The Washington herald., 1908-04-26
Vandals' Work on Custer's
Battlefield.
WOOD CROSS WHERE HE FELL
Souvenir Hunters Have Plundered
the National Cemetery on the Lit
tie Big Horn River Thoroughly.
stones over the Leaders Grave
Have Been Thrice Carried Away.
Lest we forEetl~

more properly classified as due 10 either
oarelessness. heedlessness, or don n't-care-
ness?'
Are the bones Of soldiers Of the United
States army, men who gave their lives in
the far West in the fight for progress and
civilization against the forces OF darkness
and ignorance that the glory. prosperity,
and development of these United States
might be advanced not to receive the
reverence at the hands Of their govern
ment which is theirs by right?
It is little enough 10 expect. Let Con-
gress and the War Department answer.
and If American blood flows in the veins
of those in power the reply Will be in
tones that cannot be misunderstood Thus
says the New York Times.
Sentiment that Was of short Life.
When the news of the determination Of
Custer and his men was heralded
throughout the country Cfor not one man,
white or Indian, who fought that day un-
der the Stars and Stripes ever lived to
tell the tale) a few days after the battle
(for In those days events In remote places
in the far West could not be recorded as
quickly as in the present day. a cry OF
horror swept over tire land, followed by a
demand that stern retribution be visited
upon the forces who had opposed and de-
feated those representing the government.
The newspapers were filed with ac-
counts OF the gallant tight MADE by those
brave souls in far-away Montana. public
meetings were held ministers made use
Of the tragedy IN speaking from their pull
pits, using devotion TO duty and dying for
it as their theme. Loudly it was asserted
by off1cialdom at Washington and else
where that the deeds Of those United
States soldiers should never be forgotten
as long as the nation endured. and that
whatever II was possible TO do In rever-
ence and respect for their memory would
be done and maintained uatil the United
States ceased 10 be a nation.
True. the enormously rich and pros
porous country. through Its servants al
Washington. some years since set aside
a few acres of ground at the place where
the battle of the Little Big Horn was
fought. and called IL a National Gene
terry"
The tract .wss inclosed by a cheap bar
ber-wire fence, a few white stones were
set up marking spots where the Seventh $
men fel, the graves OF other soldiers
who lost their lives In that part of the
country fighting Indians and were buried
IN this tract were marked by pieces OF
board a few Of them receiving the honor
of a coat OF white paint; a little house
was erected for the accommodation Of a
so-called custodian" of the cemetery
and then the government turned away
and promptly forgot all about the dead.
Neglected by the Government.
And what Of this National Cemetery
and the care It receives to-day al the
hands OF this great government?
Desecrated, violated, and sadly neglect
ed. the spots where the brave men OF
the Seventh fell show too we'll the marks
of vandals' hands practically unhindered
and unguarded by the United States gov
eminent, although the entrance 20 this
the last resting place Of hundreds oi
American Soldiers, bears the words Ma
tional Cemetery in bright Gilt over the
entrance 10 this hallOwed ground.
The Custer battlefield is situated sew
enty miles from Billings, Mont, and about
three miles from the Crow Indian Agency
on the Little Big Horn River.
In,so far as the site is concerned, none
nobler or more appropriate could b'
asked for. Situated on the sloping hills
which extend back from the Little Bis
Horn River and more than two miles
from that stream is the National Gem
terry. where lie the bones Of so many ol
the nations dead.
Not all Of those WHO fell at the hands
Of the Sioux and Northern Cheyennes arr
buried in these grounds. The bodies o.
Gen. Custer whose actual rank al tha
time was that Of lieutenant colonel; Capt
Tom Custer Capt. Miles Keogh, BostoT
Custer. a relative Of Gen. Custer. but {
civilian. and some officers were later dis
inferred and taken to Arlington Cemetery
or elsewhere. and buried. but stones mari
the spots where they fell.
There is a tWo-stOTy stone house ten
anted by an aged man named Garrett a
custodian. who lives there with his wife
and whose duty it is to safeguard tn
/ cemetery"
VandaIs Help Themselves.
Does he do his duty? Well, relic hunt
ers, vandals, with little, If any. respec
for the dead, wander at will through TIT
cemetery, and help themselves to what
ever they please in the way OF stones
marking where American soldiers died a
their posts, either taking away the stone
in their entirety, or chipping them ava,
piece by piece.
Ask the custodian to point out the ex
act spot where Custer fell.
well. there amt nothin' there now bu
| a wooden cross" he says. "Some peopi
used to come here and chip away th
stone until there was nothing left of II
| The government put up another stone
but burned IL them fellows didn't com
and chip that away. too. Another ston
vas put up, and they carried that AVA
/ almost bodily.
/ well. the government got tired Of tha
at last, and so put up just a woodei
cross to mark the place The visitor
haven't taken that away. Yes, they chi
! off some other stones, nearly all of tk
officers. It's too bad I shouldn't thinl
people would do anything like that, but
you see, I can't be watching them all tn
time"
A drive Of five minutes brings one t
/ the battlefield Situated at the top Of
ridge, or eminence. # was here that Gus
/ ter and such of his officers and his mel
who had not been killed in the retrea
| from the river fell as the Indians close
in upon them.
/ In the case of the privates and non
commissioned officers the places wher
/ they died are marked by white marbl
| slabs eighteen inches in height and on
/ foot in width. inscribed with the words
"U. S. Soldier, Seventh Cavalry, Eel
Here June %, 1875" There Is. no ehang
from this wording in the case of any 0
/ the enlisted men.
The spot where the officers fell from
| the enemies bullets is marked with whit
stone slabs about three feet in height an
one and one-half feet in width. Evident
! ly. in the retreat, nearly all the officer
succeeded. with many enlisted men, Il
reaching the same spot with Custer wher
/ his life went out.
The stones Of officers and men at tn
i spOC whore Custer received his deaf
wound are grouped almost in V-shap
1 -ka 81 - "a ~