The Irish standard., 1908-08-01
HOW DIo CUSTER pIE?.
Slain by Savages or Did He Die
by His Own Hand2
The Memorable Battle of the
Big Horn Recalled.

III lIidl IHeIQOrdOle Odltle OF lIle Dig
Horn. at which he and his entire COM
mand We're wiped out by the Sioux
under Crazy Horse and Chief Gall on
June rs, 1876?
Was he killed by the savages, sur
rounded on that little mound, with his
brother Tom Custer, and others, or
did he commit suicide?
The latter theory is accredited os
the actual fact by Captain George E.
Bartlett, the famous rifle SHOT, now
in Los Angeles, giving shooting ex-
hibitions
Captain Bartlett lived with the
Sioux Indians until almost grown to
manhood, and when he was 10 wears OF
age he was able to talk better in the
Indian tongue than in English. He
was a Government scout and captain
OF the Indian police, and It was in
front of his trading store that the bat
tie of Wounded Knee took place or
that morning of December 20. 1899,
where over 400 Indians and 40 troop
ers lost their lives
Speaking of the Custer fight. Can.
tain Bartlett says:
Il have talked with numbers of che
Sioux who took part in the Custer
fight, and they all tell me that Custer
was not killed on the field of battle,
but that he rode away from the bat
tlefield, and while being pursued ny
the savages drew pistol and shot
himself through the head while he vas
in the saddle, in spite of the fact that
he was leaving his pursuers behind
II find upon investigation that Gus
ter was ordered to appear before a
court-martial after his last battle,
previous to the memorable massacre
He had been guilty of misconduct. and
was. eager to make a good showing
before leaving the Indian country. and
by SO doing minimize the possibilities
Of punishment. He realized that TIE
greatest act he could do was to end
the Sioux war by discriminating such
leaders as Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse,
Rain in-theFace and others.
I'VE all know What a terrible fall
ure was the result, and the Indians
with whom I have talked, and who
participated in the battle. tell me that
had there been five times the number
of soldiers that Custer had with him
they would have been annihila.cd.
Clusters command numbered 265 men
every one of whom was killed, while
the fighting force of the Indians mum
bered Something like 5000 Warriors
all armed With the latest style of re-
peating rifles - ''-''+
Custer. in his eagerness for a rec.
ord, overlooked MANY things and a2-
peared to think only Of himself. The
Indians were too much for his small
party. They knew hours before tn.
attack just what Clusters plans were
and they naturally prepared themselves
with strong defense.
How was Custer killed? Thic +,
the question which have often heard
asked. Some claim that Rain the
Face had the honor. such as it vas
but my investigations all point to the
fact that Custer died by his own
hand rather than fall into the hands
of the savages
LAS the story was told me, it was
something like this: Custer divided
his forces with Reno, near the Little
Big Horn river, in Montana. The tive
divisions parted at Rosebud Creek. the
idea being to hem in the Indians. Gus.
ter's route behind the bluffs and dowr
the river bed was longer than tina, d
Reno. 1t was, therefore some little
time after Reno had been pursued t.
the top of the BLUFFS that Custer an.
peared on the scene with his detach.
ment. surprising the Indians. The lat
ter believed the detachment was tn,
same as that which had been left I'm.
der guard with their young warriors
penned in the bluffs.
AS for Custer, he probably neve
knew of the engagement which the In
dams had with Reno and Els con-
mand and the defeat which had re.
suited to the white men by the en-
sagement, the bluffs having cut of
both sight and sound of the engage
ment.
| Custer bravely attacked the In
dams, expecting every moment to b
reinforced by Reno's command H
seemed fearless, despite the fact thu
ne could see the Indian tepees extend
ing down the valley for distance o
three miles. He did not know ira
the Indians, to deceive him. had file
the tepees with young bucks to thei
capacity. ~
| About 2 O'clock In the morning Cue