Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-06-24

Custer massacre. But today it is rec
ognized as Il battle, tho battle of the
Little Big Horn, in which the strongest
nation Of our wild frontier, backed by
friends and allies. made it's last su-
preme effort in the defense of what
it considered it's rights.
mo Indian battle has given rise to
more controversies. Every whit" man
directly engaged was killed. The red
mon alone were abe to tell in detail
what actually happened. The version
of Curlcy the Crow, the scout, one Of
the last men 10 see Custer alive, was
never wholly accepted. The accounts
of Captain Benteen and Captain God
frey, both of the Seventh. written with
considerable degree Of impartiality
and authoritativeness, were in parts
questioned. The bitterness of the con-
troversy around the part which Major
Reno had in the disaster has not after
forty-five years died out.
Besides, the battle was the great
the suppression of the hostile activities
of the rebelious Indians in the north
west, which called into the field such
distinguished Indian fighters as Alfred
H. Terry, George Crook, John Gibbon
and Anson Mills. and such scouts as
Sergeant Jimmie Flanagan, Louis
Richard and William F. Cody. All Of
these entered in the controversy at
one or more Of its phases. The red
participants in the fight denied the
charge of the mutilation of the deae
and praised the bravery of Custer and
his men, but never gave a satisfactory
account of the battle. An old Cheyen-
ne. explaining how the white soldiers
were wiped out. placed small pieces of
twirs carefully in the ground. then.
crushing them together by swift mo-
ton Of his hands, he ground them 10
bits in his palms and dropped them at
his feet.
aft is the Indian version Of the bat
tie which will guide in its anniversary
reproduction. Custer arrived at the
scene Of the battle on the night OF
juno "a; he had intended to make his
attack on June 26, but what he saw
and the conditions which he found de-
cided him to begin action on June 20.
He advanced down a ridge toward the
water: a deep cOu!cc lay directly IN
front of him. On each side of the
ridge was low ground covered WIN
bushes, affording hiding places for ms
foe. The Indians, quickly seizing this
advantage, swan the river, and con-
cGaIinig themselves along tho ridge.
waited until Custer aud his command
reached knoll. Chief Gall gave the
signal. and the Indians arose on all
sides. The main fight, the Indians
say, lasted not more than twenty
minutes. When the smoke c.caroo
away Custer and 211 of his men lay
dead on the field
"T;ut overwhelming as this dctcat
appcared, il marked the beginning ol
the end of the Indian upriSlnGs IN lhe
northwest. The war was renewed
with stubbornncss by the government
and carried on with v:gor by the army
desnite the terrible hardships OF the
campaigns; few lines from General
Charles Kings report indicate what
thcsc we're: "rhc order was issued:
th,oc horses To he shot each night in
each battalion: and hy that time mast
Of them, like their riders. were scare
crows.
"Today VIC look back through the
irrespective of forty-flve years upon
tho Indian wars Of the 'G0s, upon the
small force of fighting Regulars VINO
cleared the way across the continent
fo, the settler and home builder ana
Guarded tho wide frontier with no none
of honor if they were victorious and no
hone of mercy if they fell. 1t WAS 10
them n thnnkless task. Il periio''s scr
,.icc :; war in which the soldier had
little 10 rain and all To lose, q warfare
as General King expressed it, '"hich
had absolutely nothing to hoid lne
soldier stern and steadfast to the cnd
but the solemn sense of soldier ou's'
and the American Regular proved NM
self worthy of the trust then as ne oio
ever before and has ever since