News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-12-03
As the last troopers of the column


'No, / will not"
DID he mean "will not watt? Surely
he did not wait for them. so he and q
part of his army were annihilated.
After ferryng Terry's and Gibbons
men over onto their respective lines OF
| march, for the purpose of cooperating
| with Custer, Captain Marsh was ordered
| to endeavor to work his steamer up TO
the mouth of the Little Big Horn, ana
there wait with supplies for the soldiers
and for further orders.
This he did by placing soldiers on the
banks to wind great bawsers around
trees. Then the other ends of the haw-
sers were slowly wound arouod the
steamers capstans. Thus the vessel was
worked up the mountain stream to the
Little Big Horns mouth. But an army
officer, on board, insisted that the right
place had not been reached. The Cap
tain was compelled to drag The Far West
Is miles farther, when the officious officer
gave up his notion, and they returned,
after so much vain labor, to the spot
which Marsh had first selected, and tied
up.
While waiting there, on June 18th,
great clouds of smoke were seen far up
the river; but no sounds came thence. 1t
was smoke from the camps and field
where Custer and his companions were
being shot and scaiped at that very hour!
A MESSENGER OF DEATH.
Sta,ioning guards upon the steamer
and at points on the shores, the Captain
and others went out to fish, and with
such success that they had more fish
than all on board could use in week.
They had also a supply of fresh buffalo
meat and other game recently shot.
Resting in the bushes, on the shore,
they were startled by shrieking Indian
who galloped into view. But he lifted
his gun high above his head in token of
friendship. He proved to be the one es-
capped Crow scout of those who had gone
with Custer.
He was taken aboard He moaned,
walled, threw himself upon the floor, and
uttered strange words. But the interpre-
ter was gone. No one could understand
him.
Paper and pencil were handed to him.
He drew rude figures and dots and cir
Gle drawn around them. A larger circle
was drawn around the first and diff erent
characters within it. The Crow, point
ing to the inner circle repeatedly ex-
claimed, "Absaroka!" "Absaroka" To
the outer circle he pointed crying,
'Sioux!' "Sioux!'
Then Captain Marsh remembered that,
several years earlier, he had known Grow
Indians to point to some United States
soldiers and call them "Absaroka."
Gentlemen, have it,! Our soldiers
have been surrounded and cut to pieces
by the Sioux" cried the Captain; and
later advices confirmed the declaration.
Major Reno come upon the battle field,
from another quarter, only ia time TO fall |
into the hands of the victorious Sioux |
who had just finished butchering Clusters |
men. There with his soldiers, posted on |
a hill. he was held in state of siege for |
many hours, without water, the dead |
strewn about, the wounded groaning, |
and other victims falling frequently by |
the cruel rifles of the Sioux.
When Reno's force was finally rescued, |
his mounted men were placed on the Far |
West to be taken to Fort Abraham Lin
coin.
General Terry told Captain Marsh to
keep the wheel in his own hand at the
most dangerous points, and to make the
safest, quickest run possible.
When the Captain entered the pilot
house, he turned pale, his knees gave
way. "What Is the matter" inquired
officers standing near. 20 gentlemen
,he responsibility is too great! | tear
that I'll wreck the vessel IN these danger
)us river then what will become of |
these 80 wounded, helpless men?"
The officers encouraged him. He
pulled himself together. He grasped the
wheel, he signalled the engineer, The
waters foamed around the steamer; and
.he good Far West went plunging down
jhe Big Horn, the Yellow Stone, and the
Missouri, turning sharp bends, barely
missing huge rocks, gliding between sand
bars, until she reached bismarck, the
present capital of MOI tn Dakota.
But at the Yellow Stone junction, 80
niles down, ferry work had to be done,
ond had to be deposited for the surviv.
, of the il'-fated campaign, and in other
services were needs rendered e'er the
Journey could be resumed.
Then Captains Marsh and Campbell,
each other at the wheel, every
our hours, and with all the steam that
he boilers could bear, pressed on day
md night.
1t was now the Fourth Day of July,
S76, the One Hundredth Anniversary of
he Independence of the United States.
The Centennial Exposition, at Philadel-
,hia, was at it's high water mark. Elo-
Iuence thrilled the land.
But Marsh and Campbell vere haar;uo