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

'iCdthiSHl lIOln IItSiucul Oldhl, anu
may have decided to strike a sensa-
tional blow to restore himself to IA
yor. With him was Col Reno.
In Sight of Indian Village.
Trotting up a hill one Sunday morn
ing he saw the big Indian village he
had been seeking. He estimated their
number at 5000, half of whom were
warriors. With him were less than 500
men. He dispatched Col. Reno by a
circuitous route to head off their
fight, for the Indians were racing
whole regiments of ponies and raising
thick cloud of dust to give Custer
the impression they were running
away.
The Indians first engaged Reno, but
finding him so easily handled, they left
handful of warriors and lot OF
bowling squaws to keep him at bay,
while 5000 of them assailed Chief
Long Hair, as the Indians loved to
call Custer in token of his golden
ringlets and his dashing fighting quail
tiles.
Then followed a massacre and eXhi-
bitfon of bravery that Mortified and
astounded the world. and raised the
name of Custer. Michigans soldier,
above the power of time to mutate.
Let the story of the battle be told
by two chiefs, for no white man gre
he whose story is given further along,
lived to tell the tale. Thus Rain-in-
the-Face-a chief who fought in the
battle 1.-TWO years before the battle
an Indian maiden dared him to ride
A I Ia 81
soldier and bring her back his brass
buttons for her shawl. In spite of the
tremendous difficulties in the way
he did. and the next winter he was
arrested by Capt Tom Custer, the
generals brother.
Il told Little Hair Capt. Tom Gus
teri that | would get away, and when
| did | would cut his heart out and
eat it." Is the way Rain-in-the-Face
perfacsf his story.
(See Richard Roberts revision OF
this.)
ugh, when we met. their guns
wouldn't work, so We saved our bull
lets and used war clubs. 1t was just
like killing sheep. / had band OF
Uncapapas. When the Long Swords
came In sight we knew their ponies
were tired out. We saw them trotting
along, and let them come over the
bluff. Then we showed our long line
of young men and the Long Swords
charged. Our young men had crept
behind them and fired. Then | saw
the Long Sword chiefs talking and
pointing. We heard the Rees scouts
singing their death song-they knew
we had them.
The Long Swords Dsmount.
"All the Long Swords dismounted
and every fourth man held the ponies
Then we closed around them. We
shot the pony-holders and stampedet
the ponies by waving our blankets in
their faces. Our squaws caught then
for they were tired out. | had suns
the war song. | had smelt the povdel
smoke, my heart was bad. l was like
one who had no mind. took my wa
club and Drained the Long Swords
fagman. His blood and brains splash
ed in my face. 1t felt hot and ran II
my mouth. | could taste it. / was
mad.
Just then l saw Little Hair. I re
membered my vow. / was crazy;
feared nothing l knew nothing would
hurt me. for / had my white wease
charm on. l don't know how many
killed trying to get at Little Hair. HI
knew me. laughed at him and yelled
at him.
81 saw his mouth move. but the
noise did not let me hear him HI
was afraid When | got near enough
shot him with my revolver. l leapeC
from my pony and cut out his heart
! bit a piece out of il and spit 1t IL
his face. Then | got sick of fight
| ing"
This is only part of the story o
I Rain-in-the-Face, and he was only on,
of the 1000 devils Custer and hi
handful of men met that blazing Sun
day noon.
Sitting Bull was the chief who mad,
the medicine" for the big fight ant
who directed the strategy of the bat
| tie. The chief opened his discours,
with this tribute:
"Long Hair" a Great Chief.
"The Long Hair (Gen. Custerl hi
was a great chief. He led his war
riors:
What happened? He'll mean ,
thousand devils. The squaws wer,
like flying birds The bullets wer,
like humming bees. But the Ions
Hair braves were like trees tina
tremble. They trembled when they go
of their ponies. They were too tired
Some of them staggered under tn,
weight of their guns. They began t.
fight at once. They fought so bravel!
/ thought we were beaten and or
dered the sQuaws to take down tn,
lodges. But my braves were lik'
devils and began to run around then
In circles. Then / saw they wer,
weak and half of them killed.
mo towards on other side-ugh
All died on foot. Chief Long Hal
was not on his pony. He stood like {;
sheaf of corn with all the ears falleI
around him. Only few stood will