Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-03-08

.Llttle Big HORN, ana Chat he had NO
other intention than to follow the or
ders of Gen. Terry, given just be-
fore he started on the EXPEDITION
from Fort Lincoln, not to bring on a
general engagement with the Sioux
until he, Terry, could join forces
with him few days later. Many
critics of the battle and its results
declare that Custer, when his scouts.
discovered the Sioux camp, was not
informed by his scouts as to the
strength of the enemy and that he
was not aware that a big body OF
Northern Cheyennes, whose wonder
full fighting men had joined the
Sioux only few days before, swollen
with pride at the victory they had
gained over that splendid soldier,
Gen. George B. Cook, at, Tongue
river, only few days before.
When Custer struck the Sioux, Sit
ting Bull, who was in supreme COM
mand, was three miles up the valley
making medicine" and did not COM
mand the battle at all, the command
being taken by Gall, one of the
greatest war chiefs the Sioux ever
possessed. Custer, finding that fuI-
1y three thousand Sioux Warriors
were in the camp, added to the large
force Of Northern Cheyennes, sought
to retreat. Gall had attacked Reno
at about the time that Custer be-
came engaged, and after killing
many of Reno's men and frightening
that officer to such an extent that
he threw away his side arms and
three times gave the order to mount
and then to dismount, turned his at
tention to Custer, and ordered Chief
Two Moons, who is today living on
the Northern Cheyenne agency some
sixty miles from the present Crow
agency, to take 900 Cheyennes and
by passing up gully or 'coulee,"
as it is called in Montana, attack
Custer in the rear, which he did,
later killing Capt. Keogh with his
men,
Why the Indian
Scouts Missed the Fight.
It has long been the impression
that Curly, Grow scout; who was.
with Custer, is the only survivor of,
the battle who took part in it ON the,
American side. The fact is that
Curly was never in the fight, accord
ing to statements made to me at the
| Crow agency.
Three other Grow scouts were
| with Custer in addition to Curly:
| Hairy Moccasin, Man That Goes
Ahead, Bull Plenty. None of these
men were in the fight for the reason
l that, according to Indian custom,
scouts when engaged for scouting
purposes by troops provide only to
lead them to the enemy and when
the fighting commences they are
privileged to do as they please, which
/ means to steal the horses of the en-
envy, horses representing an Indians
wealth among his tribe.
When the fighting began on the
Little Big Horn the four Crows pre-
| pared to steal Sioux horses, but the
fight became SO hot that they sought
to escape and succeeded. They are
all now living near the Crow agency.
The Sioux and Cheyennes admit
that Custer fought like demon NE
til the end. The Sioux were anxious
on finishing him, for he was evident
of torturing him, but the Cheyennes,
who feared him more than any other
American soldier living, insisted up
on finishing him, far he was evident
! ly determined not to be captured
alive. The admiration which they
held for q his bravery is proved by
the fact that he was not scaIped
nor his body otherwise mutilated-
! The bodies of the other men Killed
in the fight, soldiers and civilians,
were so badly mutiliated, it is said,
that the actual conditions have never
been printed in private official re-
ports to the war department, so in
expressie we're they When Gen.
Terry's column arrived on the sesne
day or two after the battle The
officers and men were horrifed at
the sights they beheld
And now the proper authorities
seemingly care not enough for The
memory Of those who died that NE
government might live to keep she
spots where they fell from belAg
defled by the relic hunters
Lestswe forget
THE Ininpos<ant want a.. did NOT
get in this mornings Tribune aaa II
10 not ordered for tomorrow, either,
Nine out OF ten Want ada. are Mnsss
fAaAlnnL ara orsf ~ &Sv, sasjls as,Aess -,