Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-09-16
cUsTER's LAST FIGHT.
The Famous Battle Of the Little Big
horn River.

General George A. Custer was one
OF the most notable cavalry officers d.
veloped during the war of the rebel
lion. 1t was bis fortune to be In he
thick of the conflict within Il few
days after leaving the training schoul
at West Point. and from that time un
til the day Of his death his life was
oiled with strenuous wSk and stir
ring adventure, In which be was fire.
quently exposed to deadly peril
The closing chapter of his life. which
came with what is known in history
as Clusters last fight" which oc-
CURED on June 20. 1876. was trag-
edy, but he died like a soldier
For a number Of years after the civil
war Custer had been engaged In In
dian fighting on the frontier of the
United States. Many of these engage
ments were among the most thrilling
In the history of Indian warfare In
this country.
The famous expedition which led up
to the famous battle OF the Little Big
horn river was started on May II,
1875, when General Terry, his officers.
Of whom General Custer was one. and
his troops left Fort Lincoln. Dakota.
Every one realized that the campaign
wRS likely to be decisive one. 1t was
planned to strike the Indians a serious
blow-one from which they could not
recover.
The advance was begun under IA
vorable conditions. and the Little Big
horn mountains were reached on June
rs and the Indian village located A
slight accident gave the red men warn
ing. Nobody knows exactly how the
battle OF Little Bighorn was fought.
The statements made afterward by
the Indians were contradictory. but
they all agreed that Clusters appear
ance was a great surprise. The best
evidence shows that the Indians closed
In on both right and left and placed
Custer at once on the defensive Closer
and closer the coll frightened around
that plucky band. One after the other
OF the troopers fell. the horses were
stampeded. the ammunition ran low.
no messenger had been able to break
through the lines. and the mortality
among the officers was heavy.
Then Custer had his troops fire two
volleys in succession. the usual cry for
help. 1t was heard in Renos camp. Its
significance was understood. but no
help came Soon came the final act Of
the tragedy The Indians closed In
from all sides, led by the cruel chiefs
Crow King. Gall. Crazy Horse and
Rain-in-the-F Face. 1t was hand to
hand fight 1t was 100 against 600.
Grouped about Custer were twenty or
thirty desperate men. They fought
with their leader. they fought for their
leader. until the last man lay dead
Not an American officer or soldier
lived to tell the tale OF Clusters last
hght." Never in the history of the
world was the bravery. devotion to
duty and perfect discipline of troops
better illustrated. Almost without ex-
ception the bodies of the men were
found Just where they had fought.
Each company was In the place as
signed. troopers in line and their off,
GERS in position. They fought losing
battle. but they fought without finch
ing. They were killed. hut not dis
graced. Detroit Free Press,
No Black on Natures Palette.
Nature uses no black in any part OF
her work. / win not except the black
berry and the so called black pansy.
On bright. clear day shadows on the
snow are pale ultramarine blue; under
blue sky in midsummer the color Of
the placid lake is cobalt blue and the
shadows ON the grass are lilac on a
weathered gray boardwalk they are
nearly as blue as the sky itself. The
FACILITATING atmosphere Of a warm
July day lifts the colorlng Of the land.
scape TO a higher but softer key IN
stead Of reducing It with gray, and liz
the autumn. when the sugar naples
leaves are turned to gold. the shad-
ows on the trunk and every gray rock
in the vicinity are tinged with strong
| In H., Oh