Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-08-07
CORRECT STORY
OF GEN. CUSTER
Recital by Arikara Scouts
Who Were with Him Pre-
served in State Papers.

The State Historical society is now
publishing volume five Of it's collec-
lions. The principal contribution of
this volume will be a verbatim report
Of IN interview by Secretary Libby
with the nine surviving Arikara scouts
In which is related their own expert
ences In the campaign that terminated
'in the death Of Gen. Custer and his
entire command OF the Little Big
Horn.
This narrative told by these scouts
after an unbroken silence of nearly
forty years., is in every sense a re-
Variable one. They have given In
Sninute detail their own impressions
Of the entire campaign, and have thus
been able to supply many gaps in the
story Of this famous Indian battle of
June 25, 1876.
The Arikara scouts were very fond
OF Custer and admired him for his
courage and loved him as a friend and
advisor. In common with all of the
Dakota Indians, their dreaded enc
mics, they looked upon Custer as the
man who, could be trusted and
who might some day be in a position,
to protect their lands from the en-
enactment of the whites. His I'M
timely death was for them the ANAL
tragedy that meant the loss Of all they
had hoped to save for themselves and
their children. III
The nine survivors Of the forty Ari-
Kara scouts, who served during the
campaign volunteered the information
contained in the report now being
published. They did so in order that
their side of the story might be known.
In conformity with the new policy
Of the government they have been
granted lands in s%everalty and are as
Stunning their places as citizens. They
desire that their services to the gov
eminent may be correctly recorded
and that their children may know
what place their fathers hold in the
history Of their country.
On the occasion Of the interview
when their story was taken down by
the secretary, and at his suggestion,
the old scouts formed an organization
known as the U. S. Volunteer Indian
Scouts. They elected officers and
adopted a brief constitution. Later the
organization vas extended to include
all of the tribe who had served under
the U. S. flag. This organization has
ever since held services and decorated
the graves of their dead on Decora-
ton day. The present Commander of
Scouts is Red Star, n Of the most
active and efficient of the old group
who took part in the campaign Of
1876.
Theastory of the scouts will be sup
p~lemented by brief biographies of
each of the scouts and by the story of
one of the Crow scouts under. the inn
mediate command of Custer.
The absurd claims of Curly, the
Crow scout, will be dealt with as they
deserve. He had so long posed as the
sole survivor of the battle that the
real truth of the matter has been for
gotten. Both the Arikara and the
Crows know how false his claims are
sand their evidence should be final in
the a Is
Among other material, the testi-
mony of F. Il. Gerard, one of the; most
reliable of the scouts and interpreters,
will be used. to supplement and COM
firm the story of the scouts. G erard
was a.traderSat Fts55agiark andsFrt;
Berthold, had married into the Arika-
ra tribe and was ina positiofgto sup
ply information not otherwise obtain
able. His biography had already been
published in VOLUME n Of the. col
lections.
Battle plans, productions of draw
ings and signs left on the trail by the
y Dakota warriors, n numerous pho
tographs of the principal scouts will
add Interest to.the narrative.
The very considerable body Of new
evidence on this much discussed cam
paign will make the forthcoming vol
ume' Of special interest to North Da-
kota readers:
Socialists in the. United States have
issued q proclamation condemning our
war with Germany as the most un-
justified in the history of the world"