The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-24
FORTY YEARS SINCE
 CUSTER MASSACRE

In the valley of the Little Big Horn in southern Montana, near the Wyom- ing state line, stands a monument which marks the site of the battle which resulted in the utter annihi1a- tion of the command of General Geo. A. Custer and the complete triumph of their redslin foeA This Sunday will mark the fortieth anniversary of that grim struggle to the death, and many pilgrims will visit the memorial which has been erected at the grave of the 271 men of the Seventh United States Cavalry and some civilians and Indian scouts who periShed in the conflict with the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Indians.
 The tale of that battle, from the paleface viewpoint, has often been told, but the reading public is less familiar with the version given by the conquering Indians. In Dr. Dix on's book, ''The Vanishing Race,' the story of the Custer battle is set forth as given in the language of a num- Der of the Indians who took part. Chief Two Moons, a Sioux leader, sup plies this graphic account:
 "The whole valley was filled with smoke and the bullets flew all about us, making a noise like bees. We could hardly hear anything for the noise of the guns. When the guns were firing the Sioux and Cheyennes
 
 one falling another, together with the noise of the guns, I shall never for get.
 "At last we saw that Custer and his men were grouped on the side of the hill, and we commenced to cir cle round and round, the Sioux and the Cheyennes, and we all poured in on Custer and his men, firing into them until the last man was shot. We then jumped off our horses, took their guns and scalped them.''
 As to the immediate cause of the battle, Chief Two Moons said: fAt Powder River the soldiers at l lacked our camp and destroyed every thing and that made us mad. When the soldiers came after us, the day of the Custer fight, we were ready to kill them all. The soldiers were after us all the time and we had to fight
 The grievance of the Indians which l led to the uprising of which the Gus ter battle was the spectacular feature was set forth by Chief Red Cloud: Regarding the cause of the Custer fight I must say we were pursued by the soldiers, we were on the warpath, and we were on the warpath with the l Crows and other tribes. We were 1 trying to drive them back from the hunting grounds and the soldiers came
 upon us and we had to defend our
 selves.
 we were driven out of the Black | Hills by the men seeking gold and l our game was driven off and we start 1 ed on our journey in search of game. l Our children were starving and we | had to have something to eat. There i was buffalo in that region and we were moving, simply camping here 1 and there and fighting our Indian en- l emies and we advanced in order to get the game that was in the coun- try"
 Sympathize as all men must with 1 the gallant Custer and his brave fol | lowers, it is to be observed that the redskins were not without their ex- cuse. ''Our children were starving is a phrase that explains much. Pity is | that this was too often true of the l Indians taken under the protecting care of the Great White Father, but | merciless1y robbed by unscrupuloUs l agents, who then called upon the gal lant soldiers to fight and die in the suppression of the uprisings due tC their aVarice.
 The Custer fight was but a skirmish
 a, mere brush, as compared with the
 battles now being fought in Europe An engagement of similar violence war reporters of Europe as of no mo-
 ment. Yet the Custer battle, because
 of its unique and thrilling features, is likely to be remembered as long as
 any of the vastly greater battles since fought, and the Custer battlefield
 with it's monument and it's rows o1
 graves, will always be ha11owe6
 ground