New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-07
SHOT AT LITTLE BIG
HORN. IS NOW CAPTAIN
Battle in Which Custer Was
Slain, with Every Officer and
Five Troops, Recalled.
PRAISES MAJOR RENO
w. E. Morris, a Private in His
Command, Declares 1t Was
Impossible for Him to
Help the General.

Help the General.
Captain William Z. Morris, OF Company
f. 18th Regiment. ". G. N. Y, who has
just been promoted from first lieutenant
TO succeed Captain John F. Scanlon. re-
tired, is survivor Of the most disastrous
Indian battle the United States army ever
experienced-that Of the Little Big HON.
Montana. fought on June Is and 26. 1876.
against the Sioux Iniians, under COM
mand Of the famous chiefs Sitting Bull
and Crazy Horse.
In this memorable fight General George
A. Custer. the famous Indian fighter OF
the 9TH United States Cavalry, and every
ofhcer and man under him In the five
troops, 10 the number Of go, were killed
Oh the field Of battle. The rest OF the 7th
Cavalry, some miles away from Custer.
under Major Reno. lest very heavily in
killed and wounded.
Captain Morris was a private In Troop
NJ, under Major Reno, at the time OF the
fight, and was shot clean through the
breast. In briefly telling the interesting
story of the terrible experience he and
the others underwent to some friends the
other evening Captain Morris said:
The 7th Cavalry. under General Gus
ter. was only a part of n big expedition
sent out against the Sioux Indians. led ly
the willy Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and
other great chiefs Indian signs having
been reported the 7th Cavalry, Under
General Custer. consisting of twelve
troops, was ordered detached from the
main body TO take up the trail and find
the Indians. with view to make 1t pos
sible to surround them with the aid of
the main body
I'VE started from a camp on the Rose
bud on June %, 1876, with twelve as finely
mounted troops as ever assembled. We
also had rations for fifteen days, ls5 pack
mules, some friendly Indian scouts and
experienced white guides. As We left our
camp Generals Terry. Gibson and Brig
ham, OF the main column, reviewed us.
General Custer wore a suit OF buckskin.
Custer Divided Command.
After a march OF some tn.rty-sevcn
miles We reached a big Indian village,
which. however proved much larger than
we had any idea Of, and made an attack.
General Custer divided his command,
taking Troops G. Il. f. l and l. with him,
and sent several troops under Major Reno
and several under Captain Benteen to
make "A march several miles further. in
order TO attack from three points
The command under Reno, OF which 1
was a member. charged down the valley.
and the Indians gave way. We found
they were getting us In trap, however.
and were trying to lead US on to sur
round us. We made haste for a point OF
woods in which TO place the horses, while
we dismounted TO fight on foot. The Ind
ians Increasing In large numbers, our
losses soon began to be serious, and our
horses were being picked off By Indians
who had got into the timber. There was
nothing for Il but to mount what men
We had left and charge down the valley.
across the stream and up TO the high
bluff on the other Size. where We could
make a better fight The Indians were
practically on all sides OF Us. and some
OF the men whose horses had been shot
took refuge in the timber with a white
scout, and most OF these. under cover Of
darkness. managed TO reach our intrench-
ment eventually.
In making the charge for the bluff we
lost three officers, twenty-nine men were
killed and we had number wounded.
We had a terrible time up on the blun.
with the Indians on all sides pouring a
Al a
Winchester rifles Our killed and wound
ed were increasing every minute, and our
ammunition was almost out, when Cap
tain Benteen. with Troops ID, IL and *
and the ammunition pack mules. after a
desperate fight managed TO join us. on
the bluff eighteen more were killed and
forty-six wounded
After Benteen Joined us the Indians
got more daring than ever, and they
charged us several times so close that
some OF them threw stones at US AMI
some without rifles used arrows. At one
time II seemed as II we were TO be fairly
stamped to death by the 8. eat mass In a
charge under Sitting Bull and Crazy
Horse, so close did they come.
Captain Benteen. one OF the bravest
soldiers that ever lived, at this critical
Juncture surprised the Indians by making
charge on foot with Troops II and NJ,
killing of many OF the reds with their
volleys. We fought on the bluff from
2:SO D. m. on June % to p. m on June rs.
night and day without let-up.
Almost Mad from Thirst.