The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-12-17
Caldwell Tribune

Montana, the passenger who chances
to glance out of the window at the
proper time will see, of to the east
a sturdy granite monument crown.
ing one of the barren hills a mile
away. Many pass without noticing
it; others, who happen to see it, may
perhaps inquire casually what 1t is;
while few Of the initiated, espec-
tally those who are interested in his
toric battlefields, leave the train at
the station and pause in their jour
ney for a closer view of the spot.
For this lonely monument marks the
scene Of perhaps the greatest tragedy
in our long series Of Indian wars-a
death struggle that ended in such a
signal victory for the red men that
the encouraging tidings Of it, flying
from tribe to tribe, sent red wave
of lawless violence surging westward
across the Rocky Mountains clear in
to Idaho and Oregon. 1t stands on
the scene of what is commonly known
as the Cluster Massacre; but what
was in reality no massacre at all, but
fight to the death.
The passenger who stops of to
visit the field is not overjoyed at the
appearance Of Grow Agency. A lit
tie barn-like depot with few long
haired bucks lounging about, single
dusty road leading past few brick
school houses which Uncle Sam has
I built for his wards, and small,
wooden hotel make up the picture.
Rather a desolate place; but one does
not visit the Custer field for pleasure,
and the dreary aspect here is quite
in keeping with the melancholy spec
tacle that awaits him on the lonely
hills three miles away.
Contrary to what one would ex-
pect, he is not met by any guides
here. There are not even any guide
books for sale, SO it is incumbent on
the visitor to show himself around.
Perhaps he is to be congratulated on
this. for if there is an abomination
in the sight of the Lord it is the aver
age battlefield guide-such as those
that make living by exposing their
ignorance at Waterloo and Gettys-
burg. In this little village there is
only one person who pretends to
know anything about the Custer fight
and he will not talk. He is the trim
looking ex-cavalryman who runs the
hotel. He is not in the guide business
and one quickly notices that he is
heartily sick of being interrogated
by inquisitive visitors. However when
he learned that | too had served a
number of years in the cavalry, he
thawed perceptibly and soon was
talking quite freely. 1t developed
that he had been one of General
Terrys men, the column that was
coming to join forces with Custer,
but which he was too impatient to
wait for, and which reached the field
two days after the fight only to find
Custer and his men lying dead on the
blood-stained hills, with not single
survivor to tell how it happened. 1t
was this complete humiliation of
Cnster's men that has wrapped the
affair in mystery--a mystery SO UNI
fashionable that all attempts to de-
scribe his last stand against the In
dams are founded more or less on
conjecture.
Moreover. every attempt that has
been made to explain his movements
has called down a storm of criticism.
CYRUS Townsend Brady, who appar-
emily exhausted every means of in
formation, has been not only criti-
cised but openly ridiculed by men
who served in the Little Big Horn
compaign. What, then is a person
to believe? The reports in the War
Department at Washington. which
have studied quite thoroughly, throw
very little light on Clusters move
ments.~,a Anvo9eF who LAS been
through a battle Know row tiifficult
it is, even the day after, to obtain
two accounts that coincide For one
thing, men lose all account of time;
what seems a few minutes to one is
an age to another. And who shall
say that the sun ever stood still on
the plain az, Gideon, and the moon on
the vale of Aialon. save in the inn
agination of Joshuas excited war
riors. So instead of attempting to
explain the unknown, ] will simply
try in this article to describe the
field as it is today: at the same time
mentioning the main features of the
great fight. And even In this,
realize that I must proceed with ex-
IRENE caution lest some critical
reader toss it aside with the remark,
"There's another liar!"
The Custer fight occurred on a.
Sunday: and it CHANGED to be also
On a Sunday that l hired a cayuse
from the little livery stable at the
agency. and started out on the livery
mans instructions to "fol'er the road
three miles: you can't get lost" The
iournev has hardly begun before the
road led through the waters of the
little Big Horn. forty feet wide and
kpee deep to horse. and then went
winding out across the level plain
toward fhe foot hills. 1t was
desert pure and simple. covered with
). a struggling growth of sage brush
M dried grass, and wrapped in a
silence broken. only by the chirping
bark of a prairie dog or the whirring
fight of an occasional sage hen Two
miles of this and the road swung
M gully and through big iron
gate surmonpted by big iron letters
which spelled out National Gene
terv."
The name cemetery brings with it
vision Of green grass. marble mon
uments and weeping willows: but no
such picture greets the eve here.
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