The Mankato free press., 1916-06-30
Bloody Event of Forty Years
Ago Is Recalled
from Saturdays Daily.


Big Horn near here is to be recalled
tomorrow by the fOrtieth anniversary
of the historical event, according to
completed arrangements of commit
tees in charge of the celebration. Gen
eral e. S. Godfrey, survivor of Gus
ter's famous Seventh cavalry is to
give the memorial address and read
a brief message to the people of the
northwest from Mrs. George A. Gus
ter of New York, who is unable to be
present at the celebration. The his
toric battlefield has been arranged as
near like it was on the memorable
Sunday, June 25, CT forty years ago.
An Indian village of about $50 tepees
has been pitched and between 1000
and 1000 Indians are ready to take
part in the celebration.
Dispel the misunderstanding
It is hoped by the committees of
Billings, and Hardin, Mont, and
Sheridan, Wyo., who are in charge of
the arrangements, that the memorial
of the massacre will dispel many of
the misunderstanding relative to the
famous battle that have existed for
many years It has been pointed out
that Custer really wore his hair cut
short in his campaign against the
Sioux, whereas invariably he is pic
tured by artists and described by
writer's as wearing long yellow locks.
General Custer also is almost univer-
sally depicted IS wearing a sabre.
There were no sabres with the Sew
enth cavalry on the expedition
In the spring of 1876 the Sioux be-
came restless and took up the war
rath. Their depredations led to sending
an expedition, commanded by General
Terry against them. He left Fort
Abraham Lincoln, Dakota, May II,
1876, with a command consisting of
the Seventh cavalry, companies from
the Sixth and Seventeenth regiments
of infantry and long wagon train.
The command marched overland the
entire distance, the infantry and wag-
en- train being left behind to, form a
supply camp at the mouth of the, Pow
der river. The cavalry, with pack
mules, continued. iasr
Prepared to Attack. @H
At the mouth of the Rosebud on
the Yellowstone, Terry's column met
General Gibbon, who had come from
the west with six companies of the
Seventh and four troops of the Sec
|'ond cavalry. From here, on June %,
Custer, with six hundred men, was
sent forward to the Little Big Horn
to attack, should he deem advisable,
a camp Of Sioux Custer covered the
distance of one hundred miles in
three days and learning that the In
dians were ahead, prepared to attack,
ne divided his command, giving Reno
three companies, Benteen three and
retaining five himself. He detailed
Captain McDougall, with one COM
pany, to act as read guard.
Reno and Benteen went forward.
The former almost Immediately en-
Gagged the Indians in overwhelming
numbers and retreated to the crest of
Reno's Hill, four miles from the bat
tlefield. Custer, instead of supporting
Reno, as he had originally planned,
passed around him on the east side
OF the stream and was furiously at
tackled by a large body of Sioux. He
was surrounded on a ridge and his
whole command was wiped out in less
than two hours after the fight started
:"no and Benteen fought the Indians
4" rest of the day and until Terry
and Gibbon arrived during the after
noon of the battle.