
NJ. Buckley. of Monroe, at his request
which is given below:
Mr.. Buckley was a close friend and
associate of Gen. Custer and has
traced every clue that promised in
formation regarding Clusters last ter
rlble tight. The story OF the Tennes
see man:
Dear Mr.. Bullley-WiH saw I lef
my shack on the Arkansas river in
the early spring of 1876 to hunt cat
tie in the hills of the Upper Yellow
stone river for the White Horse ranch
located on the southeast border OF
Arizona, near the ella river. In the
middle of the afternoon one day with
party of cowboys we ran into q
band OF Comanches returning from
thieving expedition in the Sioux
country with some ponies and a cap
tive. After a lively brush with then
in which no one was hurt we scattered
the ponies and rescued the captive
who proved TO be young son OF Sit
! ting Bull.
Against the protest of nv com
| panions, / took the young Indian anC
set out 10 restore him to his tribe
Just before shutdown of the third daN
we rode into the upper village of the
Sioux in the Big Horn valley. Wher
we reached the centcr of the village
the war cry rang out and | was quick
ly surrounded by yelling Indians.
wished then | had needed the advice
of my companions, but the boy KEEP
making signs and jabbering to the
warriors and they Gained down.
was still quaking from my experience
when tall. feathered Indian walked
up and took the boy in his arms
| asking him questions and pointing Il
me- Then he turned to me and said
How, how, white brother"
] learned then he was Sitting Bull
On June %, ! was with those In
dams when they killed Custer IaC
his men, | saw the entire battle
Reno had made detour to attack tn,
upper villages of the Sioux and driv,
them down the valley towards Gus
ter. but he was repulsed by Blacl
hog, and driven far back among tn,
hills. The Indians by some means
knew of the nature of the attack t.
be made on them, and Black Dos
called of all his warriors, excep
enough to keep Reno on the move, anC
took them down the valley to hell
Crazy Horse against Custer At tn,
lower village.
They feared Custer with tire,
companies more than Reno with seven
Just below the Awer village in
cedar thicket near the trail over 100
warriors went into ambush to avail
Custer. The last Indian had hardl,
crawled into the thicket when Gus
ter appeared trotting down the trail
When they arrived opposite the am
bush, the Indians fired on them
emptying many saddles and killing
number OF horses.
Battle Was Very Short.
I "ThQ whole oonnxnan1 49,. -.