The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1909-12-04
STEUNENBERG DESCRIBES
CUSTER'S BATTLEFIELD

reader toss it aside with the remark,
There's another Hart"
The Custer fight occurred on a
Sunday; and it CHANGED to be also
on a Sunday that hired cayuse
from the little livery stable at the
agency, and started out on the livery
mans instructions 10 "foller the road
three miles; you can't git lost" The
journey has hardly begun before the
road led through the waters of the
Little Big Horn, forty feet wide and
knee deep to horse, and then went
winding out across the level plain
toward the foot hills. 1t was a
1 desert pure and simple, covered with
a struggling growth of sage brush
and dried grass, and wrapped in a
silence broken only by the cLirping
bark of prairie dog or the whirring
flight of an occasional sage hen. Two
miles of this and the road
swung up gully and through big
iron gate surmounted by big iron let
tiers which spelled out National
Cemetery"
The name cemetery brings with it
l a vision of green grass, marble mon
/ uments. and weeping willows; but no
such picture greets the eye here.
Nothing but series of barren kills
and ravines extending away to the
horizon, where the distant Big Horn
Mountains, their highest peaks white
with snow of autumn, make the only
break in the monotonous yellow lan0-
scape. One solitary house stands in
the midst of the wilderness sub
stantial stone dwelling built for the
keeper of the cemetery.
He was at home that morning-an
old G. A. R. man who frankly adj
mitted that be knew very little about
the field; that he lad been here only
three months, and as yet had never
even been over to the Reno Camp"
an entrenched hilltop three miles
away where Maj. Reno had remained
on that fatal day while Custer was
being exterminated. He stated, how
ever, that visitors were at liberty to
wander about the place at will.
On leaving the house, the first sight
that attracts the eye is the big gran
lite monument that was seen from the
car window. 1t stands on the sum-
NIT of a nearby hill, while on the
slope right below. it, one notices an
irregular group of small white grave
stones.
Proceeding up the winding road
toward the monument, one pauses at
this group of small stones for closer
scrutiny. The first one bears the IN
scription, Boston Custer, Civilian,
Fell Here June 25, 1876" He was 3
brother of the general The next is
marked, arthur Reed, Civilian =
He was Clusters nephew. Close by is
one inscribed, "U. s. Soldier, 7th
Cavalry" the next, Captain T. w.
Custer" another brother of the gener-
al. Then one with a small flag plant
ed beside Il, marked, seen. Geo. A.
CUSTER There are fifty stones in
the group bearing the significant
Words "Fell Here, June %, 1876"
There is no attempt at straight rows,
the small tablets being huddled togeth-
err in confused group, each marking
the spot where q scalped and mutilat-
ed body was found by tho men who ar
rived two days after the fight. So
closely are they punched in places
that one can almost picture the
doomed men falling literally on top
of one another in the bloody hand to
hand conflict that marked the end.
Right above them, on the summit of
the knoll, stands the big granite mon
ument, its four sides completely COW
cred with the names Of the two hum
bred and fifty men who fell ON that
fatal Sunday. It has been found
necessary 10 enclose it with a high
iron fence to prevent Decorating
: idiots from chipping it away forssOuv-
enirs- --as if it differed from any otEer
granite. Looking about from this
commanding spot, one sees other
stones dotting the field in various plac.
es, and this is all the average visitor
sees Of tie Custer battle-ground.
But this Is comparatively nothing
It is well worth. while to devote q
day to II and follow the battle through
: its different phases, for it is positively
: thrilling from start to finish. With
this in view / went riding over the
hills to point Ave miles up the rive.
, the point from which Custer frs
, launched his attack.
From here, looking down the Lit
tie Big Horn toward the battle
ground ona naan tha ,.fuav. Hvaj N, ~,