Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-03-19
CUSTER SURVIVOR
LOSES HIS PLACE
Daniel A. Kanipe Was Bearer
Of Famous Message.
FORMERLY REVENUE RAIDER

| Change OF Administration Has De-
prived Him of n is Position-TelIs In
Most Interesting Manner Of His
! Ride to Captain McDouoal-Was
Feared by Carolina Moonshiners.
AshevIIc. y. C.-Changcs in the in
4 ternal revenue service made by the
/ Wilson administration have retired
/ from Uncle Sans payroll one Of the
most picturesque figures i'll North Caro-
/ lima, Daniel a. Kanipe, former rev
cnuc raider, who is said to be the only
/ American survivor Of the i'll fatcd force
under the immediate command Of Cen
cral George A. Custer Mr.. Kanipe
has the distinction Of having carried
| the last order issued by Custer just
previous to the massacre OH the Little
| Big Horn river in Montana in 1876.
Mr. Kanpe has retired to his home
mt Marion, near Ashcyille, since the
change Of administration has deprived
| him Of his place as II revenue raider,
| but his name Is still Il word to cGnjure
with in the districts where corn liquor
is made without paying tax to the
! United States government. As raid
or Mr.. kanipc was probably the most
/ feared man in the Asheyillc district,
| one of the largest in the United States.
/ and the same courage that sent him
scrcnrly on Il mission through Il coun
cauIscd him to venture into dark cor
ncrS Of the mountains in search of IL
Iicit distlIcrs.
kanpe was born at Marion and was
raised on Il farm. but ran away from
home at the age of nineteen to enlist
III the army. walking across country
10 I.nconton. where he enlisted in
Company &. Seventh regiment, United
| States cavalry. The company was
commanded ut the time by Captain Y.
| X Hart Before long the young man
was promoted to Il sCrgeantCy and at
/ tachcd as scout to the command of
| General George A. Custer in the cam
paign against the Sioux Indians under
Chiefs Sitting Bull and Rain In the
Face. He was with Custer on the
morning of June %, 1876 at the Little
! Big Horn, when the Indians were be
ginning to close in around the little
band of American soldiers.
Il had the fastest horse in the serv
lee" Sergeant Kanipe says, land he
could single foot faster than most cav
/ airy horses could run Captain uatcr
| Major Thomas H. McDougal. in com
| mand of Troop Il, was about five miles
away In charge of the pack train car
rying our spare ammunition and IN
| lions
| General Custer ordered me to find
Captain McDouGnl and tell him TO
bring up the pack train with all speed,
rs he General CUSTER believed that Il
great battle was about to be fought.
With this last order of General Gus
ters | slipped away from camp on nay
horse. Yankee Mike. and after sneak
| ing past number of Indians and out
running Il bunch that discovered me
and gave chase, made my way to
Captain McpougaTs camp and dcliy.
cred the order
I'VE started ut once to the relief Of
General Custer, but by that time he
was surrounded 10y Indians, and it re-
! quircd two days of hard lighting to
make our way across that five miles
! of territory. While | was gone ANA
while we were fighting our way back
To Clusters position sitting Bull and
tl,. al.
Sioux devils. surrounded his force and
after n hard fight butchcrcd them.
when our relief force reached the
spot where the heroic Custer had made
his last stand we found the bodies Of
my former comrades lying in twisted
the blows of the Indians Some of
them had mercifuly been shot. but
many more were lying With crushed
and shapclcss bodies and heads bat
tered In by the war clubs of the In
dams
II had seen service before that, aud
saw service afterwurd In the cam
paign against the ChcyenncS in Ne
! hraska, but | never saw Il battle in
| which | thought the Indians were re-
paid for the massacre Of General Gus
ter and his heroic troopers
1.-TWO other men escaped from the
massacre. | think, Crow Indian scout
named Curlcy, who | have since learn
ell is living in St Louis and whose
Indian costume probably helped him To
slip away while the battle was raging.
and an Italian trumpeter named Mar
tine. who | have heard has been seen
In Buffalo How he managed to cS-
cape have never been able To learn"
Mr. Kanipe after leaving the army
secured position ms deputy iutcruat
revenue collector. His most cherished
possessions are the old faded blue uni
form which he wore on that mcmora.
BILE ride for Custer and the Saber and
pistol he carried as Il member of thu