The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-08-27

Z lQh1 1QS44 cA4AAs4 ~ 49,. z. 5777
died Ia that first awful minute o. con.
sternation, and tie little column
seemed to shrfyel away as II consurl.
I'd by the flame which struck It, front
and flank and rear. twas as II those
men had ridden into the mouth Of
he'll
Yet It was scarcely for more than .
minute. Men trained, strong. clear Of
brain. were in those stricken lines
men who had seen Indian battle be:
fore. The recoil came. swift as had
been the surprise. Voice after voice
rang out old familiar orders. steady.
Tag instantly the startled nerves; dis
cipline conquered disorder, and the
shattered column rolled out, as Il by
magic, into the semblance Of q battle
line.
II was magnifceutly done. Custer
and his troop commanders brought
their soreIy smitten men into a posi-.
ton Of defense, even hurled them
cheering forward in short, swift
charges, so as to clear the front and
gain room in which to deploy. Out Of
confusion emerged discipline, conf.
dence, esprit de corps,
Safe beyond the range Of the troop
ers' light carbInes, the Indians, with
.helr heavier rifles, kept hurting a
constant storm OF lead. hugging the
gullIes, and spreading out until there
was no rear toward which the harass.
ed cayalrymen could turn for safety.
One by one, continually under a heavy
fire the scattered troops we're form
ed into something more nearly re-
sembling a battle line Calhoun on
the left, then Keogh, Smith and
Yates, with Tom Custer holding the
extreme right Thus they waited grim
II for the next assault
Nor was it long delayed. Scarcely
had the troopers recovered, redlled
their depleted cartridge belts from
those Of their dead comrades, when
the onslaught came. The soldiers
waited their coming. The short,
brown-barrelled carbines cleaned. at
the level in the sunlight, and then
beIched forth their message OF fame
into the very faces Of those reckless
horsemen. 1t was not in flesh and
blood to bear such a blow. With
screams of rage. the red braves.
sweryed to left and right, leaving
many a dark, war.bedecked figure ~
ing dead behind them, and many q
riderless pony skurrying over the
prairie. Exultant over their seeming.
II successful repulse, the men flung
themselves again upon the earth,
their cheers ringing out above the
thud Of retreating hoofs.
I'VE can hold them here, boys, until
Reno comes" they shouted to each
other.
The skuIking red rthemen crept
ever closer behind the ridges, driving
their deadly missiles into those ranks
exposed IN the open To the command
Of the bugle they discharged two
roaring yolleyB from their carbines,
hopeful that rhe combined sound
might reach the ears OF the tagging
Reno. They were hopeful yet, al
though one troop had only sergeant
left in command. and the dead bodies
Of their comrades streWed the plain.
II vas -four o'cloek. For two long
hours they bad been engaged in cease
less struggle, and nov barely . hun
dred men, smoke begrimed, thirsty,
bleeding. bah their carbines empty,
they sttH formed IN impenetrabIe ring
around their chiei. The struggle was
oyer. ind they realized the fact,
When that wave Of savage horsemen
swept forth again it.vould be to ride
them down. to crush them under their
horses pounding boots.
Like q whirlWind those red demons
came-howling wolves, now certain Of
their prey. On both TANKS Of the
short. slender line struck Gall and
Crazy Horse, while HE a thunderbolt
Crow.Ktng and RainIn.the-Face at
tackled the center. These three storms
converged. at the foot Of the hill
crushing the little band Of troopers.
With ammunition gone, the helpless
victims could meet that mighty on
rushing torrent only with dubbed
! enns for one instant Of desperate
struggle. Shoulder to shoulder, in
eyercoutracting circle, oncers and
men stood shielding their commander
to the last. Twenty or 80 made de
spalring dash, in a vain endeavor to
burst through the red enyeloping
lines only to be tonahawked or shot;
but the most remained, a thin strug'
Cling ring, With Custer in its center.
Then came the inevitable end. The
red waves surged completely across
| the crest, no white man left alive
mon the field. They had fought a
good fight; they had kept the faith
Two days later, having relieved
| Reno from his unpleasant predica'
meut in the valley, Terry's and Glib
| bons's infantry tramped mp the ravtne,
| and emerged upon the stricken field.
In lines OF motionIess dead they read
| the fearfr story; aud there they
! found that man we know. Lying upon
a bed Of empted cartridge shells, his
! body riddled with shot and mutilated
with knives, his clothing torn to rags,
his hands grasped a smashed and