News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-12-03
CAPTAIN GRANT MARSH
Visits with Veteran Pilot Of the Mississippi,
Ohio and Missouri Rivers
BY Leonard T. Cole
CONTINUED From Last Week)

| (Continued From Last week.
The awful Civil War ended; and Cap
tain Marsh went home rich in experiences
OF "battles, sieges, fortunes that he hat
passed"
| But at length the Government called
him to explore rivers of the northwest
| and to help the army win that great
country from Sitting Bull and his Sioux
Indians. Thus it happened that Marsh
steamer, the Far West, conveyed General
Custer and the Seventh Cavalry Regiment
to their destruction on the little Big HON
River.
On bright morning of the early sum-
mer, 1876, with bands playing and ban
ners to the breeze, the Far West and her
consorts crowded with cheering soldiers,
steamed from Fort Abraham Lincoln up
the Missouri liver, past Bismark, and
along points where fourishing towns and
farms have since developed, to wrest
from the Red Men their last great domain
10 the land of their fathers.
While General Crook was fighting In
dians along the Rosebud iiverin the mid
die of June, General Terry. aided by Gen
erals Gibbon, Custer and other officers,
was operating on the Yellow Stone, the
Big Horn, the Tongue and the Little Big
Horn rivers; and Captain Marsh with the
Far West was hustling about those
streams, bringing supplies to the forts
and camps and transporting soldiers
wherever they were needed.
Finally, on the evening of June 81 was
held a Memorial Council of war in the
cabin of the Far West on the Rosebud
river, where Generals Terry, iGibbon and
Custer with their aids discussed the stu
alton and laid their plans for the final
stroke that should break forever the
power of the tribes which constituted
the great Sioux nation. Captain Marsh,
aboard as Chief Pilot. was not at the
council table.
Alas! The generals did not yet know
OF Crooks defeat one hundred miles
away nor had they any intimation that
the braves who drove back Crook, We're
concentrating by inner lines, under able
chiefs, to help thwart the plans which
they were there forming. Nor did yalu-
able information about hundreds of H.
dams stealing away from agencies and
reservation to help their kindred reach
Ferry from Sheridan until ruin had been
wrought upon the forces OF Custer.
So the plans were laid for fighting a
much smaller body of Indians than actu
ally appeared upon the battlefield. Fur
thermore, another military controversy
cabin of the Far West nor has it been
settled by able writers to this day.
We're the combinations so arranged
that each portion of the United States
forces could support one another? Were
the marches well timed? Did Majo Reno
his orders? Did General
Custer disobey orders? Was he rash and
headloug? Was he under cloud of sus-
picion? Did he court death?
The opinion of Captain Marsh is that
President Grant and Secretary of War
were dispeased with Custer,
justly or unjustly, because of some Of his
sayings and doings. Knowing this, the
proud and sensitive Custer determined
to do something brilliant to gain such
popular applause as would make it unsafe
for the president and The secretary to
bear down hard ON him, lest their own
regulations suffer; and the white washed
impeachment of Belknap, indicates that
he had nothing at all to spare by way of
good name.
The captain also declares that Clusters
domestic relations were far from happy.
Winsome ia manners, brilliant and dash
ing, be sought and readily won the socie- |
ty of fast set. His private life would |
not bear close inspection. Custer's wife |
knew it. So wien Custer marched away |
to the Battle of the Little Big Horn, he |
had little to lose and apparently much to |
gain by great risks, by daring every thing |
and by stalking all on rash movement.
So he did not wait for help to come up |
when he was close upon the Indians. |
Nor would he accept three Gatliug cam
lon which were offered him previous to |
MS departure. He also rejected several |
extra companies of light cavalry. He de- |
llared that all such things would burden |
him. Just put an extra supply of salt |
On the pack mules" he said for we
may have to live on horse flesh before we |
run them down."
The 7th Cavalry under Custer started !
On the 22nd of June, carrying fifteen
lays rations and ample supplies of am
nuntion.
Captain Marsh tried to keep Clusters |
brother, mere boy, on the steamer.
Charles Reynolds, the scout, was i'll. But
he, too, refused to remain, saying, Gap
ain, would sooner be dead than miss
his expedition" Poor fellow He missed
neither the expedition nor death; and
he boy Custer was numbered with the
lain.
A large quantity of mail was handed
1y the soldiers to Captain Marsh that