The Washington herald., 1913-09-21
SURVIVOR Tells
OF CUSTER Fight
Half Breed Sioux Scout De-
scribes Killing Of the
General.
SHOT THROUGH HEART
curley the Crow Says Plan Was to
Try to Take Noted Indian
Fighter Alive.
SHOT THROUGH HEART

81 LOUIS sept b.-Curley the Crow,
half-blood Sioux scout for the United
States Army in the Indian wars Of the
seventies, told at the Planters Hotel his
big story of the death of Gen. George A.
Custer in the battle of the Little Big
Horn, June "a, 1876. He declares himself
10 be the only survivor of the American
forces in that battle.
II was Gen. Clusters scout" said Crow
He and the other white men knew me as
Curley. BY some OF the Indians l was
called Bloody Knife.
Though ] was a scout for the army.
was in no danger from the Indians
except the danger of being accidentally
shot in battle. The Indians never pur-
posely killed scout. Spies they would
kill, but not scouts. They respected
scouts who could speak the Indians lam
guages and the English language. too.
knew eleven Indian languages. and
could go from the white soldiers camp
to the Indians. and smoke the pipe with
the chiefs.
"on the evening before the battle, / ate
with Rain-in-the-Face. He was my uncle
brother OF my mother. who was a full
blood Sioux. knew Sitting Bull, but
did not see him just at that time. He
was the high priest of the Sioux, not
their leader in battle.
Obey.
He told me there would be a battle,
and said l must keep out of IT, I said /
would stay with Gen. Custer no matter
what the danger was. That night I was
sent by Custer TO summon Col. Reno and
Capt. Bentine. with their commands, to
re-enforce him.
Il reached Reno first, and he refused
10 go. saying he and mis- men could not
get across the river. Had he started 1T
| that time he might have saved Custer. /
afterwsrd testified at the court-martiaI
which dismissed him from the service
Il went on to Capt. Bentine, and he
started his command at once. They
crossed the same stream which Reno had
been afraid 10 try. and came in the morn
ing to where a big hill separated them
from Clusters men. took one way over
the hill and Bentine took what he
thought was a shorter way. He did not
| reach the place. but his men, under sub
| ordinate officers, got there in time To-
perish with Clusters men
As / got on the other side of the hill
was in range OF the Indians guns, but
l did not fear that would be shot But
! while ! was still a long way of my
horse was shot under me. and l got
down and ran until came into the thick
OF the fighting.
As ! got there / saw that the SOL
diers were lying dead right and left
Those 473 had been surrounded by 5000
Sioux. saw Custer lighting with his
saber and l thought he was the last
man alive there. but 1 soon saw that his
brother, Lieut.. Tom Custer. was fighting
beside him. He fell and Gen. Custer
stood alone.
The Indians could have killed him
easily before that, but the purpose was
to take him alive. The reason for that
purpose is known to me. and l shall tell
Of it in a story am going to write.
He must have seen that he could save
his life by surrendering. but his brain
had turned TO blood, and he seemed to
think only of how many Indians he could
kill Fourteen Indians whom he had
slashed and gashed with his saber lay
near him. most of them dead or dying.
Then l saw Rsin-in-the Face. He
said hsrshly. Curley, l told you to keep
out
Il couldn't get away replied
My horse was shot: l called to Gen
Custer. meaning to tell him of Reno :
refusal to come, and he said. You here,
Curley? Well fight to the end
His Last Words.
Those were his last words big
Sioux seized his arm, and Custer turned |
on him and dealt a terrific saber stroke |
that half cut his head OF As he did this |
the son of the Sioux fired his rife at
Custer, and the bullet went through his |
heart
In the familiar picture, there is an
Indian seen pushing his way through |
toward Custer as he fell. That man was
myself. held his head as he sank back |
dead.
Il was free to 20 and come after that, |
just as before. / testified both at the |
Reno court-msrtial. and at the trial of
Rsin-in-the-Face. My testimony and the |
work OF some high-priced lawyers saved |
the life of Rain-in-the-Face, but we
could not save him from prison. and he |
died in Leavenworth fourteen years
later. There was no justice in trying |
him He was leading a rebellion against 4
the United States, and after the leaders
of the Confederacy were pardoned so
freely, he was entitled TO the same
treatment"
Curley is in his seventy-second year,
and says his father was a Scotchman
He was kidnapped in infancy, he relates.
by the confederated Comanches. Kiowas.
he save h. dy5 pot